Gising na! RJ na! – Howlin’ Dave
I really don’t know the man, but I knew the voice. Dante David or better know in the airwaves as Howlin’ Dave was a symbol in the local rock scene. During the late ‘70s until mid ‘80s, DZRJ was my only radio station and Howlin’ Dave was The Rock Guru. A pinoy rock pioneer and a repository of information on anything pertaining to his brand of music. In a way, he made an impression in my young life.
I’ve lost touch of pinoy music when I came here. I never heard of him again until I meet his brother, Batjay, a fellow blogger (Kwentong tambay). From Batjay’s stories, I got a glimpse of the man’s persona. From Batjay, I came to know of his demise.
I still don’t know the man, but I knew, a lot will miss the voice. Keep on rockin’ Dave while climbing the “stairways to heaven”. Keep on rollin’ while “knockin’ on heaven’s door”.
When you see me fly away without you,
I really don’t know the man, but I knew the voice. Dante David or better know in the airwaves as Howlin’ Dave was a symbol in the local rock scene. During the late ‘70s until mid ‘80s, DZRJ was my only radio station and Howlin’ Dave was The Rock Guru. A pinoy rock pioneer and a repository of information on anything pertaining to his brand of music. In a way, he made an impression in my young life.
I’ve lost touch of pinoy music when I came here. I never heard of him again until I meet his brother, Batjay, a fellow blogger (Kwentong tambay). From Batjay’s stories, I got a glimpse of the man’s persona. From Batjay, I came to know of his demise.
I still don’t know the man, but I knew, a lot will miss the voice. Keep on rockin’ Dave while climbing the “stairways to heaven”. Keep on rollin’ while “knockin’ on heaven’s door”.
When you see me fly away without you,
Shadows on the things you know,
Feathers fall around you,
And show you the way to go,
It's over....
Many young people probably do not understand who the man is, or his impact on the music world is but to us whose lives he has somehow touched one way or another, his contributions are as clear as ice. We saw how everything started and take shape. We know the whys and the wherefores of what we have today. We shall surely miss this man.
ReplyDeletei don't know him but he sounds interesting from your point of view. i wonder where i can find more about this person.
ReplyDeletethank you sa write-up. dante would have loved to read this.
ReplyDeleteingat
jay
It goes to show, matanda na tayo Ka Rolly... hehehe.
ReplyDeletethe dong, try asking people who knew Juan dela Cruz, Maria Capra, Sampaguita et al. If they knew these bands, they knew Howlin' Dave.
Jay, that's the least I could do to preserved some of his memory.
I grew up listening to DZRJ on the AM band back in the 1970s. I started listening again back in the late 80s when I started hearing his famous morning greeting "Gising na, RJ na!". The man will surely be missed.
ReplyDeletepanaderos, I think he's one of the last true DJs who really knows his stuff. Hindi katulad ngayon puro "pre-programmed" by category. Jazz kung jazz, rock kung rock without the "dj" knowing kung sino ang nakasalang.
ReplyDeleteAlam mo, kahit dito sa States, nawawala na rin iyang mga DJs isa-isa. The rock station and the concept of the rock DJs as we know it has been replaced by a more corporate-like pre-programmed approach. I find this approach very impersonal and quite boring.
ReplyDeleteHowlin' Dave and all the other DJs like him informed us while the music they played entertained us. In the words of Bob Dylan, I guess "the times they are a changing" not necessarily for the better though.
Sadly the technology of yesteryears (being spent most of my life in Baguio) deprived me a chance to listen to Howlin's programs,Anyway Sampaguita,Mike Hanopol,Maria Cafra of course Pepe smith, did rock us here up north in the 70s and 80s.Pepe as I understand retires in Baguio,and yes, he is still rockin'favorite watering hole there whenever he can.
ReplyDeleteed v., ang alam ko yang mga "jeproks" nayan pumupunta sa Baguio during summer and sem breaks para doon mag rock-rakan.
ReplyDelete