1984
September 23, 1997|MYRNA OLIVER | (LOS ANGELES) TIMES STAFF WRITER — “Emperor” Bob Hudson, a veteran Southern California disc jockey who also dubbed himself “Beautiful Bob,” has died at 66. Hudson died in his sleep early Saturday at his Monrovia home. A master of the giant put-on, Hudson was on the air from the 1950s through the 1980s on several Southern California stations, initially anointing himself “emperor” on KRLA…Hudson regularly signed off his programs by warning the “peasants” to clear the freeway because “His Highness is coming.” The “emperor” dressed the part, complete with turban and robes, and moved around Hollywood in a gold Rolls-Royce. “The kids really thought I was nuts and they loved me,” he told The Times in 1968, when he was “Beautiful Bob” on KFWB in the days before its current all-news format. Hudson was praised by colleagues in his highly competitive business for intelligent humor and clever chatter…
I’M NORMAL – BOB HUDSON
Top 40 DJ’s – Hudson and Landry
Former radio columnist for the Seattle Times (1964-1989).
— View other articles by Victor Stredicke
Maple Valley Mike says:
March 5, 2017 10:36 pm at
I was able to meet the Emperor. A truly unique individual. I worked at KKMI, in a small role on Saturday nights for a while, I worked for Viacom Cable during the week. I was also taking classes at the time.