IT'S NOT right to call Dick Hungate a brown-noser, but it is true that he has only good things to say about The Boss.
All you have to do is ask, and Hungate will relate the man's down-to-earth nature. And one of his favorite stories is about the day he was closest to this legend in his field.
You can't fault Hungate's excitement, though. See, the subject of his stories isn't a middle manager. It's The Boss: Bruce Springsteen.
The famed singer is one of many rock stars Hungate has met over the course of three decades in the radio business. The disc jockey is the new afternoon-drive man on the classic-rock station WWUZ, 96.9 FM, one of this newspaper's sister operations.
Hungate, who in 1981 invented the classic-rock format, told me that Springsteen was the nicest rocker he's ever met. The musician has never forgotten his working-class roots.
"He remembers what it's like
Case in point: In 1980, when Springsteen was on the "River" tour, he was staying in Philadelphia at the Four Seasons.
Wanting a bite to eat, he ventured downstairs to a French restaurant, but a restaurant worker, not realizing who she was talking to, dismissed the Jersey boy because he wasn't wearing the proper attire.
Springsteen, though, didn't pitch a "Don't-you-know-who-I-am?" fit.
"Oh, that's cool," Springsteen said, and left.
"That just really impressed me," Hungate said.
The program director at WYSP in Philly at the time, Hungate emceed one of Springsteen's three dates at the Spectrum. Memories of sharing the stage with the superstar continue to delight him.
When Hungate stepped aside after introducing Springsteen, The Boss and the E Street Band jumped right into "Hungry Heart."
"I just got goose bumps," Hungate said.
Heart failure was more likely his response after breaking bread with the band Nazareth in 1977, though.
The band, famous for hits "Love Hurts" and "Hair of the Dog" were in Lexington, Ky., to play the Rupp Arena, and Hungate, then the program director and midday DJ on WKQQ went to lunch with the band.
The booze flowed, hors d'oeuvres were scarfed and Hungate and another radio staffer had a great time--that is, until the bill came.
Hungate had figured the record company was picking up the tab. But no. Band and Co. promptly got up and thanked the radio station for its hospitality, all 300 bucks worth.
And, reminding me of inflation when telling the story, Hungate noted that the $300 was in "1977 money."
Luckily, though, just as the value of money changes, success changes some rockers' attitudes.
After reaching a certain level of stardom, Hungate said, musicians don't feel like they have to prove anything to anyone anymore.
John Mellencamp, for example, appeared almost a spoiled brat when he first visited Hungate in Philly. He seemed like he was stopping by radio stations only because his handlers made him.
On a stop years later, however, the former John Cougar put his claws away and apologized to Hungate for his earlier behavior.
"And that made it all better," Hungate said. "A simple apology."
I mentioned brown-nosing earlier. It's not brown-nosing to say that the Fredericksburg airwaves are better because Hungate is here to share these stories and others after many years at Richmond stations.
Of course, I could be encouraged to brown-nose if he took me out for one of those $300 lunches--even if it was only in 2005 money.
To reach JONATHAN HUNLEY:
Email: jhunley@freelancestar.com