Hy Lit – Nostalgia Central

Born on 20 May 1934, American radio disc jockey Hyman Aaron Lit was based in the Philadelphia area from the 1950s until 2005.

In his 50-year career, he broadcast for WIBG, WDAS/WDAS-FM, WKBS-TV, WIFI, WSNI/WPGR, KPOL, WKXW, among many others.

His Hall of Fame show on WIBG – commonly known as “Wibbage” – dominated the Philadelphia/New Jersey area with a whopping 71% market share.

“The Jet Jockey on Flight 99” (also known as “Hyski”) also released two compilations of early-’60s pop.

He was famous for fast-talking rhyming patterns like “Hyski-O-Roonie-McVouty-O-Zoot!”, heavily influenced by 1940s jazz singer Slim Gaillard.

In 1969, he moved over to WDAS-FM to host ‘Hyski’s Underground ‘, which was instrumental in commercialising FM radio through a brand new concept – “album rock”.

From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, he hosted a nationally syndicated television dance party show produced at WKBS-TV (Channel 48). The show aired in over 30 major US cities and featured iconic guests like Marvin Gaye, The Monkees, and The Four Tops.

Lit experienced a career resurgence in the 1980s by tapping into the Baby Boomer nostalgia wave. He began hosting highly successful live oldies nights at local clubs, using the catchphrase, “I wanna see your face in the place!”

In 1989, he joined CBS-owned 98.1 WOGL, where he hosted the highly-rated “Top 20 Countdown” on weekends alongside his regular weekday shifts. He spent 16 years with the station before resigning in late 2005 following an age discrimination dispute.

Hy Lit died of kidney failure on 17 November 2007, following routine knee surgery at Paoli Memorial Hospital. He was 73.