Celebrating 30 Years Of Joe Conklin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Joe Conklin started his radio career as a sales rep.
It was August of 1984, just a few months after he graduated from Temple University when Conklin joined WKXW-FM and WBUD-AM in Trenton as an account executive. Six months later, he quit to do stand-up comedy.
Photos: 30 Years Of Joe Conklin
Fast forward three decades and Conklin is now one of the most iconic voices in Philadelphia, known for his bits and impressions of current and former Philly sports figures and politicians from Allen Iverson, to Charles Barkley, to Chip Kelly, to Ilya Bryzgalov, to Brett Brown, to Donald Trump, to Barack Obama, and more. Sometimes, it's hard to tell the on-air difference between the real Merrill Reese and Conklin's impression of him.
Conklin's first day on-air in Philadelphia was April 4th, 1986 at 98.1 WCAU-FM (Adult Contemporary) with the former legendary nighttime DJ Terry Young, also known as "the Motor mouth."
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"The station had moved Terry to mornings a month earlier when 'the Barsky Show' left for Chicago," Conklin told CBSPhilly.com. "Terry re-named himself "the morning maniac" and was looking for a sidekick to do comedy bits, someone who did impressions. I found out about this opportunity through Dave Doebler, a friend of mine with whom I worked in Sales at WKXW, who was now working as an Account Executive at WCAU-AM. I quickly threw together a demo tape on a hand held cassette recorder. I included impressions like Wilson Goode, Ronald Reagan, Eddie Murphy and Rodney Dangerfield.
"I received a telephone call a few days later from WCAU-FM Program Director Scott Walker," Conklin continued. "He said he liked my tape and he asked me to come in for a live on-air audition. I did well and they asked me to come back the next day. I kept doing well and after a few months I was offered a contract."
Conklin worked at WCAU-FM from 1986-1988 (the station changed to Oldies 98 WOGL FM in the Fall of 1987) and after that, worked free-lance for several stations, including WYSP doing voices for on-air promotions. Then, in 1990, Conklin was discovered by 610AM WIP.
"I sent three demo tapes of my impressions to Sports talk radio 610AM WIP," Conklin said. "Most of my stand up routine included sports material and I already had morning show experience in this market. One tape went to, then Program Director Tom Bigby, one went to morning show host Tom Brookshier and another went to the producer of the morning show -- I think his name was Scott McHugh. Bigby said he had no room on the station for comedians, or an impressionist who wants to do produced bits because, 'Our hosts are spontaneous. Comedy is contrived.'
"One month went by and somehow, the afternoon producer at the time, Joe Weachter, found my tape sitting on a table and played it. He liked it. He played it for the afternoon host, Jody McDonald. Jody liked it and said, 'We have to get this guy on our show.'"
Conklin ended up calling into Jody Mac's show every Thursday afternoon for the next four years. In 1993, when the Phillies played the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series, Conklin did a bit that would his change his life forever.
"I did a bit on Jody's show -- a song parody of 'Oh Canada' entitled 'Yo Canada' -- that made fun of the Blue Jays being forced to stay at a hotel outside the city during the series," Conklin said. "Because of a shortage of hotel rooms the visiting team stayed at the Marriott in Conshohocken, PA. WIP's morning show heard the bit and replayed it on their show the next day. From that point forward I began taping bits for Angelo Cataldi, Al Morganti, and Tony Bruno.
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In the fall of 1994, Conklin was hired as a full-time employee of the morning team.
After sour contract negotiations, Conklin left WIP the day after the Eagles lost the 2003 NFC Championship game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He went on to work on a new morning show at WMMR-FM called "the Philly Guys" with Mike Missanelli and Vinnie the Crumb, which lasted just two years.
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In June of 2006, Conklin and his energetic personality returned to WIP in a part-time role doing comedy bits for Angelo Cataldi and the Morning Show, and in 2014, Conklin once again accepted a full-time position with WIP's morning team.
Conklin's bits, impressions, and characters have become a staple in Philadelphia. His daughter Casey even chips in every now and together, they put together parody songs, which usually go viral (as featured above).
On a show that keeps things amusing, light, and entertaining, Conklin fits in perfectly.
