At 25, Woods received his first broadcast job (12 midnight to 1 am) at WWRL (1600 on AM) in New York, New York. As Georgie would say, “so nice, they had to name it twice.” That job lasted only a short time. “Maybe three months,” Georgie Woods laughed. “I went to WHAT (Philadelphia) on January 7, 1953,” he said.
The City of Brotherly Love would be his broadcast home for the rest of his half-century career. WHAT Radio, at that time, was owned by Broadcast Pioneers members Billy & Dolly Banks, both inducted into our “Hall of Fame” in 2004.
In 1956, Georgie Woods moved to the station that most would remember as his broadcast home, WDAS, owned by Broadcast Pioneers member (and former Broadcast Pioneers’ Vice-President), the late Max M. Leon. Many sources report that the date of Woods first going to WDAS was 1955. However, Georgie’s first WDAS contract has been located and the start date is 1956, not 1955.
Almost two decades later, in 1988, Georgie Woods marketed his own line of “Potato Chips” through a South Philly company, C & S, Inc., which claimed to sell over 3 million bags a year. Whether there is any connection to the “Potato Salad” craze of two decades before is subject to debate.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2002 Georgie Woods was presented with the March of Dimes Achievements in Radio (AIR) Award and on Friday, November 18, 2005, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia was proud to induct Georgie Woods into our “Hall of Fame.”
George lived a couple blocks from the beach on the east side of the Sunshine State. He said, “”I might be in Florida, but Philadelphia will always be my home.” On June 18, 2005, Georgie Woods passed away. He’s buried here in the Delaware Valley, surrounded by the community and the people he loved so much.
When we were talking with George, he told us a funny story that he swears is 100% true. The details are this:
Many years ago, he was hosting a fantastic rhythm and blues show at the Uptown Theater. It was loaded with stars. A husband promised his pregnant wife that she would get to see the show. However, she was ill with a cold for most of the show’s run and missed everything. There was one last show and the couple went to see it. Well, as luck had it, she went into labor and had the baby in the basement of the Uptown. Mother and child were fine. The girl’s name? Georgette.
