Boston Radio Legend Arnie ‘Woo Woo’ Ginsburg Passes On

Arnie Ginsburg, R.I.P. (photo: John Garabedian)

Sad news concerning one of radio’s greats: Top 40 radio legend ARNIE “WOO WOO” GINSBURG has passed at age 93. He was retired and had been living in the coastal town of PERKINS COVE, ME. Reports of his passing a week ago were premature, but GINSBURG had been in hospice care and passed away FRIDAY evening (6/26).

His career began in the 1950’s at WBOS-A/BOSTON and he continued to entertain the market's listeners well into the 80’s on WMEX-A, WRKO-A and WWEL, which, in 1979, morphed into WXKS (KISS 108), the city’s first Disco station. He was inducted into the MASSACHUSETTS Broadcasters Hall Of Fame in 2008.

GINSBURG’s partner for 44 years, CARLOS ALBERTO VEGA (they married in MAY 2016), penned a touching personal obituary, excerpted here:

“ARNIE´s first love was radio.

"By the age of eight, ARNIE had built his own short-wave radio. ARNIE had originally no intention of being a disc jockey. He imagined himself as a technician and a producer, not an on-air broadcaster. He didn´t think his voice had the timbre of the classic radio announcer. ARINE had been working as an engineer at WBOS, which in the mid-1950s was primarily devoted to foreign language broadcasting. The (then) manager asked him to start rock-and-roll programming. The offer was that ARNIE host a morning show to be called 'Get Up With GINSBURG.' ARNIE refused, claiming morning was not his best time of day and suggested doing an evening show and calling it 'Go To Bed With GINSBURG.' In the end, ARNIE won, and the show began—but not with the title 'Going To Bed With GINSBURG.'

"It was after ARNIE´s move to WMEX that he became the most famous NEW ENGLAND disc jockey… he did not receive a salary per sé, but would get 25% of advertising revenue. He introduced the then-novel sounds of such noisemakers as a cow bell, a carrot that squeaked, a kuku clock whistle, a horn. But his signature sound was made by the multi-tubed train whistle that when blown sounded like a train enunciating 'woo woo.' According to ARNIE, the instrument had been given to him by a fan who had come to the station to visit him one night. ARNIE´s show was already called 'The Night Train' and the visitor felt the sound from the whistle was perfect for the show—and the rest is history.

"ARNIE´s years at WMEX coincided with the growing emergence of Rock and Roll, but also the British Invasion and the popularity of the Pop Folk style of such artists as PETER PAUL & MARY. ARNIE introduced THE BEATLES at both their BOSTON concerts at the time, as well as the first concert in NEW ENGLAND by the ROLLING STONES.

"When WRKO hired ARNIE to create a new market identity, WMEX sued based on a non-compete clause. ARNIE was then briefly a manager at WMEX. He did, however, keep a show on WRKO that kept alive for a new generation the programming that had made him famous. He then went on to manage WWEL which at the time was an easy-listening station. It wasn´t ARNIE´s style and it didn´t represent the most rewarding period in his life. 

"All changed in 1979 with the transformation of WWEL into WXKS-FM: KISS 108 under the leadership and almost clairvoyance of one of Boston´s greatest media minds, RICHIE BALDSBAUGH. ARNIE started what seemed like a ‘second life’ as part of the unique team that launched BOSTON´s first disco station. Working with such greats at RICHIE, SONNY JOE WHITE, LISA LIPPS, MATT SIEGEL, JOHN GARABEDIAN, et al., ARNIE loved being, again, at the center of the pulse of BOSTON. ARNIE also collaborated in the start-up of WXKS 'The Music of Your Life,' an AM station devoted to memorable easy-listening songs from the 1930s and onwards.

"Since 1986 ARNIE has devoted a great deal of his time enjoying life, keeping up with long-time friends, and travel. He sold his properties in BOSTON and moved full-time to his beloved OGUNQUIT, MAINE.

"One final thing to point out in this very personal text is to note just how positive and up-beat ARNIE has been throughout his life. As he has commented on several occasions, he shuns negativity and seems to ‘get over things’ quickly. Perhaps that is one of the important keys to living a long, beautiful life.”

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