This beautiful video, produced by Channel Z Video, is offered as "A tribute
to the life of
iconic El Paso disc jockey, Steve Crosno. From of of us lucky enough to know
you,
thanks for the inspiration. - I know you're up in heaven drinking a Pepsi
right now!"
~Channel Z Video
Crosno honored by Texas Radio Hall of
Fame
The late Steve Crosno, El Paso's legendary radio personality, was
honored posthumously with instatement into the Texas Radio Hall of
Fame's "Hall of Honor."
I lived in Ft. Bliss from 1963-1965.
As a 5th, 6th, and 7th grader at Ross,
every kid I knew, myself included, listened to 920-KELP day and night
outside of school, of course. It's been a long time and I've forgotten all
of the DJs there, but I'll always, always remember one. The indelible Steve
Crosno. Once you heard his show, you never forgot him, and what made him so
iconic in my mind was his humor. It was self-deprecating and it made you
learn to laugh at yourself. I'll never forget one of his promo bits when a
cartoonish voice would come on and say, "Why do more people listen to Steve
Crosno than...." You would hear Steve with an undertoned reply, "I don't
know, why don't you tell me". Then would come some sarcastic punchline,
coming a lot of times from a little girl's voice, and Steve would threaten
the voice with the cops, or "THROW THEM OUT OF THE STUDIO. GET OUTTA HERE!"
It's sad that a part of my childhood is no longer with us, but my memory of
him and the wonderful years I had in El Paso and Ft. Bliss will always stay.
God bless you Steve Crosno for enriching my life.
---
David Weiser
WZDX-TV Master Control
Huntsville, Alabama
I remember listening to Steve on KELP when I was young. He was one of my
inspirations to get into radio.
Long before I could drive, I would ask my mom to take me to the KELP studios
on Delta Drive. I would hang out with Steve in the control room and watch
him do his radio show. He was always good to me, helpful and was patient
with my endless questions.
Later when I became a radio engineer, I had the extreme good fortune to work
with Steve at KIZZ AM/FM in El Paso. It was a dream come true for me.
Later my profession took me to other towns, but I never forgot Steve and how
he helped me.
I was Steve Crosno's PD at B-94FM in the 80's I hired him away from KSET (I was
also the one to come up
with the idea for Steve's name for the middle school.
We need help by having everyone that grew up in El Paso to send emails to the
School Board members..
The more letters and emails, the better chance we have of getting his name on
the school. Could you add
a note on his site asking all former EL PASO residents (only People who grew up
here listening to him) to
contact the School District Board. Via phone or email or regular mail They
should go to
www.episd.org.
Then click on Board of Trustees and send every trustee an email or letter
Stating that they think it would
be a good idea to give Steve the honor by naming the school after him. Not
because he was a great DJ
but because he was someone who worked to help the Latino community of El Paso,
especially the Latino
youth by giving them encouragement that they could do whatever they dreamed of
and by giving them
visibility and motivation (via the TV show)
Thanks, Ron Haney
______________________________________________
To Sonny and George
Thanks for giving
back ,and giving El Paso, a chance to give back to the greatest goodwill
ambassador a
great city could
ever have. What a run from the 60s to the end always doing the best for this
city and all
the surrounding
areas . Also always doing the right thing for all the people around him who
ever needed.
Simply put a great
man who always gave to others unselfishly . May he find eternal peace and
rest. May
God bless his
family and of course may god bless Sonny and George for all that they have
done .
Simply go in peace
and thanks from Bill Biddle El Paso, Texas
______________________________________________
AS AN 'OUTSIDER' TO THE EL
PASO AREA, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO COME ACROSS STEVE'S RADIO HUMOR
WHILE STATIONED AT FT. BLISS IN THE MID 60'S, AWAITING SHIPMENT TO
VIETNAM.
HAVING COME FROM THE
BUFFALO, N.Y. AREA, HIS BLEND OF MUSIC WAS TOTALLY ORIGINAL TO ME.
AT FIRST, I DIDN'T QUITE GET
IT ALL, BUT HIS MELDING OF OFF THE WALL HUMOR AND USE OF WHAT WOULD
BECOME KNOWN AS 'SAMPLING' IMMEDIATELY WON ME OVER. AT THE TIME,
BUFFALO HAD AN EQUALLY ORIGINAL COMEDIC TALENT KNOWN AS 'DAFFY' DAN
NEVERATH ON OUR 50,000 WATT AM POWERHOUSE WKBW. THEIR SIGNAL WAS ABLE
TO REACH ME IN BASIC TRAINING AT FT. DIX, N.J., AND STEVE JUST SORT OF
CONTINUED THE MADNESS INTO THE SOUTHWEST FOR ME.
HAVING BEEN AN APPRENTICE
D.J. AT A LOCAL COLLEGE RADIO STATION MYSELF, I TRULY APPRECIATED WHAT
STEVE WAS DOING - ESPECIALLY AT HIS LIVE EVENTS AND HIS TELEVISION
PROGRAM. I CAN STILL SEE HIM PEEKING OUT OF A TRASH CAN IN FRONT OF A
MR. QUICK HAMBURGER STAND GRINNING LIKE CRAZY!
NOT KNOWING WHAT AWAITED ME IN 'NAM, I ABSORBED ALL I COULD OF HIS
SHOWS.
HOWEVER, FATE INTERVENED,
AND A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT AT FT. BLISS SENT ME INTO WILLIAM BEAUMONT
HOSPITAL FOR THE NEXT 2 YEARS, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE LISTENING IN
TO HIS PROGRAMS FROM MY BED IN WARD 16! SINCE I HAD QUITE A FEW BONES
SHATTERED, I ALWAYS CONSIDERED THAT TO MY 'LUCKY BREAK(S)'.
I CAME ACROSS YOUR WEBSITE
WHILE LOOKING AT EL PASO INFORMATION FOR AN UPCOMING TRIP BACK TO AN
AREA THAT I TRULY FELL IN LOVE WITH. NO, I NEVER BECAME A D.J. --
OPTING INSTEAD TO BECOME A OVER-THE-ROAD TOUR BUS DRIVER (TAKING MY ACT
'ON THE ROAD' AS IT WERE), BUT HAD STEVE EVER FOLLOWED HOWARD STERN AND
BEAMED HIS SHOW OVER SATELLITE, YOU CAN BE SURE I WOULD HAVE BEEN
PLAYING IT THROUGH MY EARBUDS WHILE I DROVE!
THANKS STEVE, FOR MAKING
MYSELF AND A LOT OF MY BUDDIES FEEL 'AT HOME' WHILE ABOUT TO GO FAR AWAY
DURING SOME PRETTY HARD TIMES.....
AL KNOBLOCH
______________________________________________
I first met
Steve in the early 80's when I started working at KSET
AM/FM. This skinny guy with a weird wig,
a belt buckle the size of a car bumper and drinking Pepsi
out of a plaid covered thermos. I was new in town
and just didn't know who I was dealing with, but I soon
found out. His show was as different as anything I'd
ever heard, but I learned a lot about El Paso, my new
home, from Steve's show.
I didn't see
Steve too much after that, but years later he called me out
of the blue to see if I knew anything
about building a studio and putting his "new" show on CD.
Seemed like a great idea to me and did what I could.
Making the
trek to his New Mexico home, his studio was a mix of high
tech mixed with early Marconi, but he
made it work. I recall making a joke about his old,
antiquated mic, to which he countered, "Yeah, but that mic
got a 14.5 share.
Since then,
we'd talk on the phone occasionally about the show or just
throw jabs back and forth. The greatest
compliment he ever gave me was during one of those
"Jab-fests" when he said he had to cut the call short. I
asked him why? He replied dryly, "because you're winning".
Something that didn't happen very often.
I'll miss Steve a lot.
Stu Kellogg
PDA/Production Direction Advertising
________________________________________________
It
seems I was not in El Paso long before I heard the name Steve
Crosno. I just moved to
El
Paso in October 2005 and I was not familiar with Steve Crosno,
but had heard his name
mentioned once when on a visit here in 2004. Well that soon
changed. My sister-in-law talks
about being interviewed by Mr. Crosno at one of the dances when
she was young and my
husband says he was a nice guy. It seems everyone says he was a
nice guy. What a great
thing to be known for. Even my mother-in law who is 75 talks
about him. I could see the
sadness in thei eyes when the paper arrived announcing his
departure from this earth. I really
hope I will be able to attend his memorial tomorrow. To his
family and friends we send our
sympathy and a hope that you remember the good times.
Lisa Modica-Ruiz and Hector Ruiz
________________________________________________
Like
everyone who grew up in El Paso in the 50s and 60s I thought Crosno
was wonderful. Like many
others
I will really miss Steve. He was truly a great man.
Paul Garland
Austin High class of 66, UTEP class of 71
Eygelshoven, The Netherlands
________________________________________
As a lifelong musician, I can't over-emphasize the
tremendous influence
that Steve Crosno's television and radio shows had
on me growing up in
El Paso back in the late Sixties and early
Seventies. He was simply the
best. I can still hear him reading dedications over
the organ vamp from
Timmy Thomas' "Why Can't We Live Together" -- "Okay,
from Lencho to La
Guera at Riverside, te amo siempre ... "
El Paso back then had a lot of radio and TV
personalities - let's not
forget Howell Eurich, Nicolico, Ted Bender, Barefoot
Baker, Johnny
Dollar - but Crosno was the undisputed king of the
hill. He brought
anglos and Hispanics together in a beautiful way,
creating a truly
Southwestern blend of humor that all El Pasoans
could relate to. Steve
Crosno WAS El Paso to more than two generations of
his listeners.
I was in El Paso last year visiting my parents down
in Clint, and had a
chance to stop by All That Music, where I bought the
live CD recording
of the tribute to Steve Crosno back in the late
Sixties at the
Coliseum. What a wonderful document of the great
music and fun times
back in El Chuco! The man was loved by all back then
and all the way
through his career. Wherever any of us are, we take
a little bit of
Steve around with us.
Orale, Crosno, thank you very much!
ED IVEY
San Francisco, CA
________________________________________
As a kid, listening to
Crosno and watching Crosno's Hop were part of
growing up. It was
a love-hate
relationship, because not all the music he played
was our music. But in retrospect,
even the stuff we
weren't crazy about has proven to be timeless.
Steve's sense of humor
was unique, and he kept us laughing at the most
ridiculous gags and
one-liners. My
kids probably never heard of Steve Crosno, but they
know dozens of his silly
jokes and
plays-on-words, because their father drives them
crazy with Crosno-isms. There
are a million, but
a couple that quickly come to mind are "get out of
the wheat field, mother,
you're running
against the grain". Or how about his comment when a
certain brand of cigarette
bragged in their
ads that they were "Outstanding in their field". He
replied. "Yes, out standing
in their field,
when they should be in working in their office."
Steve's wonderful, racy
sense of humor got him in trouble more than once.
Sometimes we
wondered if he did
it on purpose, or whether was just inadvertently
obscene. Does anyone
remember the KELP
Lucky Boy Lucky License contest? The DJ would call
out a license
number, and if it
was yours, you had 15 minutes to call in or get to
the nearest Lucky Boy
(I don't remember
exactly), and you'd win cash. In those days, Texas
plates had a two-letter
prefix and four
numbers. One of the prefixes in El Paso was "CK".
One day Steve called out
a number,
something like CK1234, then repeated "That's C-K, as
in 'If You See Kay, tell her
I love her". Of
course, he could profess innocence when some uptight
listener complained that
he had been
spelling an obscene word on the air. "I was just
using 'If you see Kay' as an
example. I didn't
realize it sounded the same as 'F-U-C-K' on the air.
Steve was a real modern
day W.C. Fields.
He didn't get fired for that one, but he came close.
I was an 18 year old
freshman at UTEP in 1965 when I got my first job in
broadcasting at KELP,
reading the news.
The first time I walked into the news booth, I
looked through the double glass
into the control
room, and there sat Steve Crosno. The real Steve
Crosno, the guy I'd listened to
and idolized
growing up, sitting just a few feet from me. Surely
he wouldn't even give me a look.
But he got up and
came around into the news booth and invited me in to
the control room. It
wasn't but a few
minutes until I felt I was chatting with an old
friend. The next day, when I had
my first
opportunity to read the news opposite him, my
nervousness evaporated. I was just
reading to my
friend Steve.
He may have been the
least pretentious human being that ever lived. At
the same time, he
may have done more to
promote harmony between El Paso's Anglos and
Chicanos than
anyone else, and
probably never took a lick of credit for the
incredible fact that El Paso had
minimal Anglo-Chicano
tensions, or racial tensions, at a time when much of
the country was
convulsed by racial and
ethnic hatreds. Steve, every El Pasoan's
afternoon-drive DJ, played a
little bit of music for
everybody, and laughed at himself and at us in a
loving, non-threatening
way. If every city had
had a Steve Crosno, there may have been no need for
forced bussing,
and Rosa Parks might
have been offered a seat on that bus in Montgomery.
Steve Crosno was an El
Paso institution. If there isn't a school named
after him in the city
he loved, and other
lasting tributes to this pioneer in modern El Paso
radio, then there's no
justice in this world.
But Steve didn't need accolades or monuments. What
motivated Steve
was making people laugh
or smile, and by poking fun at himself, he made
others realize that
jokes about people's
foibles and weaknesses need not be malicious, if
they were turned
around and used on
oneself.
Steve was a wonderful
man, but he was inherently a small-town guy, a guy
who thrived on the
corny, goofball humor
that works in middle class America, but
somehow fails to ignite more
sophisticated, more
demanding audiences. Steve was right for El Paso,
and El Paso was the
perfect environment in
which he could succeed.
Steve, your wacko lines
will keep popping up in my head for as long as I
live, and probably in
the heads of my kids,
and of thousands of others who hear his gags and
aphorisms and wry
humor passed on by
listeners, some of whom may not even remember when
they heard it.
I just
got off the phone with a friend of mine Juan Mendoza,
who informed me of Steve’s passing.
I am
saddened to hear that he has left us. Steve is the
reason that I became known in El Paso
and
had a following there. He was instrumental in always
promoting the San Antonio music
sound
and giving guys like us a decent chance at air time with
our musical efforts. I am glad
that I
was able to speak to him while he was in the hospital
and to pay my respects for all he
did.
He is much appreciated and will be sadly missed. I
wish God’s blessings upon him.
Sincerely,
Rudy
Tee & The Reno Bops
__________________________________________
I grew up with Steve Crosno
and his wonderful music--the dances he had at Ascarate,
at
the Colesium in Las
Cruces-- My sister and our girlfriend Tessie de
Tortugas would drive
from Las Cruces to Ascarate
Park. It was great! He also had lots of dances at the
Riverside
in San Miguel. Brought out
all those great bands-Those were truly the good old
days.
Steve, you will never be
forgotten!
God's peace on your family.
Love-Ladynegs
__________________________________________
Steve was
one of the first disc jockeys I heard on el paso radio when
I arrived here in 1973.
He
had an interesting delivery and choice of music, kinda of
like he was sharing an inside
joke with
you. Steve had a presence on the air like no other. His was
a unique and clever
individual. His “crosno tv show”, was a holler, like a
Mexican-American bandstand, I enjoyed
watching
the kids dance along to “Frankenstein” from the edgar winter
group. Hilarious. But
he kept it
together. You’ll be missed my friend. The king is dead, long
live Steve Crosno.
Radio
Legend
Sam
Cassiano,
clearchannel radio
_________________________________________
I too had experience the generosity that Steve shared with
the people of El Paso. I can
recall back when our group Jr. & The Preludes, first appear
on the Crosno's show, back
in the mid 60's. He gave us encouragement and exposure. I
remember some of the
group members being nervous as heck, man we very young and
inexperience. He came
up to us with his ever smiling face and ask what was wrong.
We explain to him and he
said, "don't worry, it's a piece of cake", just have fun.
Thanks Steve for all your help and may you Rest In Peace.
Joe Lopez
Santa Ana, CA
__________________________________________
I remember hearing the news that Crosno had died. My heart
sank. I knew he was not well
but I guess in our hearts we think people like Crosno will
always be there. I remember going
to the Coloseum that we had in Las Cruces or we would go to
the Riverside dance hall in San
Miguel. The Midnighters would come from LA. I always
tagged along with my older sister
Martha. Then after marrying my husband who I met at the
dance, we had children. Then they
were listening to the same songs we did on the radio on
Cruising' with Crosno. I couldn't
believe it! She loved all the oldies we listened too and
she too loved Crosno. Thanks Crosno
for years of service and love to the youth. This legend
never expired and it never will. My
heart aches to know that a part of that history and my youth
has died but I know that his
legend will live forever. Sorry for the generations of this
area who will not get to know him.
Thanks for the memories.
Belinda Varela Ramirez from 4 Points by Mesilla, NM
__________________________________________
Sonny,
I remember
when I was a young boy listening to Crosno and his funny skits
on the Radio. I was
barely
discovering my preferred music and that turned out to be El Paso
style Oldies. Crosno
showed that he
was a Chicano at heart. I met him at one of his Discoteco dances
at the Y. He
came up to me
and asked where I went to school and also noticed that I wasn’t
one of the
“regulars”. He
knew everything. I later met him, much later in my life, at one
of the dances I
was DJ’ing at
the State Center. His sister Linda worked there ( a lovely
person) And she made
it possible
for him to make an appearance at the dance. Everybody was
ecstatic that Crosno
was there in
person! I played one of his “themes” and he asked me “Where did
you get that
music?” I
told him I buy a lot of music. He said “Your’e good.” It was the
Ultimate complement.
I later met
him again at Speaking Rock. I and my Ceci will miss, You Crosno.
Joe Mendoza (
DJ Joe)
__________________________________________
Hi
Sonny, back in 69-72 I was a member of Steve's Crosnoloids crew
member. My co workers
were
Jr., Chip Brewster and Ruben back when the show was broadcast at
the KELP studios
near
U-TEP. We carried his equipment in the back of a white colored
commercial vehicle. We
set up
the show and did his dance hops all over El Paso and New Mexico. I
can not remember
where
his home in Cruces is but I remember the wall to wall library of
albums. I would have
loved
to have seen him again. I had a gift for him. I have been gone from
El Paso for about 25
years
and all has change, EXCEPT STEVE CROSNO, El Paso's landmark, The
TRUE STAR
ON
MOUNT FRANKLIN. . Steve might not have remembered but I recall
calling him on the radio
and
asked if I could be on his crew, "What High school do you go to?"
Riverside and he said
"SURE". The next couple of years were GREAT memories. I am so sad
I did not know how
short
of time he had left. Funny how much he will be missed.
Wolfgang Acosta
___________________________________________
If anyone were
to ask me what I remember of my childhood days I would have to
tell them that it
was watching
my mother make fresh tortillas and listening to the Steve Crosno
show everyday.
I am now in my
forties and when I listen to 70’s music I catch myself saying,
“I remember
listening to
that on the Steve Crosno show” and It would bring back memories.
I didn’t know
him personally
but he was always a part of our family, listening to him
everyday on the radio.
I was so
surprised to hear that he had passed away. Even though he is
gone he will never be
forgotten to
those who grew up with him in El Paso. He will always be a
legend to me and my
family.
Patricia R
Munoz in El Paso
_________________________________________
My thoughts and prayers are with our most favorite DJ in the whole
wide
world! Steve was a legend to many of us. He will always remain in
our
hearts forever. I remember when my boyfriend (then) husband (now)
and I
would go to Coliseum in las Cruces and dance our feet off to the
famous
Steve Crosno. He was an awesome DJ!!
One day I was at Memorial General Hospital out in the Lobby waiting
for
my husband when I looked up and saw this man walking out of the
hospital. I said to myself that looks like Steve Crosno. Well guess
what, it was "Our Steve Crosno" leaving the hospital. I wanted so
badly
to go up to him and personally give him a blessing, but I didn't
know
how he would react to it. I felt so bad for him that as he walked
out I
said a little prayer for him and blessed him as he got into the
vehicle
that was transporting him back home where a few weeks later he
passed
away.
God Bless You Steve
Always in our hearts.
Chris Espinoza From Las Cruces, New Mexico
____________________________________________
A
newcomer to the Southwest, although he may not know it at the
time, has a lot to learn. Thirty-five
years
ago that newcomer was me. In those days I didn’t know my
costillas from my cosquillas. I was
appalled
by pizza with jalapenos, frightened by huge cucarachas, and awed
by desert dust storms.
On the
other hand I loved the wide open spaces, the warm, friendly
people, and the dollar 25 cent
lunch
special at La Paloma on Delta Street. And in between what
appalled me and attracted me
were
many other strange new Southwestern things that I couldn’t even
categorize. At the top of that
list was
Steve Crosno. I had no idea what to make of this strange, funny,
clowny, yet wonderfully
sincere
personality.
I first
heard of him in 1971 while working as the mid-day D.J. on KINT
AM. A listener had requested
a song
by Sunny and the Sunliners. I gave him the standard “I’ll try to
get it on.” and asked Sonny
Melendrez
,the Program Director, about the request . Upon hearing my
question Sonny’s face
crinkled
into a knowing smile; he told me the song wasn’t on our play
list; that it was something
Crosno
would play. Crosno?. Crosno. An unusual name; I made a mental
note to check it out.
I’ve
lived in El Paso for three and a half decades now and in all
that time I honestly can’t remember
not
hearing that name. Crosno seemed to be everywhere; on TV, Radio,
charity events, live concerts
and
dances. In time I met Steve Crosno in person and was impressed
with his warmth and charm.
More
than that, I became aware his importance and impact on the El
Paso Persona and El Paso’s
people.
Almost everyone you met had a Crosno story, and all were more
than willing to share it with
you. I
listened and I learned.
The more
I lived here, the more I learned, and the more I appreciated
both El Paso and Crosno. For
me the
city and the personality became synonymous. Would it be El Paso
without the mountains,
without
the rio, without the ambiente, without Crosno? I believe Crosno
and El Paso are as inseparable
as
huevos con chorizo. (Try separating those ingredients once
they’re cooked; nothing to do but
grab a
warm tortilla and chow down!)
Often, on Sundays, my wife Irma and I love to take a Sunday drive to Old
Mesilla. We stroll the Plaza,
enjoy
the art, and music, check out the vendors wares, maybe have a
little lunch. In the late afternoon
we drive
home on route 28 through the beautiful Mesilla Valley. And
always with the radio on KVLC
listening
to the mellow tunes and Crosno’s funny, silly, warm voice. How
perfectly they seemed to
blend;
the valley vistas, the oldies, and Crosno. But now Steve Crosno
has left us, and sadly, as the
old song
goes, Sundays will never be the same.
Respectfully,
Steve
(Stephen) Bricker
El Paso,
Texas
_____________________________________________
I just got around to wanting to write
about Crosno. It has been a sad week. I was a faithful listener to
Crosno and an eager and avid participant
on the TV hop. It is the end of a era for those of us in this
area with regarding to broadcasting. It
is also a painful reminder of youth and bygone days. Steve
was a treasure not just a jewel!! This
site is an awesome tribute. Thanks Sonny and George.
Judith John in EP
______________________________________
Steve and I started working at KSET-AM in El Paso
the very same day in late 1979 in the waning days
of disco. He had the 3 – 7 p.m. shift and I was
on 7 to midnight. I can vividly remember being
more nervous about being in the same room with a
local radio legend than I was about my first show
on KSET. After all, I grew up listening to the
guy on KELP and faithfully watched Crosno’s Hop on TV every
Saturday.
We worked together, first on KSET-AM through the
disco era and then “Lucky 13 Plus” oldies, and
then on KSET-FM, for nearly 5 years until I moved
on to work in another area of media. But we
managed to stay in touch through the years. He
always called me “Rossiter”. I learned more
about radio and music from Steve in the time we
worked together than I have from anyone else in
the business. Thanks to Steve I rediscovered my
love for Motown and learned all about Sunny
Ozuna, Little Joe and the dozens of “El Paso style oldies.”
Knowing and working with Steve was truly a gift
that I will always treasure. Rest in peace, Crosno.
Your favorite “white guy”,
Mark Ross
KTSM-TV, NewsChannel 9
_____________________________________
I am from El Paso -I grew up with el Crosno. I feel like a member of
my
family just died. He was the best radio and tv host I have ever
known. He
has a lot CHARISMA and the biggest heart. When I moved to Austin 8
years ago
I had my sister send me the Crosno tapes
and every Sunday we still listen to Crosno's music. His music never
grows
old. Crosno you still live in our hearts forever.
Ruth Mendez
_____________________________________
Steve,
Thanks for being who you were and all the memories in my childhood, I
was about
10 years old and in the boy scouts when
my den mother said to the group that we will
be going to the Steve Crosno
show. The day come and we all were on TV
dancing. Steve thanks again and we'll sure miss you.
Dan
_________________________________________
I grew up in El Paso Texas,
listening to Steve Crosno on KELP, then on Saturday morning
"At the Hop"
On Saturday January 10, 1970
I was "On the Hop" That day was my last day living in El Paso.
I was leaving "On a Jet
Plane" later on that day to "California Dreaming" , and I am still
here...
residing in San Francisco.
About a month prior which
was in 1969. Steve Crosno had a host which would also be On the Hop.
That was Marcos Guiterrez. He also resides
here in the Bay Area....
That Saturday morning Steve
Crosno dedicated (2) songs to me...and gave me a warm send -off.
"You got me going in
Circles"
was one song, the other at
this moment I can't remember, but Three Dog Night sang it.
After the Hop...I didn't
have much time to pick up my luggage and ticket and still make it to the
airport.
Steve Crosno let us borrow
his blue mustang (his friend drove the car) that way I won't miss my
flight.....thanks Steve...
Currently I drive a red
mustang.
We stopped at my aunt's off
of Montana on Olson St. I ran in picked up my luggage, and barely
had time to say farewell to my beloved
grandmother .....
Then we sped on to the
airport to catch my "Continental Airlines" bound to CALIFORNIA
in Crosno's blue mustang, in
route the song came on Leaving on A Jet Plane....
I did make my flight by
minutes...
Thanks Steve for warm
memories on my last day in El Paso....
I feel very lucky to have
known you...
Saturday January 10, 1970
3 days after my 18th
birthday...
Teresa Rodriguez
San Francisco, CA
_____________________________________________
Sonny,
Thanks for an opportunity
to reflect and comment on a person who was so influential in the lives of
many of us from
El Paso.
All I can say is this is
a REAL BUMMER. I cannot say
enough about his loss. It’s like I lost a true friend...in fact,
we all
did lose a true friend and treasure.
Just last month, I got
one of those eerie feelings…about him…so much so that I did a Google to
see what had
become of him. Little did I know that his demise was
near…until a High School chum sent me the Times obit.
This isn’t the
first time that’s happened to me…it occurred twice this year with the
passing of two very dear friends.
Steve Crosno was really
one of my early favorites from whom I could draw my inner laughter from
the times of my
awkward youth in the 50s and 60s. His humor and wit was
influential to me from the time I was in grade school
through my days when
I was stationed at Ft Bliss (and back home in EP) in the ‘80s. The
interim had been a
time of growth and experience from the time I left for
Vietnam in ‘66, came back home to EP in ’68 and then
ventured back out to
pursue higher education at UT Austin in ‘70 and my life as a career
military officer.
I had met Steve several
times…the last time was in 1986 when we were looking for on-air
personalities to do some
PSAs on the Texas Air Guard. He was DJing for
the rock station that was located just off Mesa near Rudolph
Chevrolet at
the time. When my recruiter and I walked in, we simply asked for him, and
he cheerfully came out
(remember that smile?) to meet us. We hit it off
as though we knew each other for years…like we hadn’t missed a
beat. When
I chuckled with him about “chicken fat and booze” and Phyllis Diller’s
“you think my legs are bad, you
ought to see my body (and that outrageous
laugh)” we just bonded even more. His response for our PSA request
was,
“You know, I ordinarily don’t do PSAs, but for you I will.” And he did
it. And I all the more never forgot him for
that favor. It was a
professional favor, but it had a personal slant. It was his essence. He
so loved life and people.
The people of the EP region were his familia.
I recall after Bruce
Bissonette’s (an EP Times staff and aviation writer) wife passed away in
the mid ‘80s, Crosno
subsequently brought him on as side-kick. Bissonette
was the serious guy with the mellifluous voice. But teaming
with Crosno
just brought out the best of wit in him as well. Bissonette, a
quintessential EP gavacho
became one
of the “Crosnos.”
Who can forget the Crosno
Hop…the outrageous outfits and long black hair. I did miss Cruising with
Crosno…no
doubt the same quality of laffs and humor. Remember all the
speculation about him and his lifestyle in the ‘60s?
Did he even bat an
eye? Ha! He never skipped a beat. He just kept ticking and loving
life…and helping everyone
who asked him. Crosno, eras unico!
Most of all, I regard him
for his passion for Hispanic youth at a time when that was not fashionable
or marketable.
Just Google his name for links. Read the proclamations
that were made and all the wonderful stories before and
since his passing,
including one by the Texas House of Reps that recognized him sometime
ago. This is a real loss
of a real friend of youth. I wonder what the
funeral will be / was like. I noted that the article said, “Funeral
arrangements
are pending, and family and friends are working to set up a
fund to pay for the services.”Did
the cancer clean him out
financially or was he that destitute? Or is the
business that devoid of benefits when you go by the wayside? So sad
that
someone who gives so much to a community has so little materially in the
end, yet, much more importantly, is so
much more “wealthy” with the legacy
and love he’s left us. I know he hit hard times after his shtick went passé with
much of the influential ($$$) market?
Crosno, you gave so much
of yourself. If only you can now reflect from your perch just how much we
love you…and
miss you. We’ve all moved on in life, some to the great
beyond as you have. Yet, how many of us can leave a legacy
like you did?
As Steven Covey once said in his Seven Habits of Highly Effective
People: “How would you like to be
remembered? What tribute did you
leave?” Steve, you left an indelible imprint in our hearts with your
presence and
an incredible void in our lives with your passing. Love you,
Amigo. Aye, Crosno…
Very sad to hear of the passing
of STEVE CROSNO. Back in the day(BEL AIR
CLASS OF 63) he was the man. We always looked forward to his dance
show on
the weekends and of course his radio show. He was a great inspiration to
everyone and a true icon.
For those like myself, who grew
up during the 60's and 70's, Steve Crosno was a big part of our lives. He
shaped, for me,
my concept and love of music and
I was always a proponent of the El Paso Sound. With his passing, El Paso as
we knew
it no longer exists. I hope
with all my heart, that those who worked with him, played with him and
studied his techniques, will
continue to have his sound live on for future generations. Crosno, you will
be missed.
Thanks for everything, Rose M. Oaxaca-Molina
_______________________________________________________
I would like to say “thank
you” to Steve Crosno for making our Sunday afternoons such a wonderful way
of listening to our
favorite oldies and
dedications. We here in Las Cruces were extremely found of Mr Crosno for
the way he entertained the
airways throughout his 4
hour oldies show each Sunday. He will be greatly missed, and hope that
someone, someday will
be able to fulfill his
shoes.
In behalf of the Superior
Car Club in Las Cruces, we all would like to say “God Bless” and we will all
miss you Steve.
my name is Karl Laumbach and I live in Mesilla Park near where Steve
Crosno
spent the last few years. I had heard of him, of course, but not being
raised here, I didn't experience his 60s radio show. I met him because
we
both love dogs and my two pups would play with his small dachshund,
Sharma,
in the park as Steve and I talked. He was a good man and I will miss
those
encounters.
I do hope that Sharma will be well cared for. If you know anything about
her
future, please let me know. Steve loved that dog.
Thank you for giving everyone this opportunity to share our memories of
my
brother, Steve. Our family really appreciates all of you who have taken
the time and care to send in your comments.
My sister Linda's writing takes me back to our childhood. She painted a
very accurate picture of their loving older brother - younger sister
relationship. Steve was always very sweet to Linda and very protective
of
her.
His relationship with me was a little different, however. I was the
second child; I was born when Steve was about 2½ years old. I was the
intruder - his own personal home-wrecker. Until I came along, his world
as an only child with two doting parents had been perfect.
I used to tag along with him when I could. I was usually allowed to join
him and his friends for a little while, and then it would be time to
ditch
me. He (almost) always did this gently.
Steve's creative genius was very apparent from the beginning. He
fabricated an unusual and unique scheme for every single one of the
(many)
"ditch-Susan" events.
For instance, when I was about five, Steve was at Ruben's house, and I
was
there, too, being tolerated by both of them. (Ruben was Steve's friend
who
lived across the alfalfa field from us.) After awhile, Steve started
holding his head as if he were listening to something. After several of
these, something like the following conversation took place:
Steve: "She's really loud today."
Me: "Who?"
Steve: "The crying woman." (Years later, I would realize that this was
my
introduction to La Llorona.)
Me: "Who's that?"
Steve then explained that she was a sad, crazy lady whose little girl
had
died when she was just about my age, and that the woman hung out near
the
river (we were about a mile from the Rio Grande) and chased little
children. In the event that she caught one, she would be allowed to keep
it, and raise it as her own. She especially wanted a little girl just
like
me.
After awhile, Steve decided that I'd better go home, where I'd be safe.
He "helped" me run across the alfalfa field to our house, and "stood
guard" at the garden gate (at a safe distance from our mother, no doubt)
while I ran on, into the house.
Somewhere in those growing-up years, Steve seemed to accept the fact
that
I was there to stay, and we began our friendship.
In the last couple of months of his life, Steve told me several times
that
he had had the best life of anyone he knew. I believe that.
Hi my heart is
grieving with all of you. Steve was and will always be a
big part of my life. Steve was never selfish. He always thought of
everyone else but him self. I could hear the smile in his voice. He will
truly be missed. but remember Steve is no longer suffering. If you need
to cry for Steve, just let go and remember that we will see him again some
day. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and all of you. feel free
to allow yourselves to grieve. Steve is looking down at all of us. He is
smiling now. I love you all and may the peace of Jesus be with Steve and
all of us. God Bless you. I love you all in el Paso and surrounding
areas.
blessings and comfort to all of El Paso and surrounding areas. My heart
grieves with you. My prayers are with Steve's family and all of you. Just
knowing Steve for the last 43 years have been a blessing. He was always
sunshine in my life. Steve was never selfish towards anyone. He thought of
others before he thought of himself. He will be truly missed. He was
always there whenever I need him. We were very close. I often prayed with
Steve. so now he is no longer suffering. Take comfort in knowing that we
will see him once again in heaven. I feel that Steve is watching all of
us from heaven.. So lets all grieve together and keep his family in our
prayers. One thing to keep in mine, life is very short so remember that
everyone you have in your life is precious. I now feel that life is
surrounded by love. So remember, Steve always said love each other. Keep
that in mine. Jesus is now caring for Steve and he is also watching over
all of us. god bless you and keep you all. May Steve rest in God's hands
and be in piece.
I'm sad tonight to learn of
the passing of Steve Crosno. He was someone who gave me my start
in the media. He was a
mentor, big brother, and later in life a colleague as well as a friend. He
lives on in many of us - in
who we became and what we do. Some say its tragic he is gone - I
say the tragedy would have
been life without having him influencing so many of our lives.
MY MEMORIES OF MY FRIEND STEVE CROSNO:
I remember the exact night I met Steve Crosno for the first time. It was in
1975 when my father
Jim Myers was a guest on
the teleprompter cable TV Show POTTER IN THE PM. Dad was an
artist and his paintings
were featured on Herb Potter's show. The old Teleprompter Cable studios
were off Cotton south of
I-10 and Cable Channel 3 was thelocal originating channel for mostly live
studio television. I
remember the place was run by one overworked middle aged man who ran
two cameras, lighting,
sound, the technical directing (switching) and what limited graphics were
available back then.
Watching him run around the studio like a madman I suggested helping him run the
cameras and
he replied, "kid, if you
want you can run the who damn place." He said the right thing to the right
kid.
About 9:30 p.m. in walked Steve Crosno. He had a Friday night teen call in
program from 10 to 12
midnight back then. He
brought in his own telephone audio system with one of his many
assistants back then by the
name of David Reyes. Dad agreed to let me stay and work that
show too and Steve Crosno
welcomed me to his crew. He became my employer, mentor and
friend as I entered into
television, radio and nightclub DJ opportunities.
Steve talked to kids and most people throughout his life as if they were one of
the most interesting
persons he had ever met.
It was a gift of his to make the other person feel important. He did
so with his viewers that
night and with me behind the scenes. One of his first words was to ask
me about my life verses
brag about his own. That was the sincerity of Steve both in front of and
behind the scenes.
In a way Steve Crosno reminded me a lot of the way Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers)
treated his
viewers, cast members, and
production workers behind the scenes. Many have written books
recently about long term
friendships with him over their lifetime. Steve Crosno was the same
with my radio career as it
started in El Paso, with a transition to Odessa/Midland and later into
television, corporate
communications and as a documentary television producer and studio owner
in the Dallas Fort Worth
metroplex. Steve remained a friendly neighbor creating a friendly
neighborhood for every one
who had the opportunity to meet and know him.
One of the first things Steve did for me in 1975 was to invite me to come down
to the KDBC
Saturday Dance show on
Channel 4 on Wyoming Street. Back thenthe show was on about
noon to 1 p.m. though I was
welcome about 9:30 a.m. It was always special to enter through
the employee entrance at
age 15, say hello to Bill Blair on the air on KROD AM next door,
pass by Howell Eurich's
office, the film room (news film), the control room where Steve Putnicki
worked master control and
directed many of those Dance shows.
Then there was the studio with the news set on one side and the cyclorama walls,
curtains and
lighting around the rest of
the studio where Crosno's crew set up the Disco Speakers, DJ stand
and various sets.
One of Crosno's crew members was Manny Rivera who brought in the early DJ system
about
10:30 a.m. -- from whatever
club he and Crosno had played the night before. I remember it was
called THE CROSNO
DISCO-TEC-O. It had a little GATES broadcast 5 channel board, two
QRK turntables and mounted
on a kitchen top Formica board held up by Prices Dairy metal
milk crates. Steve
Crosno built most of his equipment systems pioneering portable systems
when really there were none
commercially made. Not only was he a comedic, personality
and formatting genius but
an engineering specialist as well.
Some of his speakers were old ALTEC LANSANG - VOICE OF THE THEATER woffers with
heavy horn tweeters on
top. There were no real portable DJ systems back then either. Two
of them were stored during
the week downstairs in the basement of Channel 4 and I became
responsible for loading
them to the old industrial wooden open elevator up to the studio at
ground level. There were
so many treasures in that basement where the Engineers had their
shop, where the break room
was located for the station staff, and the huge storage areas held
props from former news
sets, the Bozo Show, old historic cameras and equipment.
Steve usually arrived about 10:45 to 11 pulling his Dodge Charger into the
industrial garage door
space just outside of the
studio. I remember he had a power inverter to turn DC to AC so he
could power his Home Stereo
with home speakers inside the trunk of the car. He also had
cases of Pepsi Cola, his
sponsor for decades -- and he liberally shared them with every one
of us. The cars came from
“SANDOVAL DODGE” in Las Cruces as he always gave the plug.
He genuinely remembered all
those who were good to him. I remember him doing so one
day when I returned to El
Paso to finish my BA at UTEP. I called on the station line and
within minutes he welcomed
me home on the air. Now I had been a personality for some 1
5 years but just the kind
act made me feel like a kid again. He had that type of effect on so
many people.
Steve had his share of Managers and handlers in those 1970s days -- often
wannabe men who
handled the business end of
his commitments. Sadly,
too many of them took Crosno to the cleaners -- his eventual downfall in his
lifetime in trusting
too many other people with
what money he made. Some, however, were very good to him.
I want to believe that that
somehow it balanced out for his life. Steve was all about the music
and the show but little on
the business end. Steve had a heart of gold and endless patience
with too many of them not
always looking after Steve's best interests. Some did -- some
didn't. And Steve gave to
everyone it seemed -- whatever their need...without obligation or
demand for repayment. He
simply moved on and tried to see life with the glass half to
overflowing
full.
I was different with him. Several of us were - those who interned with him
over the years.
We appreciated his
friendship and worked tirelessly for him in whatever capacity possible.
For us he was this big
brother who genuinely cared. He was like family and its no small
wonder so many of us really
feel the loss with his passing. 66 is also young by my ever
aging standards too. I
may be 47 (ouch) but thinking of Steve Crosno my mind drifts back
to much younger and simpler
times.
I remember one of my first assignments he offered me. He was wanting the logs
of other
radio stations one summer
--written sheets of what the competition played in songs, said
on the air, the advertisers
and requests. He was monitoring the competition and hired me
to do so at $2.00 per 8.5 x
11 page. He was surprised a week later when I had compiled
some 50 sheets of work on
every station of the market. He asked how I managed to do it?
I remember having Five or
Six radios all tuned to the station he wanted monitored and I
listened to each with the
sheet of paper in front of each radio keeping track of what was
played and said. True to
form he paid me $100.00 (gladly) and used the information to
program his own shows and
send his managers out to solicit the advertisers of the other
stations for his program or
station. He had me repeat the process once a month for several
months as he gained an
upper hand developing the success of advertisers and listeners for
the station he was
programming.
Many times Steve said I reminded him of his enthusiasm and entry into radio with
NMSU
in his early years. I
remember those early days as he taught me how to cue up records,
to mix them on the air, and
use different styles of microphone techniques and announcing.
I've been forever grateful
for that gentle entry into radio. It served me well for over 15 years
as I took became a big fish
in a rather small pond and valued every listener the same way
Steve Crosno taught me to
do. I still can go back to Odessa-Midland or run into those
who once listened to me and
remember me as fondly as I do of Steve Crosno. That's
one of his legacies too.
Steve also gave me the opportunity to learn about television production. I
would watch
the shows broadcast live
both from the television booth of CBS 4 and from the floor cameras.
I learned how Steve Crosno
planned the flow of his shows - what today I'd call formatting and
stage direction. I was in
a similar position a decade later with KTPX NBC 9 in Midland using
those same skills as a
producer. I also got opportunities to play Crosno type DJ gigs in early
El Paso Discos like the
BAHAMA MAMA in Chelsea on Montana, outside of the White House
Department Store in Bassett
Center. Freelancing in the 1980s keep food on my table when
radio didn't exactly make
me rich. I had my own DJ system and patterned it on the Crosno
system. To his credit I
was very successful serving the kids and listeners of the West Texas
oil patch. I could write a
book on being 15 years old and running Steve's shows on XEJPV
radio in Juarez one summer
in 1975. I learned so much working for him.
After the end of each television show on Saturdays at CBS 4 Steve Crosno would
produce
several television
commercials or promos for his television shows andradio programs. All
of them ALWAYS ended with a
shaving cream PIE IN THE FACE. He was a master of
marketing and like his
shows would always making fun of himself in the process. The pies
I suspect were imitation or
honor of the great Soupy Sales who used the bit in his television
shows of the 1960s. And
those spots worked. You could hear people throughout the city
talk about them. He was a
smart marketing and promotion personality.
I remember the local kids would all line up starting at 11 to enter the studio
by 11:30 for the
12 noon start time. True to
form it was the place where mostly Hispanic kids had equal footing
and the most significant
presence on local television. There were a few black and Anglo kids
who were regulars on the
show but it was really an outlet for Crosno's Hispanic fans to 'be
somebody' on TV in those
days. And that was VERY important. Steve Crosno bridged the
gap while helping pioneer
bilingual if not Hispanic represented radio and later television. There were
other regulars
whom Steve befriended or
had long time friendships with who came to the station to be
on the air. One of those
was a young Hispanic woman by the name of Sylvia. She either
represented the BARBAZON
SCHOOL OF
MODELING or modeled clothing from the FACTORY FALLOUT. Steve's clients - no
matter
who or how small a business
they might be were treated like department stores and big
businesses. His
appearances on location filled those places too. Everyone loved to see
Crosno and he loved seeing
everyone who would come out to meet him in person.
Steve was a major local personality and a giver -- one of those people who gave
to all and
asked nothing in return.
Steve was just this FRIEND to all -- and an entertainer in the great
comedic style of Jackie
Gleason - something he probably now smiles at from heaven with
the compliment. He was a
kind hearted soul and very knowledgeable about some surprising
music genres. For
example, I often thought of him with 1970s dance tunes, or Oldies radio
from the 1960s...but his
love
was for singers and standards of the 1940s and 1950s. Vocalists like Frank
Sinatra,
Dean Martin, and Rosemary
Clooney.
I remember when my father was struck by a neuromuscular disease in 1998 and I
was
assisting my parents
through some difficult times in home health care. Steve would
often call from Las Cruces
and (via direct TV) we'd play 'name that tune' on the 40s, 50's,
60's and 1970's audio music
channels. And anyone who spent time with him knew
he was comic relief after
naming the tune. He reminded me to laugh at life through the
challenges too.
I remember Steve in the 1970s also giving a spotlight for a blind woman who used
to
come on the CBS 4 dance
show and sing songs on television. She'd come in with
her seeing eye dog as Steve
would have some on screen interaction with her and
she'd do a number. Some
have written she only did lip synching -- but I remember
her actually singing with
the live microphone Steve himself used. Manny Rivera
confirmed she indeed sang
to instrumental cuts on the B sides of several top tunes
and had an excellent
voice. I remember her as a gracious person Steve cared a
great deal for -- as he did
for many people. It was never a joke to have her on the
air -- but rather a type of
fame and joy he loved giving her. And the kids, the studio
guests, and even the camera
operators all gave her cheering applause. Steve
inspired respect of people
as he gave so much respect to them...and a few moments
of fame to all who came on
the show. That's just how he treated everyone.
Crosno was also BRILLIANT as a top-40 on-air personality -pioneering if not
enhancing the 'on air bit
radio' of the 1960s and 1970s. Others pioneered the format
about the same time from
powerhouse AM stations nationwide. Bob Crane in LA
was someone Steve emulated
by taking sound effects and making on-air 'bits' or 'skits'
to bring comedy to his shows. He started in the early 1960s using sound effect
records like Crane, later
reel-to-reel and loop cart deck carts as well. Only a few
knew he had hours and hours
of the old HONEYMOONER'S programs recorded on
open reel audio tape and
studied the comedic timing of Jackie Gleason. In fact, many
classic television bits,
sound bites or sound effect were used by Steve in his radio
programs. Its something I
never quite mastered and always admired in his shows.
He was a genius in that
format of entertaining.
Some wondered who were those kids (children) who did some of the set up punch
line gags for his shows.
They were family and friends kids he once shared with
me in the mid 1990s. Most
of his programs too were recorded in advance from
his studio up in Old
Mesilla (New Mexico) and replayed on the air (in the 1970s)
at a wide range of radio
stations in El Paso and sometimes in Juarez, Mexico. But
they AL sounded live. He
was a master at planning and even keeping them current
sounding with local insert
cart deck tapes for the days of the week, time of day, or
events that were taking
place. Some would air while he took time off to travel to the
Gilla wilderness or other
area vacations. Yet he always sounded like he was in some
station live on the air --
and often the phone calls for requests went right to his
studio in Las Cruces. XEROK did the same thing later in the 1970s but I
suspect it
was Steve Crosno who set
the mold to do something more advanced than just
standard automation. I
remember Steve introducing me to Chris "Music" Michaels
and I (then a senior in
high school at Burges) would watch Chris do his shows in
the Cielo Vista Bank
Building on XEROK - right in my own backyard of that
neighborhood. A year
later I'd be doing the same thing on a small time top 40
station in Odessa on the
Rig 14, KRIG. At the same time another major personality
was across the freeway at
KOZA AM as the news director. Today you know
him as Brian Wilson of FOX
NEWS. It was an exciting industry then - probably
the last gasp of the golden
age of personality radio.
Steve Crosno was also a pioneer -- though one who never really capitalized (or
benefited financially) from
those ideas. He measured success differently than
just monetarily. I almost
think he preferred laughter to hard currency. One of
those pioneering areas
included playing music on television LONG BEFORE
there was the hint of an
MTV. In fact, one of his early entrances into television
came with a show called
TV-DJ, in which Crosno had cameras in his Las
Cruces recording studio
where he recorded his radio programs -- only with shots
of him doing his show. I
found it fascinating to be able to watch him at work.
I understand there are video tapes out there of those shows -- available to
preserve for history.
The same for his radio programs from the 1970s. If any
have some on audio or video
tape I'd love to have them to produce some type
of documentary or at the
very least some oral history on him at some point in
