Long Live Lassiter

While it wouldn’t be accurate to call Bob Lassiter the best talk radio host of all time, it would be fair to say that he’s probably the least famous great one. In the metro areas where he took calls on the radio (Miami, Tampa and Chicago) he’s still loved and loathed by those who remember his work, but everywhere else he’s mostly known by those who collect and trade tapes of arcane and unusual radio. That is, except for some lucky WFMU listeners who have heard us rebroadcast some of Bob’s radio shenanigans (and yes, there are archives).

So, why am I writing about a local Florida talk host who hasn’t been on the air for six years? And what would make recordings of a talk show collectable in the first place? And more significantly, why in the world would we play portions of his show on WFMU? Simple. When Lassiter was good, he was REALLY good. He could make your jaw drop, make you curse the radio, or maybe just pee your pants.

Unlike other talk hosts who hope to change the world (assert an agenda) or want to be liked, Lassiter's was always driven to simply grab and hold the listener's attention. And he would do whatever he could get away with (or whatever amused HIM at the time) to shock or awe listeners into becoming addicted to his program.

A key element to what made Lassiter’s radio work mind-blowing was how he consistently generated confrontational calls and turned them into compelling radio theater.  Every other talk host I’ve ever heard usually gets off on like-minded callers, but not Bob. In fact, he was often quite impatient with callers who agreed with him. As a master contrarian, phone-in fans and callers on his side merely bored him. They were just getting in the way of the pissed off listeners who were steaming on hold, waiting for their chance to take on “The Mad Dog.”

The classic Lassiter approach was to lay out a talk radio trap and let the fun begin. He’d often launch his show with an incendiary monologue, or just let loose with a few insults or comments designed to provoke certain types of listeners to dial up in a fury and spew emotional diatribes against him. At heart, Lassiter was a radio predator armed with a big deep voice and enough facts and debate tricks to destroy almost every susceptible challenger on the line.

Before he would take down his prey, he’d often toy with the caller or play games with their mind. And ultimately, he would show no mercy. While he learned much of his technique from his mentor, caustic talker Neil Rogers, Lassiter’s style was all his own. Beyond his debating skill and the fact that he’s a bright guy, what made Lassiter different from any other talk host was that he was willing to win an argument at almost any cost, and he really doesn’t like people all that much.

While not a bigot or someone filled with hate, Lassiter is a bit of a sociopath-- or more accurately, a misanthrope. Oh, he likes and loves many in his circle of friends and family, but he’s not what you’d call a “people person.” Yet, Lassiter isn't really a sadist either. You never got the feeling that he exactly relished the pain and anguish of others, but the truth was that he was never all that concerned about the “feelings” of strangers who were willing pawns in his schemes to provide tension and entertainment for his radio audience at large. Anybody who was willing to call his show was fair game.

There were periods where Lassiter was on-fire with this style of confrontational talk radio. And unless you lived in one of the markets where he did his program, it’s hard to convey the daily excitement of turning on the radio to find out what Bob was going to do next. Fully aware of his own power in that way, Lassiter would rachet up the anticipation (or trepidation) by teasing and taunting the audience, promising more outrage and controversy over the air in days to come.

It’s a formula that worked...for a while, many times.

More or less, the secret of Lassiter’s success was that he could amass a large audience of people who loved what he did on the radio AND listeners who hated him with passion. The latter group generated the calls that were really the signature of his program. While most people who dislike a talk host just turn the station, with Lassiter’s show his detractors would tune in again and again in pure outrage and in hope against hope that one angry caller would get the best of Bob Lassiter. And I don’t think that ever really happened.

Lassiter’s willingness to go over the top over and over again, and to utilize charged emotional content for entertainment value carried a price. Eventually he stood the risk of burning out his audience, both the fans and the anti-fans. While his usual targets– old people, Christians and snowbirds from the north (who flock to Florida every winter), were always easy action for Lassiter’s tactics, almost anyone or any group could become a target for his predatory radio shtick. Lassiter was willing to piss off almost anybody for the sheer entertainment value it might provide. While it was like no other radio show and provided thrills and giggles you couldn’t find anywhere else, eventually the lack of substantive content and the reliance on raw emotion as titillation had a shelf life.

However, his willingness to take risks was balanced with plenty of calculation and an acute awareness of when his act might be wearing thin. So, after a few weeks or months of coliseum-style radio, Lassiter would back off. While not acknowledging any change in his style, Lassiter would warm-up and pour on the charm for a while. Although the challenging callers would still come up on the board from time to time, and they were always appropriately taken down by the mad dog, but his show wasn’t wall to wall provocation when he was lying low.

During these times, Lassiter did his best to soften up the audience and almost encourage them to identify with him. A good storyteller, Lassiter could be quite revealing about his personal life and was capable of sharing details that could make you squirm. He’d even be patient with fan calls and accept compliments with uncharacteristic grace. I don’t recall any evident radio genius when Lassiter downshifted into more friendly territory, but his talent and sharp mind would usually carry the show. That said, every once in a while Lassiter could bore listeners with the minutia of his hobbies-- like playing with his home computer or his obsession with day trading.

Like many, I admit a fascination with the unique (and often absurd) mind to mind combat that made Lassiter’s show powerful. Sure, every once in a while he might come off as a bit cruel, but most of the time the frothing callers on his program got what they deserved. However, my favorite Lassiter moments were when he would be more playful and used satire and whimsy instead of direct instigation to stir up listeners.

For your pleasure, I'm offering two examples. Both are extended segments from The Bob Lassiter Show during his first run on WFLA in the fall of 1987. As far as I know, these bits have never been rebroadcast on the radio since they first aired.

The first is “The Lassiter Group.” A takeoff on the inane political pundit panel TV show known as “The McLaughlin Group.” Lassiter's "panelists" were four of the more notorious chronic callers on Tampa radio. And like McLaughlin’s program, they were divided in a loose kind of right/left pairing. On the more “traditional" side of things, were “Rocky The Rock & Roll Klansman,” and a surly good old boy who called himself “Captain Jack." The opposing two were Carolyn from New Port Richey, an aging lefty with a radical side, and someone I’ve already written about a couple of times on this blog, “Lionel.“

Lionel was soon to be elevated to the role of talk host on WFLA, where he first gained notice as a popular and often hilarious caller. Instead of the refined and moderated Lionel you hear on the radio today, Lionel the caller is much more flip and emotional than the talk persona he’s developed over the years. It’s interesting to hear the difference.

For those who first heard of Lassiter from his infamous "Airstream" call, Rocky himself eventually revealed that he was actually the grouchy old geezer in the trailer. Whether Rocky's Klan affiliation was also a put-on is still a subject of debate. But he did maintain the same persona over many years as a Tampa talk radio caller.

I'm not going to spoil your fun by revealing what happens during the Lassiter Group roundtable. Suffice to say, there's plenty of conflict. You can hear it all for yourself, by downloading and listening to this MP3.

Around this same time, Lassiter’s show was under fire from an anti-porn group called “The National Federation for Decency” (which eventually changed its name to “The American Family Association) who were calling for Lassiter’s dismissal. In return, Lassiter hired an alleged “decency lady” to oversee his program from the control booth armed with a loud buzzer to override anything said on the program with questionable moral value. It was quite a decent program. Download and listen to an MP3 of the fun with this link.

Bob Lassiter’s radio career ended with a contract dispute during his second run on WFLA in 1999. And much to the dismay of his fans, he won’t be coming back to radio. He doesn’t have the stamina for it these days.

Lassiter is in ill health, suffering serious complications from advanced diabetes. And while I’m not apt to discuss other's health issues in a public forum, I’ve said as much as I have because Bob himself is out there talking about it himself, on his blog (link here).

So, while Lassiter is no longer making fools of unwitting callers, he is still doing something else that has always been an inherent part of his radio work– talking about himself and his life in a stark and painfully honest way. Just as his occasional raw candor wasn’t easy listening, his blog is not always light reading either. Sure, there’s the same Lassiter wit, and the occasional cutting comments you'd expect, but the real meat on Lassiter’s blog are his anecdotes about what it’s like to be a loner in ill heath connected to the world though the internet.

It’s actually his third blog. An earlier version had audio bits you could stream, and was open to comments from readers. People who were accustomed to being able to contact Lassiter on the radio were shunned when they tried to engage him in email dialogue or become pen pals. The new blog is a one way street, with Lassiter completely in charge of all content.

Lassiter has just turned 60. A talk host who gained plenty of notoriety for making fun of old folks is now growing old before his time. Sure, it’s very sad, but I have to say that Lassiter’s blog shows him to be in a pretty good humor about it all. And not surprisingly, he’s a good writer too.

Somewhere up in his room in Florida, with his computer and stuffed animals, Bob Lassiter will be reading this. From what I can tell, Lassiter keeps meticulous track of his legacy on the web, and will be sure to find this post. And if you go to his blog, he will notice. He seems to track every hit, and to comment on the blog when there are a large number of readers, or when someone in a far off place opens his blog in their browser.

You see, Lassiter still loves the attention. But, please-- leave him alone.

Comments

[\_escarpment]

This Lassiter Group mp3 is hilarious..."You can hide behind them big New York words!"

[norelpref]

I found these recordings somewhat on the disturbing side, in that the techniques of argumentum ad hominem, personality assassination and endeavoring to talk over others sounded all too familiar, like Hannity and Colmes or O'reilly's show, or any of these essentially right-wing blather-fests. Nothing has changed. Yeah, it's amusing for a bit, but after a while the snarling at the trough wears you down.....Plenty of material for sound collage experimentation, though.

[Lou Pole]

I just started a Yahoo! group to collect Lassiter feedback at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MadDogLassiter/

Lou Pole

[Lantern Bearer]

Ah. Yes. Lassiter. The master of cerebral radio humor. I was fortunate enough to arrive in a Florida market (from a raucous Chicago market) in the renaissance of Rogers, Lassiter, Rick and Suds in the late 80s and early 90s. I even saw them together on stage for a send up of simulcast from WIOD Miami. I was a road warrior then and it was the end of Bush 41 and the beginning of the Clinton years. The humor was edgy, had a bite and with Lassiter could be bitter. Lassiter did not go for sycophants. He reserved a special bitterness for ditto-heads. With Neil Rogers, the shtick was always obvious. With Lassiter, even the shtick was so interwoven with a sense of sincerity that it could surprise even the most jaded of listener. Lassiter wore and bore his talent like a curse. His whole aura was that of a surpringly good jug wine. He was way too good for the containing station and the mouth breathing callin-audience that kept it going.

"You people don't don't pay me nearly enough for what you are getting."

True dat, Bob. True dat.

[Darryl Mizer]

I never had the pleasure to meet Bob but was fortunate to have spoken with him on his show on WSUN. I followed him from there to FLA and then, to the end, although I did miss the final "act".

Bob has an amazing gift to keep people in touch with what they would sometimes be more than willing to forget - or deny about themselves. This was his forte. Having been blessed with a deep resonate voice telling you things about your religion, your perceptions, your paradoxical tinking you'd rather not bring to light or to the attention of others. Everyone who heard him knew he was smart. That was his curse to many; that was the reason for the love-hate factor of Bob Lassiter. He was able to expose the intentions of some and the hopes of others. Damn it. . . .he knew too much.

Bob's presence on radio was second to none, including Neil Rogers. Both are great in their own right but Bob's show contained a brutal sincerity that Roger's didn't. Bob's show was always cutting edge. . . . . .emotional, thought-provoking, and right down truthful.

Although I listen to Neil on the net daily I think about Bob almost every day. I wonder what he's doing. More importantly I wonder what he's thinking, how he's no longer getting across the important things he used to tell us. The hell of it is, they're still important and no one has taken his place. The freshness of his message and delivery is gone. . . . .but not forgotten.

Fortunately I found Lassiter's blog. I now get to read about the person of Bob Lassiter and how he want's me to know him...and remember him as one of the best-ever radio personalities I had the pleasure to hear.

Thanks Bob!

[Daniel]

BOB LASSITER SPEAKS!!!! He and Uncle Neil patched things up on Neil' 12/15/05 show. The show can be listened to on Neil's archived shows. It brought a tear to my eyes to hear these two radio GIANTS converse. It brought back fond memories to hear them make amends. Please listen to the show, it's about 1hr 35 minutes in. Thanks Neil and Thanks Bob for your talent and the enjoyment you brought to all us lucky listeners.

[LJ Levy]

Like Daniel, I was fortunate enough to hear The Neil Rogers Show on 12/15 and I heard "The Mad Dog's" voice for the first time in nearly 10 years. I live in Baltimore now and I try to explain my years of listening to Bob, Neil, Rick & Suds and a few others to friends and my new husband. They humor me and look at me quizzically. Some of them occasionally listen to Neil on the internet, but they'll never really understand. It was different back then.

From about 1989 to 1996 Life was doing its best to drive me nuts. I lived in Punta Gorda, FL at that time and I lived FOR listening to my heroes on the radio. These people kept me sane, seriously. I've always felt I owe them so much. I headed to Fort Lauderdale in 1997. No more Lassiter after that. But I never forgot him. In 1999 Bob left the radio, and I left Florida. But I still remember...not the callers as much as his stories...

If Bob ever reads this, I hope he's pleased, or perhaps gratified that I've adopted two of his lines and have made them my own. Recalling his story of his drive through Arcadia...and his hasty escape from it...if I find myself driving in an area where I don't wish to be, my audible prayer is "Wheels Don't Fail Me Now"!!! I also look back on his childhood recollection of his mother's financial problems. To avoid talking to bill collectors Mom had Bob answer the phone and say she wasn't at home. He considered where exactly he should tell them she was and decided she would be "on safari". THAT would certainly ward off the collectors. My husband and I own a home business and when he wants to take a break he tells me to answer the phone and tell them "I went somewhere". "Great", I say, "I'll tell them you're 'ON SAFARI'". The look I get is priceless.

Thanks Bob! :-)

[Brad Lincoln]

I discovered Lassiter by accident in 1993 on WSUN. I was a fan of Ron and Ron and that was their station at the time. Ronnie B. was talking about The Mad Dog one day, I took a listen and was hooked. The guy had it all and he let you know it. That voice! Best I ever heard on a radio. His monologes became the highlight of my afternoon. Sharon was his sidekick then. She complimented him well (also a great sultry voice). There were incredible song parodies for a time being sent in by some local guys. Bob played them alot and they were hilarious. Most were about Bob, some about Sharon, the others were either about farts, belches, etc. A classic moment was when an old lady called Bob to complain about that fart song. As she complained, Bob played the song in the background. Funny as hell! He could do it all. Miss you Mad Dog.

[CHASE]

The old Blobster...or Blobby for short. Damn I loved crank calling him. Lassiter always said talk radio would come to this putrid excuse for entertainment where they put ex power pig FM morons like Schnitt on 10 stations and blow out 9 hosts and their boards ops. What friggin logic...OH, I Forgot! Lowry Mayes and his tag-a-long sons of the evil Clear Channel empire are sitting back counting their cash while do-employees like Opie and Trecusse do their bidding. Yeah Lassiter, I to remenber when you propped open the back door of the studio and all was right in the talk world...no more.

[CHASE]

OK Blob, you ruined your own gig at FLA by not getting out of your own way, bashing management who held the keys to your paycheck & generally being an utter asshole to all around you.
Now, you expect the sympathy bandwagon.

Pathetic.

[B.]

I have many fond memories of listening to Lassiter as a youth back in the early 1990's. Aged 13 years, I would regularly call in to Lassiter's show and without fail, would end up getting bashed & referred to as a punk, or Bob's favorite, as a snot nosed kid. One of these calls was even captured on a website clip of one of Bob's old shows, which I was shocked to hear now at the age of 28. In any event, I was thoroghly amused with Lassiter's attacks on callers & his sarcastic style. I once sent him a letter when he was working at WLS, but got no response. Recently I did a web search for Lassiter on a whim after not having thought of him for many years, since he left Chicago in the early 1990's. I was saddened to learn of the serious decline in Bob's health. As Lassiter's life draws to an end, I think the important thing to remember is that this is a man who achieved a hell of a lot. Like him or not, he did it his way & appears prepared to carry that approach to the grave. Comments such as those made by Chase are in piss poor taste. Here's to you Bob & I hope that you have peace in your final days.

[Rick Ainsworth]

Years ago I worked as a technical producer at WPLP later to be known as WTKN. I had the honor of producing the Bob Lassiter show among others. Bob was a talent such as Tampa Bay had never seen before. Talented, opinionated, knowledgeable are words that immediately come to mind when I think of those days with Bob. I respected him, not only for his immense talent, but for his knowlege. We didn't always agree, but the conversations were memorable. Bob made you think about your positions, not merely adhere to them out of tradition, but really question "why" you felt that way. Here I sit years later thinking of those days, the days of glory, when I had the honor of working with Mad Dog Lassiter.

[David Hubbard]

This may be the wrong time and place but now that Bob Lassiter has died and left us alone I am curious as to why Lionel has not mentioned Bob on the Lionel Show. To this day you can hear Bob Lassiter’s influence upon the Lionel Show. Bob Lassiter created Lionel and no matter the circumstances now is the time to put their differences aside. I have emailed Lionel asking why he never mentions Bob Lassiter without response. When Lionel mentions Maddog he always clarifies with the one in New York. Every time I hear Lionel talk about Tampa I hope for a mention of his mentor. Perhaps this has all been discussed on a missed broadcast I would really like to know the whole story behind the relationship between Bob Lassiter and Lionel.

I wonder what happened to Jeffrey and Sharon where are they now Bob deserves his privacy I am just trying to understand the man who stole Bob’s material and is using it to this very day even the format. Lionel will never be a Bob Lassiter but will always remind me of him. Some of his shows of late sound like they were lifted from Bob’s air checks.

How about a few shows on the man who inspired Lionel’s career.

I will send a copy of this to Lionel and post it where I can inquiring minds want to know.

[The Professor]

David, I've actually heard Lionel mention Lassiter twice on his show recently. And specifically he made note of Lassiter's talent on the day his death was announced. I posted the audio of that on the Lassiter piece I wrote this week. You can download that bit from Lionel's show here.

To be fair, while Lionel was influenced by Lassiter it's not fair or accurate to call him his mentor. Lionel was influenced by a number of hosts who were part of the Tampa talk radio scene (David Fowler comes to mind) where Lassiter certainly loomed large, but there was a lot going on. And like all the good talk hosts who were part of that scene, Lionel is and was a distinct individual talent.

While I'm certain there was more to it, I've always had the impression that the fallout between Lionel and Lassiter involved Lionel making fun of Lassiter's more maudlin and sentimental side on the air, specifically Lassiter's annual Christmas show. There were few things sacred to Lassiter, but his Christmas show contained all of them. And I have to admit that I wasn't a fan of Lassiter's Christmas program either, but I knew better than to say so, let alone make fun of it while the big man walked the Earth. It was clear to me that this would really piss him off. And once you crossed a line like that with Lassiter, you were in trouble.

And that's a notable difference between the two talk hosts, Lionel's irreverence goes much deeper than Lassiter's. And I don't think there's a sentimental bone in Lionel's body. Lassiter made a living in concert with the big crusty chip on his shoulder. Lionel in turn is a trial lawyer with a mischievous flair, who doesn't have that same kind of anger at the world. They both put caller's on the spot and knew how to reveal foolishness and less than rigorous thinking in an entertaining fashion when appropriate.

Yes, I heard Lionel do a show this week on whether Satan exists, which could be considered right out of the Lassiter playbook. However, he was riffing appropriately off a current news story, and to think it might have in some way been a tribute to Lassiter doesn't seem unlikely. However, it would be wrong-headed to say that Lionel stole anything from Lassiter. If more talk hosts would have the influence of Lassiter to draw upon, the quality of the medium would greatly improve. I'm all for that.

All in all, I think Lionel doesn't discuss Lassiter on his show because it's a national program where only a very small minority of his listeners have ever heard him. And perhaps their falling out comes into play as well. But it's not realistic to expect or demand that Lionel dedicate a program or two to Lassiter himself. However, it would be a damn good idea for WFLA in Tampa to put together a tribute show on Lassiter, including interviews of the many people who worked with him over the years, including Lionel. If you want to hear such a thing, lobby WFLA. They have the resources and the connections to do it, and they should.

[Deron Braun]

David and the Professor,

Though it is true that Lionel was not strictly formed from the Rib of Lassiter, he may very well have used Bob as part of his "Talk Radio" schooling.

Lionel for years was a frequent caller into Bob's show. Many Lassiter regular callers have been atributed to Lionel. Since Lionel will never tell us so, we can only guess.

I for one,worked in the Tampa Bay market for a few of Bob's later years and know that it would be impossible to ever get a straight answer from most of the talent in Tampa Bay (I think it's just the nature of the business)

David, as for Sharon Taylor, she is on WFLA's "AM Tampa Bay" with Jack Harris and Tedd Webb. And Jeffy? He's the producer of the show.

Sharon was one of the last people to talk with Bob, and even though they were not as close as when they worked together I can only assume she always had respect for Bob in the same manner that most people who had actually spent any time around him would.

WFLA, They did a minor tribute to Bob back the Tuesday after his death (I heard about his death on Monday Oct 16th on Lionel's show, then Tuesday morning WFLA had this crappy little tribute) WFLA, being the company run station that they are barely touched upon a man who helped to make them a talk radio power house in Tampa Bay.

The greatest Tribute Bob had was from places like here and bloglassiter.com And from the countless fans who remember him. Bob was the greatest. Lionel is great, but not "The Greatest"

Frog Bob

[Michele]

I listened to him from 1985-1999. I moved away from the area this past April. All I can say is thank God I have his air checks. I've been laid up with a bad back for the better part of the week and I've been listening to all of them. I'm on my last one and it's been a little slice of the past for me, a memory lane walk. I cant believe how much I missed him. He took me from a single young 23 year old college student to a 36 year old wife and mother of three. I followed his blog from August of last year until Mary told us the news. Dear Bob...I miss you.

Love, a listener

[Martin]

Does anyone know if www.boblassiterairchecks.com has been abandoned? I submitted several airchecks a while back that haven’t been posted and haven’t heard anything in followup emails.

[Mark Versprille]

Bob was a friend of mine back in the 70s. I never heard him on the air after his WOWI days, and not much then becase I got the uncensored Gladowski/Lassiter while pasing a bottle of wine or the bong just about every night. We shared digs for short periods a couple of times in Norfolk and Richmond Va. He really couldn't tolerate my meager intellect on a daily basis for very long. I haven't seen or heard of Bob for 25 years but thought of him often (how could you not think of him frequently). I'm sure he was wild on the air but you have no IDEA how wild and caustic and still charming he could be while waiting to use the bathroom. I didn't know he became so successfull and I 'm glad I didn't. I am glad a larger wold got to experience a part of what he was. I have no illusions about what a vicious dick he could be but, Fuck I'm going to miss thinking he's still part of the world.

lassiter was a real piece of poopie

[Mike]

The most amazing 3 hours of radio I've ever heard was his WMS Christmas story in 1989. If you've heard it, you can't help but think about Bob every Christmas. Simply Amazing.

[Ed]

Miss you Bob. Simply the best.