Age, Biography and Wiki

Bill Drake was born on 14 January, 1937, is an American radio personality (1937–2008). Discover Bill Drake's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 71 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation N/A
Age 71 years old
Zodiac Sign Capricorn
Born 14 January, 1937
Birthday 14 January
Birthplace N/A
Date of death 29 November, 2008
Died Place N/A
Nationality

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 14 January. He is a member of famous with the age 71 years old group.

Bill Drake Height, Weight & Measurements

At 71 years old, Bill Drake height not available right now. We will update Bill Drake's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
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Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

Family
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Bill Drake Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Bill Drake worth at the age of 71 years old? Bill Drake’s income source is mostly from being a successful . He is from . We have estimated Bill Drake's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
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Timeline

1937

Bill Drake (January 14, 1937 – November 29, 2008), born Philip Yarbrough, was an American radio programmer who co-developed the Boss Radio format with Gene Chenault via their company Drake-Chenault.

1950

Drake-Chenault streamlined the Top 40 radio format originally created by Todd Storz, Gordon McLendon and other radio programmers in the early 1950s.

The format took a set list of popular songs and repeated them all day long.

Jingles, news updates, traffic, and other features were designed to make Top 40 radio appeal to car listeners.

1953

Phil Yarbrough began his broadcast career in 1953, working part-time at WMGR in Bainbridge, Georgia (near his hometown of Donalsonville, Georgia).

Following high school graduation, he attended Georgia Teachers College (Georgia Southern University today) in Statesboro, Georgia, on a basketball scholarship.

His major was P.E., with the intention of teaching and coaching after graduation.

While attending college, Yarbrough worked the evening shift at WWNS in Statesboro.

1956

After a knee injury in 1956, he lost his scholarship and left college for good.

With no other good alternative, he continued to work at WWNS for the next few years.

Briefly moving back to his hometown with wife Roberta, Yarbrough returned to WMGR for a short time.

Wisely searching for career advancement, he gained employment with Bartell Broadcasting, at their newly acquired Atlanta station, post-purchase christened WAKE (a pairing with their Birmingham station, WYDE..."the wide awake stations").

Management proposed changing his name to Bill Blake (rhyming with 'wake').

Yarbrough protested.

He proposed Phil Drake (his mother's maiden name).

They settled on Bill Drake, and the rest is history.

Later, at KYNO in Fresno, California, he met Gene Chenault, who became his business partner.

Together, the pair developed influential radio programming strategies and tactics, as well as working with future "Boss Jocks" (their name for on-air radio talent).

1960

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Drake and Chenault formed Drake-Chenault Inc., marketing the format via similar customized Johnny Mann jingle packages used on KHJ.

These jingle packages were sold across the US and overseas.

They also marketed "automated" radio format packages such as "Hit Parade", "Solid Gold", "Classic Gold" and "Great American Country".

Disc Jockey voices heard on those formats included Robert W. Morgan, Charlie Van Dyke and others.

Additionally, they marketed documentaries like The History of Rock and Roll, a 10-episode, 52-hours-log series on which Drake worked as a writer and narrator.

1964

By early 1964, the era of the British Invasion, Top 40 radio had become the dominant radio format for North American listeners and swept much of the Western world.

Drake applied modern methods such as market research and ratings demographics to the format to increase the number of listeners.

He advocated limiting the amount of disc jockey chatter, the number of advertisements and playing only the top hits.

Drake's concepts included 20/20 News and counter-programming with music sweeps.

Drake-Chenault controlled aspects including the DJs that were hired to radio contests, visual logos, promotions, and commercial policy.

He hired the Johnny Mann Singers to produce the Boss Radio jingles, which were bright, high-energy transitions from song to song.

1965

In the spring of 1965, Drake-Chenault were hired by the then-financially-struggling KHJ in Los Angeles, after KGB's owner, Willett Brown, suggested to his fellow RKO board members that Drake could improve the station's performance.

Drake hired Ron Jacobs as program director, Robert W. Morgan in the mornings and The Real Don Steele in the afternoons.

Though "Boss Radio" was criticized, KHJ quickly jumped from near obscurity to the number one radio station in Los Angeles.

Drake also programmed KFRC in San Francisco, WOR-FM in New York, KAKC in Tulsa, WHBQ in Memphis, WUBE (AM) in Cincinnati, WRKO in Boston and 50,000 watt CKLW, in Windsor, Ontario.

1973

In 1973, Drake left KHJ, along with Steele and Morgan, to program KIQQ-FM ("K-100") in Los Angeles.

Bill Drake was a member of the nominating committee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

1980

Drake-Chenault was sold and eventually dissolved in the mid-1980s.

2007

He was inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame in 2007.

2008

He died of lung cancer in Los Angeles on November 29, 2008.

2010

Gene Chenault died at 90 on February 23, 2010.

2014

Drake used these methods at Fresno's KYNO and then KGB, which moved from 14th to 1st in San Diego.