Martin Grams: Jay Hickerson, 1934

Jay Allen Hickerson passed away at the age of 87. Some knew him as a talented piano player, others as a historian for old-time radio. But for me, he was the most inspirational person I ever met.

Jay was the first person beyond a mail order catalog (Metacom/Adventures in Cassettes) that I talked to in the hobby and it was during our 20-30 minute phone call that opened Pandora’s box for me. From there I discovered old-time radio was a hobby that included conventions, fan clubs, published books, newsletters, and hundreds of thousands of other radio recordings available from multiple vendors and companies.

It was Jay and his Yoda-like influence that turned me over to the darkside and from there I become obsessed with Old-Time Radio beyond mere entertainment and curiosity. He asked how young I was when we first talked on the phone and he never judged… only influenced and encouraged. Few would have done that -- many would have judged and quickly ended the call.

My phone call was in query to a printed broadcast log he wrote about Suspense, how I discovered there was discrepancies between his log and two other logs, and that I had intention to write a book documenting the history of the radio program, television program and comic books on the same subject. It was Jay who gave me phone numbers and names of people he suggested I contact, provided me leads for research, and motivated me into writing what would ultimately become the first of 40+ books. Over the next three decades, it was Jay who became my sole contact when I needed to track down someone in the hobby. In fact, it is Jay's name that probably appears in the acknowledgments of almost every book I ever wrote.

During that monumental conversation over the phone, Jay also encouraged me to attend the Friends of Old-Time Radio Convention, held every October in Newark, New Jersey, which ran 36 years. Jay owned and operated the event, which focused primarily on old-time radio programs. I convinced my father to drive me up to the event (I was too young to drive at the time) and it was there I was able to put a face to the voice.

Of all the conventions I ever attended, FOTR was my favorite. It was there that I met Raymond Edward Johnson, Ralph Bell, Bill Dana, Jerry Stiller, Fred Foy and many others. That was also the event that inspired me to launch my own convention, the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, which is now (to date) 17 years and still going strong. With Jay's blessing, we even give an award every couple years named The Jay Hickerson Award, inspired by someone who has done so much for the hobby.

When Jay announced he was closing down the Friends of Old-Time Radio Convention, I wanted to do something special for him. I phoned Jay and asked if he would like me to assemble a 52 to 56 page book documenting all 36 years of the convention, complete with photographs from every year, a complete list of the celebrities that attended each year, highlights of each event, and produce a lavish full-color publication to give away at the last convention. Jay was very receptive and gave me the official go-ahead. Through friends we scanned photo albums and scrapbooks, digitized every flyer and annual program guide for all 36 years (and the five years prior when the event was known as SAVE), and solicited memories and recollections from past attendees. This was the least I could do for what all Jay did not just for the hobby, but for myself. I never felt I did enough to return the favor.

No one was more influential or so large a spear-header in the hobby than Jay Hickerson and the hobby is smaller as a result of his death. He will never be forgotten.