A chat with...
The Z100 Morning Zoo
By Scott Cummins. 15
I'here are between l<M> and 150
“Morning Zoo" radio programs in the
L'nited States Ihe first Morning Zoo
w as sta rted at Ql<>5 in T am p a
4 BY FOUR keeps building
QUEENS, NY
4 BY HOUR has kept
their music in the family. Cousins Lance
Heyward. Jay Jackson. Steve Gray anil
Damen Heyward have been singing,
writing ami performing together since
they were in )unior high
In fact, it was their I Dele Rick who got
them a break in the music biz. \ftcr he was
tricked into listening to the group. Cncle
Rick was convinced of their talent and
helped them score a record deal
I heir hit ‘Want You I or My < iirlfnend
from their sell titled album broke the top
|()on /(<///*u h l \ black singles chart earlier
this summer I heir voices have a good
blend on the songs, halt of which were
w ritten bv 4 BY ,•< )l R
"Don t P u t, he
Blame (hi M e,” ‘‘Mommy-Daddy.” “You
('h a n g e d ." ‘T his Time I Know It s Real
and ‘Smokin’.’'
I'he day after the four graduated fnun
Borough Hall Academy in Queens, New
York, they were off with the Pat Boys h>r
fresh Ivstival 'K7 tour To prepare tor llu-
tour. they practiced four hours every day
and ran up and down lb flights of stairs
But 4 BY HOI R didn't mind the tough
schedule , ncle Rick kept telling the guvs.
“ It vou follow the routine, it will pay off
No doubt there s a lot more to hear from
this high energy foursome, including their
first video that features their fancy foot
work
H onda
by Scot, Shannon ami Cleveland
Wheeler They wanted to bring old-,line
radio, featuring contemporary music
and wacky antics. Io the morning Shan
m>n later moved his ntuming show to
New York City The idea caught on and
soon Morning Zoos were starting up .ill
over the country
H k Purtlaml. < )rcgon. Zoo began
about three years ago when radio station
KKRZ. better known to hinlanders as
ZKMf. wanted to bring up their ratings
Ihev started their own version of the
Zoo with hot music and. of course, /any
personalities
John Muiphv. lony Martinez. Dan
, lark an d lu s h MU >aiv in now stai on
/ I t Ms Morning Zoo Ihev say they act
lust as crazy in real life "I think you
have to have that naturally to ge, ,hose-
zany antics on the show, say s John
Muiphv. the one who "pushes the but
tons" and basically runs the show
,-verv member of the / l<M> s Zoo
seems to love the job W hen asked w hat
they liked most about their work. John
Murphy immediately answered “the
money.
Ihe Zoo. which airs weekdays from
5 ,o 10 a m .. sometimes makes mis
takes .Sometimes someone says the
wrong thing or something mechanical
goes havwire. But mi matter what hap-
pens, the radio announcers always turn
n into something funny and
entertaining.
Z100 s Morning Zoo (from left) Tony Mar
tinez. Trish McGarvin. Dan Clark and
John Murpby
W IN A DELUXE SKATEBOARD.
PAGE IO
Y O U N G AMERICAN
AUGUST 12