Longtime Elvis & Friends Radio Show host Rockin’ Ron Cade has found a new platform to call home
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
Earlier this year, the local radio scene was shaken to its core. Longtime 98.1 WOGL host Rockin’ Ron Cade and his Elvis & Friends Radio Show was cancelled after almost four decades. Across social media, his dedicated fan base, which spans across the country, showed an outpouring of love and disappointment. How would they get their weekly fix of The King? Well, we have some good news. Rockin’ Ron is back.
As of Sunday, Oct. 15, Cade found a new and slightly different outlet for his Elvis & Friends Radio Show at networkjamz.com, a 24/7 free internet radio. Up until this point, the show was broadcast in a traditional format. Every week from 7 to 10 a.m., locals turned on their radios while out-of-state listeners visited WOGL’s website to listen live. According to Cade, his new platform expands the reach of Elvis & Friends exponentially.
Aired on Network Jamz’s “Elvis and Company” and “Philly Gold Radio” stations, Cade’s show can be heard live each Sunday from 7 to 10 a.m. just like before. But now, an encore presentation is played on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 10 p.m.
“It’s the first time listeners can hear it again,” Cade said.
Thanks to the power of the internet, Elvis & Friends is now heard around the world, not just nationally. Cade reflected on kind words he has received on Facebook from listeners in England and Turkey, amongst other countries. After a lifetime of learning all there is to know about The King, Cade is thrilled to connect for the first time with international fans who share his passion.
While Cade is certainly attracting new Elvis & Friends fans, he’s not forgetting about his dedicated listeners of 39 years. Despite the different platform, the show itself has remained unchanged. Though he now works out of an in-home studio, listeners can still hear his classic “hot in the penthouse” opening, followed by all things Elvis.
As usual, each week spotlights a different aspect of The King’s life, showcasing his career in its entirety with equal focus on his blues, rock, country and gospel tracks. Listeners can still hear unofficial recordings from Sun Records, rare audio clips from people such as Ginger Alden, Elvis’ last love interest, and tidbits and how particular songs were written.
“It was a winner,” he said of the show. “I didn’t want to turn it upside down.”
For more than 1,500 consecutive weeks, Cade has personally written and programmed each Elvis & Friends show. Still, he manages to deliver a fresh experience for old and new Elvis fans alike, constantly creating interesting and timely themes. For example, on Dec. 3, he featured a number of Elvis Christmas classics to commemorate the day his holiday special aired in 1968.
As Cade explores the world of internet radio, building his listenership both locally and internationally, he continues to host the popular Elvis & Friends Dinner Show. The next one will be a special Christmas event on Sunday, Dec. 17, at Brookside Manor, 50 Bustleton Pike in Feasterville. Award-winning tribute artist Jeffrey Krick Jr. will perform a number of Christmas classics and favorite Elvis hits from the ’50s, ’60s and ‘70s.
Doors open at 3 p.m. and the show begins at 4 p.m. Dress is casual. There will be raffles, a cash bar and Elvis memorabilia for sale. Tickets are $35 and include a buffet-style dinner. They can be purchased online at memphismemoriesproductions.com/concert.html or by mail. Send a check or money order payable to Memphis Memories Productions, P.O. Box 1644, Levittown, PA 19058. Be sure to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope to receive your tickets. For more information, call 215–357–1700.
To listen to Rockin’ Ron Cade’s Elvis & Friends Radio Show, visit networkjamz.com/. The show airs on “Elvis and Company” and “Philly Gold Radio” each Sunday from 7 to 10 a.m. with an encore presentation on Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m. ••
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
