Jimmy O'Neill | |
|---|---|
 O'Neill as the host ofShindig!, 1964 | |
| Born | James Franklin O'Neill (1940-01-08)January 8, 1940 Enid, Oklahoma, US |
| Died | January 11, 2013(2013-01-11) (aged 73) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1957–1999 |
| Spouse | |
James Franklin O'Neill (January 8, 1940 – January 11, 2013) was an American DJ and broadcaster who hosted theABC television musical variety showShindig! from 1964 to 1966.[1] O'Neill was owner ofPandora's Box, an influentialSunset Strip music venue inWest Hollywood, California that was the center of the 1966Sunset Strip curfew riots.
O'Neill was born inEnid, Oklahoma.[2] After taking a broadcasting class atEnid High School, he began his career in radio at KGWA in Enid in 1957 and then moved toWKY inOklahoma City in 1958. One year later O'Neill landed a job atKQV inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania at age 19.[3] He also worked atWCAE. He was hired atKRLA inLos Angeles, California a year after working at KQV.[citation needed]
O'Neill was the first voice heard onKRLA-AM when it switched from acountry-western format totop 40.[4] He worked at KRLA-AM from 1959 to 1962, then moved toKFWB from 1963 to 1967. He spent two years atKDAY from 1969 to 1971. He also hostedThe Jimmy O'Neill Show onKCOP-TV.[citation needed]
After O'Neill moved to Los Angeles,Chuck Barris, then-ABC daytime programming executive,green-lit thepilot forShindig!; the show ran from 1964 to 1966.[5] He and his show were depicted onThe Flintstones television animatedsitcom in the season six episode "Shinrock A Go-Go", which originally aired on December 3, 1965. This episode featured O'Neill, as "Jimmy O'Neillstone", hosting the Bedrock analogue ofShindig, called "Shinrock"; that program featured as one of the guest performersThe Beau Brummels (as "The Beau Brummelstones") performing their recent hit, "Laugh, Laugh".[6]
In the 1970s, he worked at KOB in Albuquerque, then it was on toOmaha, Nebraska, radio stations WOW (nowKXSP) andKOIL. He returned to Los Angeles for two more stints at KRLA from 1984 to 1985 and from 1990 to 1993.[citation needed]
He retired in the mid 1990s and lived inWest Hollywood, California; he died at his home there on January 11, 2013, aged 73.[7]
O'Neill was married three times, including to songwriterSharon Sheeley, to socialite Eve I. Johnson, and to Renee Whitman.
He had one son (James) and one daughter (Katy), as well as one stepson (Robin) and one stepdaughter (Megan).[1]
The Rocklopedia Fakebandica
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