In 1996, Jerry was honored to receive the first AIR Award (Achievement in Radio) award. In 2007, Jerry was honored with the Career Achievement Inductee award by the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame.
In the middle 1980’s, he was President and General Manager of WQXI AM/FM RADIO where the station had sales breaking years under the ownership of Jefferson Pilot.
The station’s promotions like the Ramblin’ Raft Race 1969-1982; Light Up Atlanta; Underground Atlanta’s Halloween Party; and radio spoofs like “The Buford Triangle” and “Marta Gold” made radio exciting and fun. Everywhere you went, you would hear people say “did you hear what Gary McKee, Yetta Levitt, Willis The Guard, Red Neckerson, The Kinky Lady, did yesterday on 94Q?” For ten years, WQXI (Quixie AM) and 94 Q was the flagship radio station for the Atlanta Falcons Radio Network feeding football game coverage all over Georgia.
In the 1980’s television’s WKRP in Cincinnati became a hit show written and produced by former Atlanta Hugh Wilson based on events at WQXI and 94Q Radio and Gordon Jump was chosen to play the role of WKRP’s station manager because he physically resembled Jerry Blum.
Jerry is a graduate of Arizona State University (Class of ’54) and served two years in the U.S. Air Force where he earned the rank of Captain.
Jerry was an avid racquetball player for more than 20 years. He was also a scratch handicap shopper most of his adult life. He wore some of the most colorful outrageous clothes you could think of. Never anything dull about this man. Once he was your friend, you could depend on him for anything.
He retired from radio in 1989 and lived in Smyrna, Georgia with his wife, Dottie. Jerry’s sons, Gary and Ron Blum, Bert and Bob Campbell; grandchildren: Tyler, Casey Blum, Max, Ariel, and Roxanne Campbell; grandchild Bentley Campbell, and a Toy Poodle, Sam. Jerry’s brother Irving and wife Jackie Blum from Los Angeles.
Oh, by the way….did you know turkeys don’t fly?
We love you Jerry. RIP.
Services will be held this Monday the 18th of February at 11:00 am at Arlington Memorial Park, 201 Mt. Vernon Highway, NW, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. Rabbi Chaim S. Listfield officiating.
