Bob West – “From Seven Arts to Hip Hop”

Bob West was in many ways a “renaissance man”.  An early fan of big band music, he’d ask his mother to escort him to shows by some of the biggest names playing clubs and venues he was too young to attend by himself.  After time in the service and Kent State University, West took a job at WERE-AM which, in the 1950s and early 60s, was a highly influential station featuring the man Time magazine described as the most important disc jockey in the United state, Bill Randle.  West distinguished himself as a programmer at WERE, as program director at WJW and as a station operator in Sandusky.  A former “beat poet”, West hosted a number of shows including WERE’s “Seven Arts” that featured a wide array of eclectic programming about Cleveland’s creative community as well as national talent.

An avid music fan, West also helped guide the careers of the piano- based group The Pastels and Folkways Records blues singer Arben Stidham, whose band at one time backed the great Bessie Smith. In 1973, Stidham was the focus of the documentary film The Bluesman that was directed and produced by West. Among other film projects, West, who at that time was program director at WJW-AM as well as an instructor at John Carroll University, also wrote, produced and appeared in a film titled The Wednesday Children, described as “a sunlit horror story of considerable entertainment.” It was shown at various colleges and film festivals and aired on WEWS-TV. West recreates his real-life role as a Universalist – Unitarian preacher in the film.

West was an avid collector of rare records and often traded with Harvey Pekar, the originator of American Splendor comics. Once Pekar stopped by West’s home with another collector, the famed underground comics illustrator Robert Crumb who was traveling with his band the Cheap Suit Serenaders. The two exchanged some discs and Crumb’s band did an impromptu performance in West’s living room. That meeting was commemorated by Crumb putting West on the cover of American Splendor #4.

West eventually settled in at Kent State University teaching a wide range of courses including “Rap and the Hip-Hop Nation” and “I Want My MTV”. One of the oldest educators in the state, West was hugely popular with students. He also appeared in the opening scene of the film The Red Skulls which was produced by two of his former students. Warning: The following clip featuring West has some disturbing imagery. You may want to use discretion before clicking on to the film.

Citations:

Batdorff, E. (1973, June 22). Horror hits late in “The Wednesday Children”. Plain Dealer, pp. 62–62.