Woods O. Dreyfus
After an early vaudeville career, he joined Milwaukee’s WISN radio in 1927 and over a 20 year period served as a singer, announcer, Program Director and finally as General Manager. He produced and directed 2 live dramas each week and was the Producer-Director for CBS network shows which originated in Milwaukee such as the Paul Whiteman Show, Groucho Marx’ $64 Question and the Gene Autry Show. In 1931, he created perhaps the first 3-part harmony recording, himself recording the melody, bass and tenor parts over one another in a singing commercial for 3-in-1 Oil. In 1947, he put WMAW AM & FM on the air in Milwaukee, serving for two years as its Program Director and General Manager. He left the broadcast business in 1949 and died on March 3, 1965. In 1982, he was elected posthumously to the Milwaukee Press Club’s Media Hall of Fame.
WOODY HIRED ME WHEN WMAW WENT ON THE AIR IN 1948 AND I DID “ART HELLYER’S “MAW”S MATINEE”‘2PM TO 6PM MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. WOODY WAS A WONDERFUL MAN OF HIS WORD AND A DELIGHT TO WORK FOR. I LEFT WMAW JUNE 1950 TO BROADCAST ON 50000 WATT WCFL CHICAGO. I WAS FIRST PERSON TO INTERVIEW LIBERACE WHEN HE WALKED INTO WMAW WHEN I WAS DOING MY AFTERNOON SHOW AND WOODY DREYFUS BROUGHT HIM INTO THE ANNOUNCE BOOTH, INTRODUCED US AND WOODY TOLD ME I WAS TO DO FIRST EVER INTERVIEW WITH LIBERACE.I AM LOOKING AT A PICTURE OF LIBERACE HE AUTOGRAPHED THAT DAY,,,,”TO ART HELLYER, THE FIRST PERSON TO HAVE ME ON THE RADIO.” HE ALSO DREW A PIANO WITH A CANDLELABRA ON THE PIANO