Al "Jazzbo" Collins

I recently came across Wally Wood's illustration of Jazzbo broadcasting from his mythical Purple Grotto, from 'What's All This Jazz About Jazz?', a story appearing in MAD magazine #31 in 1957 and decided to find out more by him.

Al "Jazzbo" Collins was a hipster saint, radio legend on two coasts, jazz icon. His theme song was "Blues In Hoss' Flat," written by Frank Foster and performed by the Count Basie Orchestra.

In the Bay Area, Jazzbo was beloved on KSFO, KMPX, KGO, KAPX and KCSM for four decades, splitting for the East Coast in between, but always returning to the West Coast right to the very end of his life in 1997.

You can read more abou this legendary DJ and hear him here:

http://www.bayarearadio.org/audio/jazzbeaux/