Guffy Roberts
Encyclopedia
Guffy Roberts is an American radio personality, singer, songwriter, and keytarist.
In March 1977, Roberts and fellow synth-player Trevor Science formed the band German Police Car, holding auditions for two remaining keyboardist positions in the gymnasium of Miami Killian High School
. These auditions turned out to be fruitless, however, and they ultimately were forced to let Roberts' former girlfriend Olga Kraskavenovich in the band due to an upcoming performance at a Little Havana
nightclub. There, the three bandmates found their fourth and final member, keyboardist Jamal Jenkins. The band was renamed "Trevor and Roberts" for a brief period in early 1978 but was ultimately renamed "German Police Car" due to wishes of the remaining band members.
After early success with 1978 radio single German Police Car from the album of the same year and name, German Police Car, the band toured across Europe for two years before being dissolved due to differences between Roberts and the rest of the band.
Guffy Roberts released five solo albums (two more than German Police Car released) before the age of 22, when he broke his contract directing instructional videos for Wendy's
to become a disc jockey
at Missouri State University
's student radio station The Growl in Springfield, Missouri.
from 1987 to 1989 with brief sporadic comebacks in the following years. The show's format consisted of an introduction by Roberts (during which he was prone to introduce and identify himself several times) followed by blocks of music and talking. Roberts' preferred style of music to play was new wave
, what he often referred to as "underground pop music," but he would occasionally, reluctantly, take song requests from listeners who called into the show. Roberts was also known to play many songs by The Fat Boys
, sometimes several in a row, as well as sporadic electronica
, house
, mutant disco, and new jack swing
tracks.
Each show originally aired on Saturday nights and lasted roughly three hours, but after Roberts complained to a station manager about the length of his slot the show was shortened to two hours. Eventually the show was moved to weeknights after an additional complaint from Roberts about "not being able to party." This resulted in an infamous move in which Guffy Roberts physically assaulted an innocent bystander, accusing him of not knowing how to party.
was apparent to anyone who listened to his show, particularly during the 1989 season. He frequently claimed to have travelled into the 21st century to acquire "exclusive" tracks.
During several episodes, he vividly described hallucinations live on the air, possibly due to ingesting illegal drugs
.
In an early episode, where Roberts was supposedly alone at the radio station, he talked to and may have even provided the voice of an imaginary gentleman
named "Rupert" who spoke with a British
accent.
on a special Thanksgiving
1987 episode of New Coke. Other notable guests on his program included Kato Kaelin
, Matthew McConaughey
, Bono
, and fellow radio host Art Bell
. Some of these guests were not considered celebrities at the time of their respective show's broadcast, but later attained fame through other channels.
In March 1977, Roberts and fellow synth-player Trevor Science formed the band German Police Car, holding auditions for two remaining keyboardist positions in the gymnasium of Miami Killian High School
Miami Killian High School
Miami Killian Senior High School is a secondary school located in Miami, Florida, USA. The school is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System.-Academics:...
. These auditions turned out to be fruitless, however, and they ultimately were forced to let Roberts' former girlfriend Olga Kraskavenovich in the band due to an upcoming performance at a Little Havana
Little Havana
Little Havana is a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Home to many Cuban immigrant residents, Little Havana is named after Havana, the capital and largest city in Cuba. The approximate boundaries are the Miami River , SW 16th Street , SR 9/West 27th Avenue and I-95...
nightclub. There, the three bandmates found their fourth and final member, keyboardist Jamal Jenkins. The band was renamed "Trevor and Roberts" for a brief period in early 1978 but was ultimately renamed "German Police Car" due to wishes of the remaining band members.
After early success with 1978 radio single German Police Car from the album of the same year and name, German Police Car, the band toured across Europe for two years before being dissolved due to differences between Roberts and the rest of the band.
Guffy Roberts released five solo albums (two more than German Police Car released) before the age of 22, when he broke his contract directing instructional videos for Wendy's
Wendy's
Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
to become a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
at Missouri State University
Missouri State University
Missouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
's student radio station The Growl in Springfield, Missouri.
New Coke
Roberts is best known for his eccentric ramblings and bipolar personality on his own radio programme New CokeNew Coke
New Coke was the reformulation of Coca-Cola introduced in 1985 by The Coca-Cola Company to replace the original formula of its flagship soft drink, Coca-Cola...
from 1987 to 1989 with brief sporadic comebacks in the following years. The show's format consisted of an introduction by Roberts (during which he was prone to introduce and identify himself several times) followed by blocks of music and talking. Roberts' preferred style of music to play was new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
, what he often referred to as "underground pop music," but he would occasionally, reluctantly, take song requests from listeners who called into the show. Roberts was also known to play many songs by The Fat Boys
The Fat Boys
The Fat Boys are a successful African American hip-hop music trio from Brooklyn, New York City, that emerged in the early 1980s. Briefly, the group was known originally as the Disco 3.-Members:*Mark Morales a.k.a. "Prince Markie Dee"...
, sometimes several in a row, as well as sporadic electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, mutant disco, and new jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
tracks.
Each show originally aired on Saturday nights and lasted roughly three hours, but after Roberts complained to a station manager about the length of his slot the show was shortened to two hours. Eventually the show was moved to weeknights after an additional complaint from Roberts about "not being able to party." This resulted in an infamous move in which Guffy Roberts physically assaulted an innocent bystander, accusing him of not knowing how to party.
Mental Instability
Guffy Roberts' obsession with time travelTime travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
was apparent to anyone who listened to his show, particularly during the 1989 season. He frequently claimed to have travelled into the 21st century to acquire "exclusive" tracks.
During several episodes, he vividly described hallucinations live on the air, possibly due to ingesting illegal drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
.
In an early episode, where Roberts was supposedly alone at the radio station, he talked to and may have even provided the voice of an imaginary gentleman
Gentleman
The term gentleman , in its original and strict signification, denoted a well-educated man of good family and distinction, analogous to the Latin generosus...
named "Rupert" who spoke with a British
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
accent.
Celebrity Interviews
Roberts famously interviewed The Fat BoysThe Fat Boys
The Fat Boys are a successful African American hip-hop music trio from Brooklyn, New York City, that emerged in the early 1980s. Briefly, the group was known originally as the Disco 3.-Members:*Mark Morales a.k.a. "Prince Markie Dee"...
on a special Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
1987 episode of New Coke. Other notable guests on his program included Kato Kaelin
Kato Kaelin
Brian Jerard "Kato" Kaelin is an American radio and television personality who gained fame as a witness during the 1994–95 murder trial of O. J. Simpson.-Personal life:...
, Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
, Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
, and fellow radio host Art Bell
Art Bell
Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland...
. Some of these guests were not considered celebrities at the time of their respective show's broadcast, but later attained fame through other channels.