{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/qr4nk37z8q/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Maurice “Hot Rod” Hulbert Jr. interview, circa 1990"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/053/original/cropped-marmia-logo-copy1.png?1586173104","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["https://marmia.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/archival_objects/25711"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["circa 1990 (Creation)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["Be advised that this video may contain sensitive, triggering, and offensive language and content. (Content warning)","Digitized with funding provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources' \"Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices\" grant program. (Funding note)","Hot Rod discusses his career, radio shows, and other radio personalities. (Scope and Content Note)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["1 Betacam"]}},{"label":{"en":["Identifier"]},"value":{"en":["WJZ-FLDTP-006-020 (Identifier)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Series Title"]},"value":{"en":["Field Tapes"]}}],"summary":{"en":["Be advised that this video may contain sensitive, triggering, and offensive language and content.","Digitized with funding provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources' \"Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices\" grant program.","Hot Rod discusses his career, radio shows, and other radio personalities."]},"provider":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["MARMIA"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["MARMIA"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/053/original/cropped-marmia-logo-copy1.png?1586173104","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/253/876/small/thumbnail_253876_1728349363.jpg?1728349364","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - open-uri20250109-552-gcsj1l.mp4"]},"duration":1270.186,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/253/876/small/thumbnail_253876_1728349363.jpg?1728349364","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-marmia.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/253/876/original/open-uri20250109-552-gcsj1l.mp4?1736438502","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":1270.186,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["AUTO_TRINT_WJZ-FLDTP-006-020.mp4 [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Last week, just as an example of the fire chief involved getting told about that boy that made. I mean, it's just amazing, amazing guy. But do you know what that one picture of you and how it looks nowadays? You got to do everything you. Okay. You stay right where you are, and I'll get right here. I became a teenager in 1951, and then I discovered the radio. And at night there was a guy on the radio who was capturing all the whitefellas in the Baltimore area. You know what I'm talking about. Could it be me Hot Rod? Yeah, I had a lot of fun. And Grant and I had a grand audience. Yes, I had my black audience and white audience was about the same. I remember City College, they had a big the big football game between City College, City College and I mean City College and Poly. And they invited me over to for the pep rally prior to the game at City College. And and I went over and they introduced me in the auditorium. And when they introduced me, everybody stood up. I mean, everybody stood up and just applauded and applauding, applauded so long till it really kind of brought tears to my eyes. I said, whiz, they really like me. You know, you were in Kirshner and everybody in the Baltimore area. A teenager in the 50s remembers Buddy Dean. He was the big star. He was the big star of television. Right. And Buddy is a little I was a little bit before Buddy Dean. Time You were my the main deejay back when I was a teenager. Yet you two came to Baltimore pretty much together, and you were with him down in Memphis. We came to Baltimore the same time we opened up on stage on the same day.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876#t=1.77,147.74"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Buddy Dean and I came from the same city. However, he was on another radio station, WHDH, in. I was on the station called w d r a w d r a is considered by many as the mother of black radio stations by the dean. And I at that time didn't know each other personally, but we knew of each other. But he didn't call me one day and says the people in Baltimore interested in talking to you get in touch with you. I'm Borodin. I haven't seen Buddy yet. We just talked on the phone. So I got in touch with Baltimore and Jay Gilmore and Tom Tinsley. And make a long story short, they at the same time were negotiating with Buddy. I didn't know that. And as to make a long story short, but Dean and I came up here same day, same year, 1951. And you started the Raj Rocket Ship show, right? The Rocket Ship show, Maurice the Moon Man and Maurice Albert Junior. Three different personalities. How did you open the show at night? Hot rod? Boy. Had several ways. Well, you let me see. One used to go like this. Greetings. Salutations. Hope you haven't slept with this man. But all this is in the groove and on the move. Like, why just have new tripe? So if you aren't hip, you might have a bunch of beliefs and call them what you have. Because as you can see, I have no air. But a moan like a bone loses a goose to have an air. Waves are the epitome of big time Baltimore radio w r t h volt sa sides. And I know there was another one where you actually said you talked about the Roger Rocket ship show.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876#t=148.6,265.63"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"All right, hold on just a second. Okay. Did you did you say blast off or something like that? Yes, indeed it was. How did I put that together? My Lord and ladies of the Royal Court, stand by for blast stand. My Lords. Minute we see the. See, this is the one I remember hearing all the time. Give me an idea. I don't recall it. You. To cabinet to snarl that thing. Is that which just. Yeah. Let's see. Baby mama. My look right now. The one I remember you did at night. And that was. The rocket ship show. And how do you start that thing off? That was basically what I just said. I mean, it's what you get. That was one of the. Over the years I read recording that. Let me hear what you just said. The one I said a few minutes ago. You mean my greeting? Salutations. The one about Blastoff concert. Destination Constellation on. The laws and leaders of the Royal Court. My Lord, My Lords, in Malaysia, the Royal Courts done by for the blessed of time. You saved a belt of worn out five seconds. Think of those thinking, my Lord, and of the Royal Court. Stand by for the blast off of worn out five seconds. Think quite a treat. Those two got not two zero. There you go. Ladies and gentlemen. Hot rod. That's fantastic. Now, just pronounce your name for me correctly. Morris Hot Rod Morris Hulbert. Hulbert h u l b e. R t ho. Bert Hulbert. Okay. Now, you came to Baltimore in 1951. Right. You've been here ever since. No. No, I. In 1959. Well, I said during that time I did a show. I did a tape show in New York and W.V..","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876#t=266.32,426.91"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Where are you going? Where are you going? From Baltimore. Very long. Wait a minute. This is before. Before I left the city. I did a tape show in New York, and I used to go to New York. Really? I'm telling you this because I did go to New York. Broadcasting later. But New York had an entree to my talent several years before I went there. But it was something new for for me. You know, taping. Yeah. For me to do a show in in in Baltimore and a tape show in New York. That was something unusual in the early 50s. I would like to get away from that because I won't have time for that. Tell me what you were doing down the Coliseum that one time when you came in on a donkey. Well, I ah, I was my own PR man. And I felt when I first came to Baltimore and I listened to all the disc jockeys here. But just look, I'll tell you what. What was going on that night at the Coliseum where you came in on a on a on a donkey. We were having a big, big, big dance at the Coliseum. And I had I don't remember the acts I had, but I had I had a nationally known band there. And I thought I needed I needed a gimmick. I needed a hook to pull the people in. So I advertised and promoted my program that I would be coming into the Coliseum. I wouldn't walk in. I wouldn't roll in. I would be run on judges. And what was the point by that point? I just don't think that anybody had ever seen anybody come in riding the Jaguars into the Coliseum from the door up to the bandstand.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876#t=428.14,537.37"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Why not a motorcycle? That's a motorcycle jacket. Not too many people see jackasses, so. Well, the place was packed. This was 19. This was before. Really? Before Baltimore had integrated? Absolutely. The place was packed. That's right. I see white faces, black faces off shoulder to shoulder, Elbow to elbow. How'd you pull that off? Well, I think my shoulder did it. I think the things that I did on my show, I think the way in which I presented my show project and my show, it had some kind of an appeal to both black and white. And when I pulled off something like this, a big promotion like this, they wanted to be a part of it. And they were there. Lots and lots of teenagers. Yeah. Yeah, they were there. Well, teenagers and young adults also. You appealed to a lot of teenagers in your audience, of course. And through that, you started recruiting for the Air Force and really did very well with that, didn't you? Yes, indeed. Yes, indeed. Tell you what, I was a good around the bitches way. I went to the Andrews Air Force Base on a recruiting mission, and and I took many dignitaries from Baltimore there. And I think, well, I won't call names, but it took many people from business were business world. The doctors, educators, they were there. And we went there primarily to see what the Air Force had to offer the black man, the understanding as what we wanted to find out. And and then we would we were treated royally and we dined there. And while there, I flew a jet. Well, I was the commander's aide really flew the jet. But then he gave me the jet while we were airborne for three minutes.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876#t=538.15,659.16"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"And he did a bail roll. I mean, to get a left bank and straighten up and ask me how did I feel? I said, fine. He did a right bang straight up. How do you feel? I said, Fine. Next thing I know, he was doing a bear roll. He did three barrel rolls and then he said, How do you feel? And you said, Slow down. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. I did. I did. I felt great on it. The only thing excuse me. When my head was turn pointed toward Earth, it seemed like my bottom was going up to the sea. So I asked him about that and he said that was the gravity, the pull of gravity. He says, you pulled about three GS and that's three times my weight. And I asked him, How many GS do you pool? He says, five. And I says is an advantage. He says, yes, is great in combat. Well, you then you received an award for for recruiting young black age. Yes, yes, yes, Yes, indeed. You are satisfied with the kind of treatment that the young black kids were getting back in those days as far as Air Force. And you were suggesting? Well well, it was a start. It was the beginning of a better position for blacks in the Navy. What year was that? That had to be around 1950. The late 57. Early 58. I went in at 55. Geez, I wonder if you were recruiting me on the air. Be Yeah. So you're the guy I got to blame for that for your there. Let me ask you this. You you were selected to the Black Hall of Fame, The Black Jockeys, Radio Radio Hall of Fame. That was last year.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876#t=659.88,768.78"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"1991 was this 92. 91. Was that a surprise? Not really. Not really. Because I was among a few black pioneers. Because, you see, when when I went into radio, it wasn't something like when you wake up in the morning and it's it's the norm. Like now you wake up, then it's a shock. It was a shock then. I mean, the shock. What to hear a black man. Absolutely. Absolutely. It was a shock. And it was a test. It was a test. And we had to we those of us who who really made it had to carry ourselves and in certain ways on the air and in the public and out of the public, because I guess we were considered role models, I guess. I mean, you make a mistake then, is the whole doggone black race is going to be blamed for it. You know what I mean? Why did you decide you came here with a full head of hair now and then at some point you decided off with the hair went. What made you what made you decide that you were going to go. Good question. I guess a lot of people would like would like to hear this answer. When you really won the Academy. I always like you, Brenda. And I thought he was so majestic in his performances and everything. He did not. He was just one of my favorite actors. And when I saw him and was the king and I think it was the next morning I got my and my hair cut off and a deal with clippers and and then the next thing and next couple of days I had used the Clippers again. So that was too fast. I mean, that's cost too much money and to go to a barbershop too often.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876#t=769.39,885.18"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So then I started using Razor and and I shave it every day and shave my face every day now and never, never grow back. However, it is a joke. I was going to be born and you anyway, so. But I never. I never grew my hair back. Never. And I think it helped me. The story we were talking about a minute ago with the U.S. Air Force, Ebony magazine carried a story. Carry that story with all the pictures and everything. You started off as a teenager. I mean, we go back as far as your teenager when you were 16. You were a dancer before that. Yeah. Tell me about it. Well, my first I earned my first money by dancing on top of a piano in Memphis. Be going to Charleston. I get on top of the piano, and as a drugstore, they used to pull the piano, a straight up piano player out on the sidewalk and play music. And people would stand around and I'd get up on top of the piano and and do the Charleston, and they would throw money to me. How old? About 8 or 9. And then when you became a teenager, you cleaned it up a little bit, got yourself a partner. And then what? Yeah, well, I. Well, I went into the nightclub circuit and after school, I did this after school. And, you know, as I grew older, I wound up in the nightclub circuit. And then I wound up doing road show travel with brown skinned models. It was the most. Brown skinned miles traveling all over the country. I worked with Stepin Fetchit, with the team of Big Jeff and Little Jeff and touring the country. Did Straight Man, did emcee, did comedy.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876#t=885.66,993.9"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Did a little bit of all of it. You've been Mr. Entertainer, Mr. Showbiz. Well, I had my well, I had a lot of experience. And what are you doing now? Well, I'm general manager of BGR Radio and WSB Radio. It's a religious station. One of them? Yeah. And WBB is a jazz blues station. Religion is the gospel. The gospel music or the gospel of preaching is a long way from the hot rod course. That's not to say that hot rod was vulgar in any way, but I tell my difference and tell you a little something. Before I came here in Memphis, I did a gospel show and it was so popular until I did each year until I came to Baltimore, I performed in a dramatic play, My Redeemer live. I know my Redeemer live in the Passion play and started it playing the role of the Christmas. The Let me go back to a 1951 52. What was what was the most requested song that you can recall that you played over and over and over back when you when you first came to Baltimore? Once upon a time I made Baltimore very angry. I played a record one night. I think I played the record for about two hours. Back to back. It was called Somebody Loves You. Guess who? I was so attached to that record. The lyrics were so great that I thought that that story could fit anybody and touch anybody. And I played with it. And I said, Now here's a record I think you're going to like. I just played it and I said, I'm telling you, I just played it. And at the end of the record made me do a commercial. Now, I'd like you to listen to this record.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876#t=994.95,1131.48"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Guess who? That's what I want. Well, now you've heard us play against you quite a bit. Now, yeah, this just little things like that. All night long, people start calling him Rod. We love it. We like it. But please don't play it any more. As Thank you. Boom. Planning it for two hours. Guess who. And the record. The record became a hit. It was a hit. Strong hit right after that. That night. So that was one of your favorites back then? Yes. Yes, indeed. Well, I had a lot of favorites. Two movies, I mean. Name one fat kid. You know, rock and roll was something new. The first song I can ever remember playing in a jukebox was a song called Anna. Believe it or not, I got it. And then I got a lt. Yeah. I mean, it was. It was just. I happened to be on the jukebox, but what was. What was another song that. That was sort of maybe that white kids were requesting parties maybe came from a black origin. Do you recall anything like that? Yeah, we had tunes via the Shirelles, The Shirelles, the Tunes, The Shirelles, The Flamingos. The Solitaire Laced is a favorite from back then. If you can think boys, it's so rough. I mean, what I mean is this is a surprise to you. Really is a surprise. I, I really I really. When I left, you know, I left radio. I left radio in 74 and and seemed like my mind became a blank to tunes and songs. And I can hear songs right now sometimes. And I might ask you, who's singing that song? And I played the tune years ago. So, you know, in other words, there's not one that stands out in your memory, just so many of them that you that you put your name on right now being called names of acts to the tune of Fats Domino, the tune that, of course.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876#t=1133.46,1268.36"}]},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["English [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136864/file/253876/transcript/71675/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"subtitling","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/file_transcripts/associated_files/000/071/675/original/trint_WJZ-FLDTP-006-020_transcript.vtt?1728353271","format":"text/vtt","language":"en"},"target":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/file_transcripts/associated_files/000/071/675/original/trint_WJZ-FLDTP-006-020_transcript.vtt?1728353271"}]}]}]}