Russell Lee Moore, better known to radio listeners as Russ "The Weird Beard" Knight, died Friday at age 80.
Knight, a 2003 Texas Radio Hall of Fame inductee, worked at several stations nationwide, including in the early '60s at then-Top 40 powerhouse KLIF/1190, where, according to his obituary, he proclaimed himself "the savior of Dallas radio."
The KLIF-era Knight was the featured DJ on Cruisin' 1962, one of a series of albums that consisted of hits from a particular year interspersed with DJ patter. (There's much more on Knight and the Cruisin' series here.)
After Knight left KLIF, he worked at KILT in Houston, where he introduced the Beatles when they came to town. For a lot more about that era, go here. There is also information on some of the later parts of his career here.
Services are Tuesday in Trumbull, Conn. Information is in the obituary link above. Updates are possible here and on the Texas Radio Hall of Fame Facebook page.
UPDATE: Well, whaddaya know: All of Cruisin' 1962 is on YouTube:
