Bob Cooke

"Yes, sir... Table for two? Right this way... and welcome to Bob's Berzerko Lounge."

Bob Cooke joined the KWFM family in 1977. His slightly irreverant, provocative style and highbrow humor gained him a loyal audience for his 6PM - 10PM show.

Those of us who frequently listened to Mr. Cooke's rather animated show will recall having first heard the phrase 'The Naked Pueblo' in one of Bob's brief monologues, probably while announcing the weather or club schedule. KWFM's Bryan Miller was in the studios back then... "Naked Pueblo came from an old TV series called 'The Naked City.' The intro went something like... 'There are 5 million stories in the naked city.' Bob somehow came up with Naked Pueblo, after Tucson's nickname, 'The Old Pueblo'. The phrase has stuck all these years." Bryan was the torch bearer, so to speak and continued using the phrase on the air until his recent retirement.

Bob's brilliant career ended tragically in August 1982 when a disturbed fan took his life outside the Tucson club he was gigging. He was only 28. General Manager Lee Dombrowski has no doubts that "Bob would have been a major star in a major market had he lived."

We have a few scoped airchecks of Bob doing his magic in our 'Tune In' section, but alas, much of his art will remain but vague memories. Those humorous anecdotes of DEA agents battling 50 foot tall Godzilla dealers stalking the downtown, his spoofs of the 'Ask Beth' column, his 'close, personal friend' associations with favorite artists ("We just call him Dave around here," refering to Bowie), or defining NRBQ as 'New Riders of the Blue Quaalude'... now all just great memories of good times in the Naked Pueblo.