Gary Cron, creator of Route 66 Radio and Baby Boomer Radio on the internet, died Tuesday, according to his daughter Ashley.
Cron had been suffering from an extended illness. He was 72.
Cron, known as “Dafogey” who lived in Wildwood, California, showed up at many Route 66 events and was a booster of the Mother Road for years.
According to a 2014 article in the Arizona Republic, Cron launched Baby Boomer Radio in 2009 by playing classic music on the internet.
At the time, Cron said his online audience was growing 20% annually and that the streaming programs on BabyBoomerRadio.com amounted to 12,000 listening hours each month. He was known for finding obscure old music, converting it to digital format and playing it on the air.
“It reflected a lighter time, a fun time,” said Cron, who lives outside San Bernardino. “If you look at the music of the ’50s and ’60s, you don’t have to read anything into it. It wasn’t scary. There was no blood or gore. It was clean fun. It was a different time. It was a different way of life. It was a different style of life. It was a better time, actually.”
Cron owned a traffic-consulting company before retiring and launching his online radio station.
Cron’s bio on Route 66 Radio reveals how he became enthused with the medium:
Dafogey, Gary Cron, was born in Whittier California and began listening to oldies pop music in 1955 when his folks bought him a HeathKit Crystal set. That was it, He was hooked and listened to it whenever he was in the house. He even went to sleep with the headphones on his head. His folks noticed how much I enjoyed the music and later that year for his birthday he got one of the first transistor radios on the market. It was big and bulky but now the music could go with him. “I spent most of my allowance money on batteries for that thing”.
“You could steal my bike or my lunch money but don’t even think about taking that radio. That’s how my love of music began”.
Tributes began pouring in after friends and clients learned of Cron’s death:
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This news report of Gary’s passing saddens me. He sat countless times with me at the dinner table of many Route 66 Gatherings and Festivals. He always offered his help and blessings to me and others more times than I can count. A good and generous Friend he was. He will be missed by many. Thank You, Gary, for being such a good soul and generous Friend and Companion. God Bless You, Sir.