Legendary Broadcaster George Patrick Passes Away At Age 84

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Photo from KCRG-TV9 archives.

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Jul 17, 2010 at 9:18 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jul 17, 2010 at 10:13 PM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - An Eastern Iowa broadcasting legend has passed away. If you were around for the start of rock and roll 55 years ago, maybe you remember this line: “Have no fear, Big George is here. George Patrick and my flat friends…the records”. George Patrick was a voice in Eastern Iowa when the rock ‘n roll of the 1950′s took off. He died Friday in Hiawatha at age 84.

Patrick started his radio career in Waterloo at KXEL, which included the Teen Hops at the Electric Park Ballroom there.

In the August 18, 1956 edition of Billboard, Patrick wrote to the music industry magazine, describing his Teen Hops: “The first two dances (now weekly affairs), drew more than 800 people each. Teen-agers pay 50-cents admission, but parents are admitted free.”

In a true sign of the signs, Patrick also reported in Billboard that “blue jeans, beards and smoking are taboo”.

Patrick told the Iowa Rock and Roll Music Association that his Teen Hops, in Waterloo and surrounding towns, reached about 120,000 people.

After his four years at KXEL, Patrick spent plenty of time in Cedar Rapids, at KCRG-TV and KCRG-AM, from 1962 until his retirement in 1984. He was host of the popular "Dialing for Dollars" segment on KCRG-TV.

He has one of the most recognizable voices in eastern Iowa Broadcasting, in 1968 he made a commercial, the audio of which still airs periodically on local Television commercials. With his Booming Bass voice he says, “Make no Mistake, This IS a big one!”

In 2007, the Iowa Rock And Roll Music Association made George Patrick part of their Hall of Fame.

-The Iowa Rock and Roll Music Association contributed to this report.

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