I was sorry to hear about the sudden passing of former Honolulu morning drive star Michael Qseng, who suffered a heart attack while swimming in the pool at a Thailand resort. He was just 54.
Growing up in the late 80s and early 90s in Hawaii, Qseng was the DJ. His show on KQMQ-FM brought a major sound to what was a rather small market. I got my butt out of bed with KQMQ every morning, even regularly winning contests (I had too many "Michael Qseng Morning Madness" coffee mugs to count!) on the show.
Qseng was No. 1 for two years in the late 80s, until powerhouses Perry and Price reclaimed the top spot (which they still hold). He left KQMQ (which he joined in 1984) in 1993 in a contractual dispute -- moving first to KGMZ-FM, and then KRTR-FM. But he never managed to replicate the huge numbers he got at KQMQ, and eventually left radio.
Back when I harbored dreams of being a morning DJ, Qseng was one of my inspirations -- and his radio show was part of my experience growing up in the islands. Aloha, Michael Qseng!
(Drawing by Honolulu Weekly's John Pritchett.)
No comments:
Post a Comment