[August 20, 2024] I’ll be upfront with you guys today. What follows is an advertisement – of sorts – for Fr. Jim Drucker’s radio program. I’m hawking his radio program; you don’t want to miss it.
He’s a retired Catholic Priest, USAF Catholic Chaplain, Desert Storm Veteran, and a popular radio program host. Known around the area as Philly’s Doo Wop Priest, he’s back spinning records and talking with Veterans and anyone who wants to hear good music. Yep, he’s done it all.
Father Jim Drucker can be contacted through email at: frjimd@priest.com
Here are a few of his words to get your red American blood flowing in the morning.
Brigadier General Doug Satterfield recently joined me on my weekly Live-In-Studio Radio Show Rock N’ Roll Reveille, Show/Episode Number 35, Saturday, July 20, 2024, 4-5 PM, on WWDB-AM 860 KHz. Rock N’ Roll Reveille is dedicated to my fellow veterans. The Shows feature Music of Our-Lives, music from the 1950s (Doo-Wop) and 1960s, and guests from the worlds of music entertainment … but our emphasis is oriented especially toward veterans!
Father Jim’s co-hosts are Retired Lt. Colonel (Mustang USMC), USAF, Psychologist Billy Carlucci of the famed Billy and the Essentials (Danny & The Juniors) and executive Producer Jeanine. Matthew Minarik is our studio engineer and producer, retired SFC/USARMY!
Father Jim Drucker, a Philadelphia Catholic boy, grew up on the streets of the tough neighborhood of Kensington & Allegheny (‘K&A”). He attended Catholic School at St. Anne’s on Lehigh Avenue. Eventually, he began attending North Philadelphia public schools: Hackett Elementary School, John Paul Jones Jr. High School, and Edison High School at 8th and Lehigh Avenue. At the time, in 1957, Edison was Northeast High School … a new one was built … and 8th and Lehigh became Edison High School. Sadly, Edison courageously bespeaks of 64 young men who lost their lives in Vietnam. Edison has the highest death toll of Vietnam veterans of any high school in America. Father Judge Catholic High School, Philadelphia, boasts the second highest: 27 graduates of Father Judge selflessly gave their lives in the Vietnam War. Famed Author Richard Sand wrote of the tragic loss of these young men: EDISON64!!!
Father Jim felt a calling to follow Jesus Christ more seriously while attending a men’s Spiritual Retreat (Malvern League) in the Poconos of Tobyhanna, PA. He gave up his career in radio and television and music publishing and as a theatrical booking agent to follow Christ. After studies at the University of Scranton (A.A., Sociology), Ss. Cyril & Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary, 1974-1978; he gained a Pontifical Master of Arts degree in Theology. He was ordained at age 36 to the Holy Priesthood at St. Mary Catholic Church, Wilkes-Barre, PA, on December 03, 1978. He pastorally served parishes throughout the Northeast in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts. He would later gain an M.A. (Magna Cum Laude) through the military Tuition Assistance program (overseas/EAD) in Journalism. He matriculated at the University of Arkansas when assigned to his first active-duty station, Sr. Catholic Chaplain, 314th CSS, Little Rock Air Force Base.
His radio career includes working as a Rock Disc Jockey (DJ): WYNS-AM (Lehighton/Allentown), WSCR-AM (Scranton), WAVZ-AM (New Haven, CT) as Jack Mitchell, WARM-AM The Mighty 590/5 Kilowatts (#1 in America), WBAX-AM Program Director (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton-Merv-Griffin Radio-Chain), WRAW-AM (Reading/Philadelphia), and at WLSH-AM/WPAM-AM (Pottsville/Tamaqua/Hazleton). He published “TIMOTHY” B/W “IT FEELS GOOD” DRUCKER MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY BMI, reaching # 13 on the top USA Record Charts, 1970/1971. Father Jim has possessed the prestigious (Radio/TV) Federal Communications Commission First Class Radiotelephone License since 1966!
PLEASE TUNE IN SATURDAYS 4-5 PM, TO LISTEN TO FATHER JIM DRUCKER’S ROCK N’ ROLL REVEILLE FOR LIVE-IN-STUDIO RADIO ON WWDB-AM 860 KHz Simulcasts OVER WPEN-FM 97.5HD2. DOWNLOAD THE APP ON YOUR IPHONE, ANDROID, OR COMPUTER: WWDBAM.COM. FOR PREVIOUS SHOWS NOW CALLED PODCATS: FIND ROCK N’ ROLL REVEILLE, LOOK FOR EPISODE!!!
( This is a brief introductory article in the hopes that I may in the future share more thoughts through the auspices of General Satterfield’s Newsletter: from the worlds of music, songwriting, celebrity friends and entertainment and spiritually and … his many experiences gained from the many military members whom he has encountered in his life. )
https://wwdbam.com/episodes/episode-35-rock-n-roll-reveille-us-army-brigadier-general-ret-doug-satterfield-frank-maffei-of-danny-the-juniors-legendary-rock-dj-joey-reynolds-veterans-advocate-bobby-reilly-art-vuol/
https://wwdbam.com/2023/10/31/father-jim-drucker-phillys-doowop-priest-is-back/
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Bless Fr. Jim Drucker and Gen. Doug Satterfield for all they do for us.
I just love Father Drucker’s program. Yesterday, after this article by Gen. Satterfield came out, I listened to two of the programs. I’ll catch up with the rest over the next few days. Great programs Father Drucker. I just love the music. Keep up the Doo-Wop Priest and never forget our veterans.
Yep, I listened to the one with Gen. Satterfield. Great to hear his voice and learn a little more about him. I’m also learning more by reading his “Letters to My Granddaughter.”
You gotta love this Priest. He calls himself the “Doo-Wop Priest” which is a combination of his two professions/interests in life; radio disc jockey and Catholic Priest. I would have never guessed anyone could combine these two professions but you never know with a kid “from Philadelphia.” Those streets were tough. And those streets produced some of the best people in America. And Father Jim Drucker is one of them. How did Gen. Satterfield and Fr. Drucker get hooked up together anyway? Doesn’t matter. Here we go with another fabulous relationship that will be entertaining and proscriptive for us.
A good interview of Fr. Drucker with Rick Anthony can be heard here at this link on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3ltdO66zAc
Listen to his “Pennsylvania Twang”
Hey Maximilian, I listened to the interview that gives some serious and deep (and funny) insights into Fr. Drucker. He looks to be the kind of guy you can talk to easily and go out for a beer and never know he is a Catholic Priest. He is the kind of guy you would want to “find in your foxhole” in combat – sorry Gen. Satterfield for butchering your RULE 24 Share your foxhole with someone who can fight like the devil, but I couldn’t resist. We are always on the look out for those who can help us be better people. That is a truism to never be forgotten. Gen. Satterfield has written an entire book on how to become a better person in his book “55 Rules for a Good Life”. RULE 24 is just one example. If you’ve not read the book yet, you are behind the powercurve. Get out and read it. Read it NOW. You won’t be sorry. Easy reading. Easy to understand. Helps give you a guideline on how to make yourself a good person.
God Bless you Father Jim Drucker. You made my day.
A Journey from Priesthood to Rock n’ Roll and back to the Priesthood. Or never left the Priesthood.
I found Father Jim Drucker on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/father-jim-drucker-aa6b8761/
I hope to meet him some day.
Thank you Wellington. Here is a darn good article I found on Father Drucker. “From Doo-Wop Disc Jockey to Rock n’ Roll Priest: The Inspiring Journey of Father Jim Drucker, Military Veteran” — an article from Nov last year.
https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/667227220/from-doo-wop-disc-jockey-to-rock-n-roll-priest-the-inspiring-journey-of-father-jim-drucker-military-veteran
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“I’m happy to be back in the city I love, playing the music I love, for the people I love, especially the veterans and their families.”— Father Jim Drucker, Philly’s Doo Wop Priest
I will be listening to a few episodes later today when I get home from work. A Catholic Priest from Philly !!!!! Now, what could be better? Any man who grew up on the hard knocks’ streets of Philly has to be a good man to have survived that experience AND became a priest AND went into combat AND now has a radio show. What could be better? Nothing. You’ll see me listening to the podcasts on his website.
Hey, Gen. Satterfield … a bit of humor here …. you might just need to have a good Father Jim Drucker with you to ensure you stay on the right path. Of course, a little joke of mine. Stay straight. Stay a good man.
Good one, Wild Bill. Gen. Satterfield will agree with you that he needs all the help he can get. He discovered that as a kid. Just read his letters to his granddaughter as you will slowly learn that he is stumbling through his childhood without much guidance except from a bunch of WWII and Korean war vets that take him under their wing and tell him about honor and bravery on the battlefield. Later, he would become one of those vets and tell the stories of the battlefield for us. 😎