Peter Tripp; Disc Jockey Linked to Payola Scandal

Peter Tripp, 73, a popular 1950s and 1960s radio disc jockey linked to a payola scandal. A native of Port Chester, N.Y., Tripp billed himself as “the Curly Headed Kid in the Third Row.” He established his reputation as a Top 40 countdown radio personality in 1954 at WHB in Kansas City, and then went to New York’s powerful WMGM in 1955, hosting its “Your Hits of the Week” program. He left in 1960 after he was accused of commercial bribery for accepting $30,000 to $35,000 from makers and distributors of records to play their offerings in 1958 and 1959. He denied taking any money but opted to work elsewhere--including Los Angeles’ KGFJ from 1963 to 1964, San Francisco’s KYA and Toledo’s WOHO. On Jan. 31 in Los Angeles, apparently after suffering a stroke.