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Earl McDaniel (August 24, 1928 - March 26, 2014) was an American disc jockey, actor, promoter, talent manager, and radio executive.

McDaniel's career as a disc jockey in Los Angeles in the early days of rock 'n' roll led to his involvement with many aspects of the entertainment industry. He hosted an early dance/hop show on television ; managed the band The Champs in 1961-1962 ; and acted in at least two movies.

His work later transitioned to management roles, where he served as program director and general manager for numerous radio stations. He spent much of his later career as president of Heftel Broadcasting, owned by former Hawaii congressman Cecil Heftel.

Early Life
McDaniel was born in Santa Monica, California. At age 18 he enlisted in the US Army. He was stationed in postwar Japan, where he began his broadcast career with US Armed Forces Radio.

Career
After his military service, McDaniel worked as a disc jockey for several Los Angeles-area radio stations, including KPOP in 1953-1958; KLAC in 1958; and KDAY in 1958-1963.

McDaniel is credited with being instrumental in bringing Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" to a national audience, as he was the first disc jockey to play the song in heavy rotation. . In recognition of this, RCA invited McDaniel to Las Vegas in April 1956 to publicly present Presley with his first gold record on stage. . McDaniel also initiated the success of The Chipmunks' "The Chipmunk Song". He was the first to play it on the air, immediately broadcasting it twice an hour on a Thanksgiving weekend. When the station owner heard the song, he called McDaniel and threatened to fire him if he played the song one more time. McDaniel promptly did, and was fired. But the song had already been heard by thousands, and by the end of the weekend "The Chipmunk Song" had become the #1 selling album at Wallichs Music City, and McDaniel was re-hired.

In 1961 he joined KFWB "Color Radio" as one of the Seven Swingin' Gentleman. In 1963 McDaniel became the program director at KEWB Oakland, where he hired disc jockeys Robert W. Morgan and 'The Real' Don Steele, pairing them together for the first time.

McDaniel moved to Hawaii in 1966 when owner Cecil Heftel hired him as general manager of KSSK AM/FM Honolulu. Under McDaniel's management, KSSK AM and FM became the dominant radio stations in the Honolulu market. In the wake of the death of beloved disk jockey Aku in 1983, he paired Larry Price and Michael W. Perry together to form the Perry & Price show, which has enjoyed a string of #1 rankings for over thirty years.

As president of Heftel Broadcasting, McDaniel oversaw the acquisition and management of numerous radio stations in the United States. This included KLVE-FM Los Angeles, the first and still largest hispanic radio station in that market.

Personal Life
McDaniel married Joyce Louise Baker August 30, 1948. They had two daughters, Kathleen Marie (August 22, 1949) and Christine Louise (April 7, 1952). The couple divorced in 1963. In 1966, McDaniel married Eleanor 'Ellie' Ruth Spiri-Lindbergh (June 8, 1935 – December 31, 2010). They remained together until her death from cancer.

Death
On March 26, 2014, Earl McDaniel died of cancer in Peoria, Arizona.