Bob Hudson; ‘Emperor’ of ‘60s Airwaves

“Emperor” Bob Hudson, a veteran Southern California disc jockey who also dubbed himself “Beautiful Bob,” has died at 66.

Hudson died in his sleep early Saturday at his Monrovia home.

A master of the giant put-on, Hudson was on the air from the 1950s through the 1980s on several Southern California stations, initially anointing himself “emperor” on KRLA.

Self-appointed leader of the youth movement and ruler of the pop scene, he headed “Hudson’s Commandos” which he said had more than 40,000 members.

He designed missions for those followers. One was to take San Francisco, cover it with water and make it the world’s largest ice skating rink. Another project was to straighten Sunset Boulevard and create the world’s longest bowling alley.

Hudson regularly signed off his programs by warning the “peasants” to clear the freeway because “His Highness is coming.” The “emperor” dressed the part, complete with turban and robes, and moved around Hollywood in a gold Rolls-Royce.

“The kids really thought I was nuts and they loved me,” he told The Times in 1968, when he was “Beautiful Bob” on KFWB in the days before its current all-news format.

Hudson was praised by colleagues in his highly competitive business for intelligent humor and clever chatter.

“The best way to develop humor is through writing,” he said. “It teaches you not to waste material.”

Hudson began his career on radio when he was stationed in the Army in Anchorage. He had an all-night show and ran a business on the side.

“It was the Tidy Didy Diaper Service--’The tops for your baby’s bottom,’ ” he recalled proudly when he had gained radio fame.

After a stint on Anchorage television as “Cowboy Bob” hosting western movies, he backslid with jobs distributing telephone directories, selling office machines and creating ideas for advertising.

He landed back on radio in San Francisco on the rock station KEWB and from there was hired by KRLA.

Hudson also worked for other stations over the years, including KFI and KGBS in Los Angeles and KEZY in Anaheim.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly, and daughter Julie.