T.J. Lubinsky, who is known for his nationally televised classic hits specials, rejoined the ranks of Greater Media New Jersey on July 7 with the return of his “Sunday Night Request Show,” which pays tribute to artists of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. The show will be heard each week from 7 p.m. to midnight on 100.1 WJRZ-FM.
Lubinsky will spin Jersey’s greatest hits by request, share behind-the-scenes stories, and talk to many of the artists he has recorded and produced over the years. Lubinsky created and hosted WJRZ’s “Sunday Night Request Show” from 2005 to 2009.
“T.J. Lubinsky is a Jersey Shore treasure. His knowledge of music and love for the artists he plays and listeners he entertains is evident every time he opens the microphone, plus he’s a local guy,” WJRZ-FM Program Director Glenn Kalina said. “I am thrilled he is returning to WJRZ on Sunday nights.”
Lubinsky, a native of Bradley Beach, spent his youth surrounded by the influences of his father, Herman Lubinsky Jr.; his uncle, Buzzy, a well-known Jersey Shore club DJ and drummer; and the memory of his grandfather, Herman Lubinsky Sr., who founded and operated WNJ-AM, New Jersey’s first radio station in Newark.
He spent his late teens and 20s spinning classic hits at clubs up and down the shore.
At 16, Lubinsky received his GED and first TV job working at Monmouth Cablevision’s local access channel, TV-34. At 22, he was offered a job with PBS in southern Florida and then in Pittsburgh.
While there, he blended his passion for vocal harmonies, Motown, Philly Soul, and ’60s, ’70s and ’80s classic hits into PBS’s most successful fundraisers as the creator and executive producer of “ ’70s Soul Superstars,” “ ’70s and ’80s Soul Rewind,” “Get Down Tonight: The Disco Years,” “Motown’s Best,” “ ’70s Pop Parade,” “My Generation — The ’60s,” “Doo-Wop 50,” “This Land Is Your Land — The Folk Rock Years,” “Aretha Franklin — Soul Rewind,” “John Sebastian — Folk Rewind,” “ ’80s Funky Soul Superstars,” and nearly 80 TV specials, archiving America’s soundtrack from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s through his “My Music” series and other special programs and series.
Today, Lubinsky continues to make television specials and is an executive producer of “The Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show,” as seen on public television. He has also produced and supervised mixes for many audio CD compilation box-set releases.
WJRZ-FM is owned by Greater Media Inc., the parent company of 21 AM and FM radio stations in the Boston, Charlotte, Detroit, New Jersey and Philadelphia markets. Greater Media also owns a group of weekly newspapers in central New Jersey and several telecommunications towers throughout the United States.