Station(s) WZIP Style Disc Jockey | Station(s) WNOP-AM Died 1 April 2006 | |
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Oscar Treadwell (born Arthur Pedersen) (May 11, 1926 - April 1, 2006) was an American jazz radio journalist and presenter. Known as "OT", he became known mainly by a dedication to him by Charlie Parker, a composition called "An Oscar for Treadwell". Treadwell's first jobs were as an industrial manager and consultant. However, he was better known due to his 50-year career as a DJ, jazz historian and radio host, which began in 1947 and lasted over 50 years.
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Jazz career
Treadwell began his career at radio stations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania before moving to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1960. There he began in 1962 with his jazz on the radio transmitter WZIP and 1965-1973 at WNOP (AM).
Treadwell moved to WGUC and moderated the jazz program under his initials OT from 1973 to 1995, then moved "Jazz with OT" to Xavier University'sWVXU. Until his retirement in 2001, he oversaw the jazz program and the station WMKV. In 2005 Treadwell returned to WVXU, where he worked until his death in April 2006. Repeats of his many programs continue to be broadcast Sunday evenings on WVXU.
Tributes
Oscar Treadwell, who was called by his fans, "OT", was an important member of the jazz scene of Cincinnati. Through his radio programs, he was known by many, and friends with many jazz musicians, including Dave Brubeck, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. His friends honored him with the compositions:
After his death, the Public Library of Cincinnati released a CD entitled "O.T. - A Celebration of Oscar Treadwell". The library had been given recordings of many of his Treadwell's shows on cassettes and CDs.