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Music Industry Icon Kal Rudman Dies at 91
OB ITUA RY
ANDY GOTLIEB | JE MANAGING EDITOR
SOLOMON “KAL” Rudman,
the longtime publisher of the
Friday Morning Quarterback
and a philanthropist since
the 1990s, died Nov. 30. He
was 91.

His wife, Lucille (née
Steinhauer), died two days
later. She was 92.

The outspoken North
Philadelphia native wore many
hats during his career, starting
as a special education teacher,
becoming a Top 40 disc jockey
in Camden, New Jersey, and
even calling the action —
dubbed as “Killer Kal” — for
the then-World Wrestling
Federation’s shows on the
PRISM cable network.

All that led to more than
30 appearances on “The
Merv Griffin Show,” as well
as “Today,” where he was a
regular guest. It also resulted
in a Forbes 1972 Person of the
Year, Entertainment Industry
award and a plaque along
Broad Street as part of the
Philadelphia Music Alliance’s
Walk of Fame.

Rudman was probably best
6 DECEMBER 9, 2021
known for the Friday Morning
Quarterback, the influential
trade publication he founded
in 1968 in his basement — and
where he served as publisher
until early 2020 when he
retired the tip sheet’s name and
sold its assets to Deane Media
Solutions. “I personally worked with
Kal and Lucille for a good
portion of my career during
my FMQB tenure, and have
always had the fondest and
warmest relationship with
both of them,” Fred Deane
wrote in a tribute to his friend.

“Kal was, in the truest sense, a
legend and an original. He was
an innovator, a scholar, and a
very generous philanthropist
and humanitarian.”
Rudman and his wife,
Lucille, created a go-to publi-
cation for radio programmers
who wanted to know what
the next big hit would be —
“Go-rillas,” in Rudman’s
singular terminology. Rudman
had, over the years, claimed
credit for getting the likes of
Barry Manilow, Madonna and
Hall & Oates on the air.

“I was the main force in
all the areas of the pop-music
portion of the overall culture
Kal Rudman and his wife,
Lucille, published Friday Morning
Quarterback for more than 50
years. Jewish Exponent archives
of the United States in the
latter half of the 20th century,”
Rudman said in a 2012 Jewish
Exponent article.

In a 2009 book by Danny
Goldberg, “Bumping Into
Geniuses: My Life Inside the
Rock and Roll Business,” Bruce
Springsteen credited Rudman
with helping him reach the Top
10 with a single for the first
time. “Kal explained to me
that Top 40 radio is mainly
listened to by girls and that
my female demographic was
low,” Springsteen said. “And
I thought about the songs on
‘Darkness (on the Edge of
Town’), and I realized that the
lyrics really were mostly for
and about guys. So on this new
album I’m working on — there
are some songs for girls.”
Springsteen’s next album,
“The River,” featured the
song “Hungry Heart,” which
reached No. 5 on the Billboard
Hot 100.

In his tribute to Rudman,
Deane quoted Clive Davis,
the former head of Columbia
Records, who is also a five-time
Grammy Award winner.

“Kal was a man who was
truly passionate about music
and he communicated that
passion so enthusiastically
and so colorfully,” Davis said.

“For many vibrant years,
JEWISH EXPONENT
Kal and Lucille Rudman
his voice was distinctively
heard by everyone working in
music. Kal was indeed one of
a kind.”
Scott Shannon, a syndicated
national radio deejay also
chimed in on Deane’s tribute.

“I made it a point to talk
to him every week before I
finalized my music, and I knew
I could always get an honest
read from him. He broke
more records than any other
publication of that era, was a
true pioneer of our business,
a very colorful character and
networking genius to the extent
that many of his methods of
doing business have endured
up until today,” Shannon said.

“I was a big fan. He was instru-
mental in my career, and I
loved him dearly.”
Later in life, Rudman got
involved in philanthropy,
founding the Kal and Lucille
Rudman Foundation and
donating millions to various
causes, especially
those focusing on medicine and
education. Beneficiaries
included Temple University’s
Klein College of Media and
Communication, Drexel
University, St. Christopher’s
Hospital for Children and the
Jewish Community Services
Building, among many others.

When asked about the
origins of his philanthropy
Courtesy of the Rudman family
in a 2016 Exponent interview,
Rudman answered in a deep
voice that pronounced every
syllable — reminding you of
why he succeeded as a deejay
and as an on-air personality.

“Because I can,” he said,
joking that philanthropy is
easier than other endeavors.

“I don’t want to write a book.

Too many people would have
to leave the country.”
In a 2017 Exponent article,
Lucille Rudman explained
the value of sponsoring a
program where 24 South
Jersey high school students
participated in training at the
Rowan University School of
Osteopathic Medicine.

“We don’t necessarily
believe that all students who
go through these programs
will wind up in the medical
field, although many do,” she
said. “But if they don’t, they
have nevertheless learned
good work habits, a sense
of responsibility, a sense of
empathy for what others do
in the medical field so that
whatever course their lives
take, this experience stands
them in good stead.”
The Rudmans are survived
by son Mitchell Rudman and
niece Maxine Hirschbein. l
agotlieb@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0797
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