Fans can pay tribute to DJ Rick Shaw and leave with a piece of music history

Who didn’t love DJ Rick Shaw?

For more than 50 years, the late music man’s distinctively warm and enthusiastic voice echoed through the airwaves in South Florida where he spent much of his career spinning golden oldies rock ’n’ roll through his retirement in 2006.

Of course, when Shaw first started playing the songs, those hits were yet to be classics. He broke records, too. In 1964, while he worked for WQAM, Shaw was the first radio disc jockey in South Florida to play the Beatles when he aired the British foursome’s single, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” which set off Beatlemania in the United States.

Read more: Rick Shaw’s Beatles 50th anniversary memories

Shaw died at 78 on Sept. 22.

Fans, friends and colleagues will pay tribute at a Remembering Rick Shaw memorial Sunday afternoon at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach. The tribute, doubling as a benefit for Kids in Distress, will feature audio and video highlights of Shaw’s career and tributes from local celebrities, including Beatles Brunch host, DJ Joe Johnson and Majic 102.7 colleague Mindy Lang.

Also, there will be live music with Chris MacDonald performing his Memories of Elvis show and a silent auction featuring Rick Shaw memorabilia. No word yet if that iconic “I Want to Hold Your Hand” Capitol records 45 will be among the items up for grabs.

If you bring a new, unwrapped toy for Kids in Distress to the event you will receive a copy of Shaw’s final broadcast on Majic 102.7 from May 11, 2007, on CD, Johnson said. The disc has 75 minutes of Shaw’s final day on the air as he told stories, took calls and welcomed guests.

The CD will feature one song — fittingly, the 1959 Ray Peterson classic, “Goodnight My Love,” which Shaw used as his sign-off song.

This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 8:21 AM with the headline "Fans can pay tribute to DJ Rick Shaw and leave with a piece of music history."