June Wetzel
Dorothy June West Wetzel (born February 6, 1939 in Atlanta, Georgia; died March 30, 2019) was a late-night deejay on WSGN-AM in the 1960s, credited as "Miss Midnight" and known for wearing a mask and leotard in publicity photos.
Wetzel, the daughter of Henry and Helen Speer Wallace, grew up in Birmingham and attended Ensley High School. She enrolled at UAB to study performance media, where she was mentored by James Hatcher.
Wetzel first applied for a radio spot with WEZB-AM, which broadcast an "All Girl Radio" program from the basement of the Hollywood Country Club. Failing that, she was encouraged to contact WSGN. Her midnight to 4:00 AM show debuted in 1961 and went for five years. She played a mix of "moody" big-band standards and enough of a beat, "to keep the listener awake." She also worked as a model, ad spokesperson, and voice actor. Her voice was used in the pre-recorded prompts that distinguished Birmingham Trust National Bank's "Anytime Teller" automatic teller machines.
Wetzel moved to Panama City Beach, Florida in 1979 to work as a morning news anchor on WMBB-TV. She continued to model and opened a modeling school, and also worked as a fashion coordinator and commentator.
She was inducted into the Birmingham Record Collectors Hall of Fame in 2016.
Wetzel and her husband, Keith, had one daughter, Kathy. She was active at Gulfview United Methodist Church and the Milton Children's Home in Florida. She relocated to Holly Springs, Mississippi shortly before her death in 2019. She is buried at Hill Crest Cemetery there.
References
- Lee, Robert E. (1961) "Music of Miss Midnight on WSGN may be pleasant or more 'garbage'." The Birmingham News
- "June Wetzel" obituary (April 5, 2019) The News Herald (Panama City, Florida)
External links
- Miss Midnight at the Birmingham Record Collectors Hall of Fame