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Buster Bodine, a dynamic on-air personality when Indianapolis radio station WNAP-FM 93.1 presented rock hits in the 1970s, died Tuesday in Southern California. He was 70.
Otherwise known by his given name Michael D. Hanks, Bodine was hired by WNAP—known as “The Buzzard”—as a 19-year-old in 1972.
News of Bodine’s death was shared on social media by Chris Conner, a fellow high-profile DJ during the WNAP era.
Bodine left Indianapolis in the early 1980s for successive radio jobs in West Virginia and San Diego before launching a four-decade career as a voice-over specialist in Los Angeles.
Mark Patrick, the former Indianapolis TV and radio sports broadcaster, paid tribute to Bodine via social media.
“It is impossible to describe the mammoth presence this legend held at WNAP in the mid- to late ’70s,” Patrick wrote in a Facebook post. “And following a much too brief radio career, he was an epic voiceover talent in L.A. You’ve likely heard a movie trailer or familiar national commercial with his commanding voice.”
Patrick wrote that he received his first break in radio thanks to Bodine, an avid IndyCar fan who returned to Indianapolis on multiple occasions to attend races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Known for an over-the-top vocal delivery and a knack for connecting with youth culture, Bodine helped make WNAP a classic rock sensation when the music was first released.
In the 2012 documentary film “Naptown Rock Radio Wars,” radio historian Don Worsham referred to WNAP as the nation’s first commercially successful FM-only rock station. The station debuted in 1968, with late broadcasters John Gillis and Al Stone among its original DJs.
Fairbanks Broadcasting Co. owned WNAP and WIBC-AM 1070 when Bodine arrived in town from Oklahoma.
His older brother, Chuck Riley (or Charles Hanks away from the microphone), worked at WIBC and voiced a memorable station ID themed to WNAP’s nickname: “The wrath of the Buzzard.” Riley, who later became a mainstay of movie-trailer voice overs, died in 2007 at age 66.
Fairbanks sold WNAP and WIBC to John Blair & Co. in 1983. WIBC, which eventually migrated to the 93.1 FM frequency, was acquired by Emmis Corp. in 1994. Urban One purchased WIBC and three other Indianapolis stations from Emmis in 2022.
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Buster Bodine was a BIG Deal back in the 1970’s in Indianapolis. Of course there where only three radio stations playing decent music and WNAP was the only FM station doing it at the time. WIBC ruled the overall ratings but you can only take “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” on AM so many times before you consider self mutilation. WNAP was great.
John Kesler
Chief Operating Officer
The Bob & Tom Show
Former WIBC minion
Sad news about the passing of the iconic and legendary Buster Bodine. John Kesler is right – he was a BIG deal back in the 70’s in Indy when it was know as Naptown. Thanks to WNAP and jocks like Buster, Tom Robinson, and Adam Smasher – I was exposed and educated on great classic rock music and well as deep cuts. If memory serves correct, he just celebrated his 70th bday early last week. Very sad day. RIP Buster. #WNAP #TheBuzzard #TheWrathofTheBuzzard #Indy #Naptown #OldSchool #FMDial
Al Stone was my 9th grade English teacher, he work rock and roll lyrics in to the class. He demonstrated how bad the lyrics where grammatically. But we listened to a lot of great Rock and Roll and of course we had all the buzzard swag. RIP Buster you were a classic R & R genius.
It was a great era of radio and music! When rock was classic, and radio and DJs had personality! Buster’s classic voice and craziness was fun to listen to! RIP BO!