He couldn’t shapeshift into a wolf, and his real name wasn’t Jack. In fact, when he was born in 1938, Wolfman Jack was known back then simply as Bob Smith from Brooklyn. 

Smith, who grew up entranced by radio personalities, wanted to deejay for a living. In doing so, he quickly realized that he would need a unique persona and style to make his mark in an overcrowded and competitive field. Thus, he spent countless hours mimicking the patter of black radio hosts who spun the day’s coolest discs while apparently having a blast on the air.

Brooklynite Bob started his career in the early 1960s when he signed on with WYOU-AM in Newport News, Virginia. Enchanted listeners became convinced that they were grooving with a black hepcat by the name of “Daddy Jules.” 

His next move took him to KCIJ-AM in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he called himself “Big Smith with the Records.” It was here that the horror-movie-loving personality created his “Wolfman Jack” persona, which featured black argot, rapid-fire, offbeat (and often racy) banter and his trademark greeting, “It’s de Wolfman, baybeee!”

His nationwide popularity, however, wouldn’t emerge until he went to work for XERF-AM in northern Mexico. Broadcasting at a staggering 250,000 watts—five times the limit set in the U.S.—the just-over-the-Texas-border signal blasted throughout the southern American landscape each night. The Wolfman’s raspy delivery, eerie howls and demented schtick were often fueled by unfiltered cigarettes and throat-searing whiskey. His rapt listeners grooved to the day’s hottest platters amid spiels for everything from diet pills (made of sugar) to religious tracts and medical “cures.” In the studio, Wolfman was said to be as wild as he sounded, his face contorting, eyes bulging and hands waving as he howled and growled through each shift.

Returning to the States, he drifted from station to station for years. Along the way, many listeners found themselves wondering: Just what does this guy actually look like? (The Wolfman believed that remaining unseen added to his mystique.) 

Eventually, a group of Kansas City college students offered him enough serious cash for an in-person appearance. He reluctantly agreed, insisting that his payment—all in $20 bills—be brought to his house via a Brinks truck. Later, after arriving at the venue in a limousine, he strolled onstage with prosthetic rubber cheeks, foot-long fingernails, a flowing cape and oversized sunglasses.

Wolfman Jack portrayed himself in the 1973 film “American Graffiti,” where millions of viewers could finally connect a face to the voice. His appearance in George Lucas’ movie led to Wolfman TV commercials for acne cream, bathing suits, stereos and fast-food burgers. By 1974, he was co-hosting NBC-TV’s rock-oriented “Midnight Special.” That same year, “Clap for the Wolfman” gave Canadian rockers Guess Who their final top 10 single.

He wrote his autobiography— “Have Mercy: Confessions of the Original Rock and Roll Animal”—shortly before dying of a heart attack in 1995 at the age of 57.