Top 5 “Scruff Connors” moments

I just got news that a man I grew up listening to died today. David Jeffrey Newfield, better known as radio personality Scruff Connors was a comedic force on many radio stations across Canada. I remember him most on Q107 (Toronto), and 97.7 HTZ FM (St. Catharines).

5 – Scruff once locked himself into the Q107 broadcast booth and played Stairway To Heaven non stop until they had to break in and stop him.

4 – While at HTZ FM, Scruff mentioned to listeners he wanted to have Thanksgiving on the Mayflower. He had the lucky winners meet him down by the water in Port Dalhousie (the area that inspired the Rush song Lakeside Park) to have a meal on the Mayflower. Little did the listeners know that Jake had meant a Mayflower moving tuck and not the famous ship. I think the ship hit the fan on that one. He was quoted as saying “How did I know the Mayflower was a ship?”

3 – Another HTZ FM prank from the early 1990’s was having listeners come down to meet the “New Kids” on the front lawn of the radio station. The NKOTB just happened to be in Ontario for a concert. The station did not play their music, but hundreds of young fans showed up anyway. They had no idea he had arranged for mothers to arrive by limosine with their newborn babies. The “new kids” were not what these fans expected, and they rushed the radio station, and caused it to go into lockdown.

2 – While at a station in Winnipeg, Scruff asked for listeners to enter a contest to watch the Superbowl in Miami. The 30 winners were to meet him at the Winnipeg airport. Many arrived in the middle of winter dressed in shorts and flip flops. They were not getting on a plane however. They were boarded on a bus and transported 2 hours away to a bar in Miami, Manitoba to watch the Superbowl on the lone black and white tv. Again quoted as saying “How was I supposed to know Miami was in Florida?”

1 – In 2005, Connors lost his job in radio, had 2 heart attacks, tore both rotator cuffs, and was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Immediately after receiving the cancer news, he uploaded an image of himself in a coffin onto Ebay and offered to deliver a post-mortem message to the loved one of the highest bidder. He called the prank “Scruff In A Box”.

I’ll miss you Scruff. Thanks for all the laughs.