Gene Arnold (July 11, 1941 - November 18, 2019), nicknamed "Giant Gene" by his fans at record hops and dances, was an American radio and television personality from Philadelphia. Early career Arnold, whose real name was Arnold Eugene Rubin, began his musical career in the 1950s, appearing on American Bandstand as a singing teenager in 1956. Dick Clark gave him the stage name 'Rick Roman.' As Rick Roman, he recorded, wrote and performed in rock n roll shows. He also wrote or contributed lyric lines or ideas to many of the top hits of the 1960s and early 1970s. He later wrote many jingles. Arnold wrote and produced records under the Rick Roman name. (The Tridels, The Good Guys, The Stylettes, on SanDee and Worldwide Limited Records, and is an ASCAP Composer.) Career 1966-1988 In 1966, Arnold began his radio career on WEEZ-AM and then WIFI-FM with Ron Josephs. Josephs and Arnold played "oldies" and had record hops and dances as well. One evening, Gene did not bring his record case and found a group of albums on the station floor. He had to play something on the air, so he discovered sounds he had never heard before. The audience loved them and the phones rang off their hooks. His love for progressive rock began at that moment, causing a rift between Josephs and Arnold about that "awful" music by groups like The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and 13th Floor Conspiracy. Arnold has been written about in many books, including a new one from T. Morgan, longtime Philadelphia Album Rock DJ, who credits Arnold with the beginning of the album rock format in the book. Arnold later continued at WCAM with his very popular "AM Underground" and "heavy 13" format. Philadelphia Disc Jockey Jerry Blavat included a story of his dislike for Arnold's music in his new book, and went onto detail at a recent meeting of the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers (of which both were members). He then was hired to bring a youthful format to longtime CBS giant WCAU (with his "Gene Arnold's American Scene" talk show), and at WIBG (with "Giant Gene's Electric Scene"). He was also a regular on many TV shows and hosted the Jerry Lewis telethon (among others) in Philadelphia for several years in the 1970s. Arnold was also in the movie Fighting Back, which was filmed in Philadelphia, and recently appeared in a Tim and