Coyle and Sharpe
Surrealist Radio Pranksters of the 1960s By Jim AllenPulling absurd, elaborate pranks on unsuspecting passersby led to a radio show
Jazz trombonist and recent college graduate Mal Sharpe met self-described conman James Coyle at a San Francisco boarding house in 1959, and soon the pair were pulling absurd, elaborate pranks together on unsuspecting passersby, which led to a local radio show called Coyle and Sharpe On the Loose, recording and broadcasting the hilarious, surreal interactions the duo called "terrorizations" for all the world to hear. Like most of the best and most subversive comedic minds of the time, Coyle and Sharpe looked and acted straight as an arrow, but when they opened their mouths, their true transgressive nature was revealed. Coyle and Sharpe released two albums of their almost Dadaist street theater before loose cannon Coyle disappeared in 1967 for parts unknown. Despite wild tales to the contrary, he died of diabetes in 1993. Sharpe made a career of "man on the street" interviews for radio and TV, and has done extensive voiceover work. The ‘90s reissue of their recordings through Henry Rollins' 2.13.61 label helped spark a revival of interest in the duo's work for a new generation. Podcasts of their pranks are now available through iTunes, curated by Jesse Thorn of the pop culture podcast The Sound of Young America.
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