Robert Gascoigne has had a passion for 1950s music and vintage cars, particularly the 1958 Oldsmobile, for as long as he can remember. From his Denville home, the 52-year-old disc jockey known as "The Golden Gup" runs his business and works on his antique creations. His latest hit is a revamped 1958 Oldsmobile, refurbished and customized with a complete 1958 Seeburg "Select-O-Matic"jukebox and PA/sound system.
It was completed less than a month ago. He calls it the Jukemobile. "Riding in upstate New York, I was looking specifically for a 1958 Oldsmobile because of its styling," Gascoigne said.
"A '58 Olds was my first favorite car as a 3-year-old." This, however, was before he found the missing love of his life, Louise "Lulu" Gascoigne. They met on the custom car scene when Lulu, now 40, would frequently commute from England.
His wife has been helping him with the finishing touches since they were married three years ago. "I was very fortunate because I met Gup when it was almost finished," Lulu said jokingly. "I'm a professional disc jockey.
I restore old jukeboxes and rent them out for parties. And I also collect and customize old cars,"Gascoigne said. "It was a natural to put them all together.
" The Jukemobile includes a jukebox, CD carousel, staging platform and a generator. The jukebox plays CDs, MP3s and 45s. "I also have full control of the jukebox from behind the wheel, which means I can put on a show without even getting out of the driver's seat," he said.
The car was painted his company's color, "Bubblegum Pink." It was chosen for two reasons: "It's very '50s and it stands out," Lulu said. Painted musical notes across the sides and the phrase "Let the good times roll," as well as the chrome accents, "encompass the pinnacle of the ('50s) era,"said Gascoigne's friend Richard Green.
Green met Gascoigne on the car scene more than five years ago. Over the last few years, he's helped Gascoigne in the finishing details of The Jukemobile. He also introduced Gascoigne to Lulu, his friend of more than a decade, at a house party a few years ago.
"Then they did their thing and Cupid took over," Green said. Gascoigne has been on AM oldies station WMTR for the last few years, hosting "Oldies Radio"Monday through Thursday afternoons and "Doo-Wop Drive" on Friday nights. He also hosts the Denville Rotary festival, where he said his creations make for a "perfect conveyance for the mayor to lead a parade and greet the citizens as he goes by.
" He began in music entertainment as the first DJ to spin oldies in Morris County at the Smiles nightclub in Parsippany in 1975. His knowledge of music spans pop standards, big band, early rock 'n' roll and rhythm blues, according to his Web site, goldengup.com.
"Vintage cars is a big industry," he said. He went to Carlyle, Pa., a couple of weeks ago.
"(It is) kind of a headquarters for the antique auto hobby; it's the biggest event of its kind." Cars are not a new preoccupation for Lulu. She took up drag racing in England during her late teens, "for a guy who has the fastest top-fuel bike,"she said.
Green and Lulu met on the "hot rod scene" in England. Lulu is a professional dance instructor whose hobbies include '50s music, singing and playing the acoustic guitar. A natural matchmaker, Green knew that both friends'interest in '50s music and cars would strike a perfect match.
Today, apart from creating their "babies," Lulu helps Gascoigne out with his "Doo-Wop Drive" show. The couple often pairs in '50s attire when taking The Jukemobile out on the town. Two additional projects are in the making: a custom Buick-Cadillac convertible circa 1959-1960 that Gascoigne has dubbed the "Buillac," and a Thanes, a rarely seen English Ford pick-up truck from the late '30s that Lulu brought from England.
"The Buillac is gonna knock 'em dead," Green said. Gascoigne expects the convertible to be completed by Lead East, next September. Lead East, a '50s weekend party and car show, is held at the Parsippany Hilton, where he is well-known for the Jukemobile and flexing his DJ skills.
He once drove actor John Zacherle, aka TV horror movie host "Zacherley,"in his pink Cadillac pick-up truck there. "We took him around for a ride and he had a ball and he sang his record, 'Dinner With Drac,'" Gascoigne said.
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