What is the New Jersey Connection to 'JAWS'?

It's been 49 years since moviegoers took the trip to Amity Island for the first time. 49 rotations around the sun since Bruce (The Shark) became the star of the first-ever Summer Blockbuster! Under the direction of Steven Speilberg, 'JAWS' was the first movie to ever hit $100 Million at the box office.

Following the success of 'JAWS', Universal immediately looked for a way to capitalize, and looked to make a sequel, 'JAWS 2'. This time, the work was not inspired by Peter Benchley's novel like its predecessor, making it, in some way, Hollywood's first true sequel. Simply make it bigger, badder, and add a "2" to it. Depending on who you ask, the movies that came after, 3-D, and The Revenge, could be (respectfully) forgotten about.

Throughout the franchise, those who lived on the East Coast could not help but make connections to their own home, which they would be right to. Although Amity Island is a fictional Island off New York, it was filmed in Martha's Vinyard. New Jersey, however, is rumored to have a much more sinister connection to the attacks on Amity Island -- a connection going back over 100 years.

Between July 1 and July 12, 1916, five people were attacked by a shark off the coast of New Jersey, with only one of the victims surviving their encounter.

Similar to the novel and movie, reaction to the news of these attacks led to waves of panic, and shark hunts aimed at killing a population of "man-eaters" erupted in New Jersey seaside communities. Resort towns had temporarily closed their beaches to protect swimmers. Similarly to the character Matt Hooper, ichthyologists were also called in for their expert opinion. These attacks caused them to reassess what was known about sharks at the time.

Another tragic, but ironic connection is that of Thomas Cottrell. A Matawan resident and Sea Captain, he claimed he saw an 8-foot shark in the creek, before the attacks. Like that of Police Chief, Martin Brody, his claims were dismissed and not taken seriously right away. Perhaps a little caution could have saved Lester Stillwell and Stanley Fisher.

Just like in the movie, the kind of shark responsible for the attacks was not known right away, while it is still not confirmed 100%, it is suggested that the less famous, but territorial and aggressive Bull Shark.

Fans of the movie will also point out that it directly references the 1916 attacks when Chief Brody and Matt Hooper are urging the Amity Island Mayor to close the beaches down for the 4th of July.

One can argue that the New Jersey Connection to JAWS is all too coincidental, and it would make a lot of sense. Unfortunately, the 1916 attacks DID NOT serve as the original inspiration for the novel.

Other than the name drop of the attacks in 1916, the New Jersey Connection to 'JAWS' ends there. Peter Benchley himself said in a book that his idea of the movie came from shark attacks in Massachusetts and New York.

While it would be amazing to have a direct connection to one of the greatest summer hits of all time, this is possibly just a case of art imitating life.

Summer Rockers! The songs of summer. Hey friends, It's Terrie Carr and I wait for this time of year because I love being a summer jukebox for WDHA listeners. As we head into the summer of 2024 (and a massive New Jersey heatwave) I decided to celebrate the summer with a WDHA Coffee Break theme and highlight some "cool" summer rockers. These are songs that just SOUND better between May and September. They signify that summer has hit the state of New Jersey and we are ready.

I tried to keep the song list diverse with classics, metal, the '80s, and '90s, current-based music, and some super fun jams.  20 Summer Songs was tough so I "jammed" in a few more! There is something about summer rock too. It gives us a feeling of youth, freedom, and fun. The days are longer, and you can make an excuse to do just about anything that is "just a little more fun"- After all "IT'S SUMMER"! 

Summer in New Jersey is a state favorite. Outdoor Concerts, Beaches, Lakes, Outdoor Dining, Day Trips, Who Remembers These Vintage NJ Day Trips? Parks, Parking Lot Parties, Pools, and more are events that we cannot partake in during the colder months, so summer is a time we wait all year for. 

And of course, WDHA is your summer buddy - for tunes, events, concerts, and more. Download the WDHA App and take us with you wherever you go. Download The WDHA App Here

So get out your WDHA beach towel and I hope you have the BEST summer ever- Filled with family, friends, music, WDHA shenanigans, and good health. 

Check out my list below and listen all week for the WDHA Coffee Break at 10:50a to hear summer rockers songs on the radio! 

There are multiple VH tunes that could make the summer list- "Beautiful Girls", "Ice Cream Man" .....BUT Summer Nights takes the warm weather beach cake. "Summer Nights and My Radio- That's All We Need Baby, Don't Cha Know"? Perfect.

Satch RULES! The quintessential summer instrumental- to be played loud and often.

Summertime in the 80's! This tune and video captures the moment better than anything! Big hair, half shirts, the beach, and the giant boombox.

From 1984's "Heartbeat City" - "Magic" From the underrated CARS IS summer- The song opens with the word "Summer"......Enough said.

I absolutely had to have some 'dark" summer appreciation on the list! Danzig's metal crooning and brooding ROCK - if you never want to see the sun- this one's for you!

One of my NEW fave summer jams, I'm obsessed with this new tune from "Highly Suspect" from their forthcoming release- "As Above, So Below". The chunky, fuzzy guitar sound is back with the band and it's a summer vibe song that is absolutely KILLER.

One of the most underrated New Jersey anthems- Southside and The Jukes are legends and "On The Beach" is one if my all-time summertime classics. The NJ sound on this song is unmatched.

"Night Moves" transports me back to summer nights every time I hear it.
"In The Summertime- In the Sweet Summertime, Summertime". The best.

Don Henley gave us one of the greatest songs with "Boys Of Summer". It's dazzling. It always reminds me of the end of the summer with the lyrics "Nobody's On the Road, Nobody's On the Beach"...."Summer's Out Of Reach"..... It's such a moving song.

Signifying the official beginning of summer! "School's Out" to me was the original classic summer anthem. Kicking off the summer for generation after generation.

"On a HOT Summer Night"- Billy Idol brings the 80's, goth, MTV heat on this one. Love when he yells - "NEW YORK" too!

I could have put 20 Bruce tunes on this list, because beach, Bruce and Jersey heat ARE the summer, (I especially like Backstreets- he mentions Terry....and Racing In The Street too) but 4th of July- Asbury Park IS the quintessential summer Springsteen song.

An under appreciated Led Zeppelin masterpiece, "Down By The Seaside" from Physical Graffiti mentions the boats, the little fish and brings the feeling of summer. I especially love this song because it really shows the limitless Led Zeppelin in a different light and gives us yet another side of this epic band.

The Alarm is an amazing band. Underrated, Under appreciated and a constant deliverer of fantastic sounds, when I hear "Rain In The Summertime" it makes me feel like I am experiencing a warm, rainy day in the summer. This song is so moving and beautiful. Listen to it this summer , when it rains.

The perfect heatwave 80's banger- "99 In The Shade" , from Bon Jovi's - "New Jersey" just feels like summer in New Jersey. I always get requests for it during the summer heat.

The Kinks kicking back for the ultimate "lazing" song. Fun, quirky lyrics, and a summertime chorus, this tune is perfect when you are kicking back and just don't give a crap.

Remembering the "best days", guitars and summertime, this nostalgic summer song from Bryan Adams brings us back to a simple time and there's no way not to sing along.

"Blister In the Sun" makes you want to move. An 80's punk/new wave anthem, it's a great summer party song.

It's ELO! No explanation needed- Listen and get instantly happy!

One of the greatest punk beach jams of all time, "Rock Lobster" is a banger! A punk song about a rocking crustacean? Sign me up! So fun.

"Wish You Were Here" from Incubus is an absolutely gorgeous song- It starts out with "I Dig My Toes Into the Sand, The Ocean Looks Like A Thousand Diamonds, Strewn Across A Blue Blanket" . One of the most beautiful beach descriptions ever. And the song rocks. So many flavors to this one- It had to make the list.

The ultimate "chillaxin" tune for summer- Sampling the George Gershwin classic "Summertime" ,  from Porgy and Bess, it's one of the most unique, vibe songs of summer. And you can hear the late Bradley Nowell's beloved companion "Lou Dog" (his Dalmation) bark at the end. LOVE!

Epic...in every way...covering the original referenced above.