Attaboy!

Our good friend, Jerry Sims, a.k.a. "Sonny Martin" has dropped by with an e-mail that I'd like to share:

"Bud......Great going on the new version of the KAAY Blog spot! I used to check almost every day when A.J. was there and have tried, without success, to hook up with the new version which I will be checking often now that it works for me.

First of all, A.J. was very important part of my broadcasting career. He gave my my first radio job (KXLR Little Rock) and hired me at KAAY as well. Last time I e-mailed him I promised to pray for him everyday, and I still do, for his family and all our loss.

Now, I feel an obligation to pass along my KAAY memories when I can. If David B. is one of the youngest (I listened to him too), then I must be one of the older ones still around. I was Sonny Martin #2 1962-1967, between Wayne Moss and Matt White. Loved it! Although I was only 25 when I left, I thought a career in television was best to keep me from becoming a 40 year old Top 40 DJ. I went on with that career on TV and was an announcer, TV Weather boy, and ended up in TV Sales. All in Little Rock. I now have a broadcast buying service and work mostly out of my home office. My favorite past time is playing Senior Softball with some great guys and traveling around the country to tournaments. I get excited playing ball as much as I did 50 years ago.

Enough about the old me. Now to a KAAY story:

I was reminded of a Tommy Riggs story after reading of him on the blog today. Tommy and I had worked, along with A.J., at KXLR . I was doing the Midnight to 5am shift one night when I got a call (I answered the phone when I could). The voice on the call said...."Please tell me this is Jerry Sims (Sonny Martin)"...."Yep, who is this that would know?"...."Tommy Riggs, I am so homesick, please tell me that you can get me a job!"

Tommy was somewhere in the upper mid-west, on tour with his band. We just happened to have a hole in our line-up. We were short a "Robbins". Rob, Rock, Robert, Bob, or whoever. We had so many because jocks from all over our listening area would listen and want to come to KAAY. Actually, it was not for the pay, but it looked great on a resume. I told A.J. about Tommy and he came home as a Rock Robbins. He plugged in his keyboard to our board and would play and sing during his shift. This may sound very cheesy, but he was very professional and made it happen.

Next time I will keep it brief. We have the formal introductions out of the way. Thanks for the efforts on the new blog and "God bless the memory of our friend A.J."

Jerry Sims, aka Sonny Martin"

Jerry, it's OUR pleasure to share these memories with you...and thank YOU for giving us another look into the history of KAAY! All I have is drive, heart, tenacity and a love for the station and it's history and programming. I felt like if we would have just let things lie after A. J. passed away, all his efforts and the large amount of KAAY's history would have possibly gone down the tubes...so, I'd goaded, pleaded, cajoled and otherwise collaborated with other listeners, enthusiasts, former deejays and others to get this thing started, with the permission of the Lindsey family (thank you, Brandy and Marc!). Dave S. got this thing (the blog) going...John S. is working on the audio files' storage, while we try to find and keep feeding him "new" audio as we find it...Richard Robinson has agreed to be our resident historian...and others, diving in to donate stories and anecdotes along the way, like yourself! I think "Doc" would be pleased....

Jerry, PLEASE visit often, spread the word and let us know of more KAAY history- without you and others' donations of information, we'd be scrambling for material. Again, thanks!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)