Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Jerry"Sonny Martin" Sims, Setting The Record Straight

Anonymous (I wonder who that was) got several facts right, but was confused on just a few. Possibly I can fill in some blanks....... A.J.'s first hire was me (to replace Wayne Moss/Sonny Martin) and Tommy Riggs did not come along for a while. You might look up an early blog comment about Tommy calling me while I was on the air one night....."Please tell me that you are Jerry Sims, and please get me a job there!". He was traveling with his band somewhere in the upper mid-west. Tommy and I had worked for A.J. when we were first starting in radio back at KXLR in Little Rock. I told A.J., they got together and Tommy took over the 8pm-Midnight shift as Rock Robbins. I am thinking that is when I took the Sonny Martin Program to mid day. I believe it was Jim Hankins who always said it was a "Program", not a "show", 'cause you couldn't show anything. Well, we tried to!

Also Matt White was not an "early" hire.....'cause it was me, and I did not leave until 1967. Matt took my place and name. And George J. Jennings did not leave "soon" after A.J., because he was still there in 1967 when I left. I listened to Bruce Jenkins after I left, but we never worked there at the same time. So "Mr. A.", (or is it Ms. A.?) has some real inside knowledge, and we appreciate it. If these little "fill in" details really matter........... "now you know.......the rest of the story".

I just turned up some new pictures, along with the Bob Mullins one, and will send one of Tommy Riggs (awarding a contest winner a new Lawn Boy Mower) out in front of the KAAY 7th Street location. Also a "not so clear" shot of the building. For those familiar with Little Rock, the location was adjacent to the State Capital Building. The street right in front of the capital building, which was called Woodlawn back then, ran right up our driveway on the southern end. The building, that one that David B. and I would pay big bucks to re-enter, was torn down after the station moved to Cottonwood Lane.







I enjoy all comments on the blog. Thanks to those who put in all the time getting them out. I will try to do my little part too.

Jerry "Who was really there as the middle Sonny Martin" Sims

2 comments:

  1. Jerry was the only Sonny Martin I ever had the honor of hearing at my location near Chicago. Maybe I missed a lot by being only in skywave range of the station, but I still cherish every bit of what I was able hear. I'm sure I missed many wonderful personalities.

    Ron H.

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  2. George Jennings left the station in March of 1964. He was replaced by Bruce Jenkins as News Director.

    He was gone for a couple of eyars and returned to Little Rock when things did not "work out: in Dallas.

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