FROM THE LAST DAY TO THE FIRST !

A special "Hi" to all !

I've been reading and listening to all of the great stories about "KAAY: The Last Day".

Ironically, today - April 20, 2010 - is the day I moved to Little Rock to start my job at KAAY.

It was that fateful day of April 20, 1969, that I left KLID in Poplar Bluff, MO. to drive on into L.R.  I remember it almost as if it were yesterday:  the excitment, the anticipation, the nervousness (yes, that was always a factor in leaving "established roots" no matter where you were headed), and the feeling that I'd try to capture "lightning in a bottle" and contribute all of my time, talent, and energy to this WorldWide appreciated 50,000 Watt Giant: KAAY.

I was driving my nearly-new, custom-ordered '68 Cougar XR-7 and stopped for gas about 30 miles out of L.R.   In those days an actual "attendant" filled-up your car, and while he was doing that I went inside to get something to drink.  They had a radio on and I was sure it was KAAY because I had been listening on the way down, they even had a "last year's" KAAY Razorback Schedule still hanging on the wall.

When I got my drink and was paying for the gas, I asked the clerk - as I always used to like doing - what station they were listening to.  "That's KAAY", she said.  "Is that a good station ?", I asked. "Oh, they're the only one I listen to !  They have really good songs all the time..." she replied.  'Nuff said. I had to contain myself, trying to keep from telling her that "...tomorrow night, you can hear me on that station !"

As it went, I got to L.R. okay, Barry Wood, who was the PD then, was waiting for me at the station.  We went over the "basics of the board", and by that time a Sunday Night religious block was on.   My friend, Richard Enderwood (read more about him on my Personal Site) and his wife, had said that I could stay in the spare room of their Mobile Home til I found a place, so we had some dinner, and I hit the sheets...trying very hard to get some sleep before the Big Day.

I'll try to fill you in on that tomorrow.

All the best to you all,

Jonnie King