JOHNNY CASH "LIVE" ON KAAY !

Johnny Cash was a musical giant that became known as "The Man In Black".  He was also "Arkansas Own",  born  in Dyess, Arkansas.   

Through the years his friends included many whose names you know:  the Reverend Billy Graham, Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Horton, Kris Kristofferson, "Cowboy" Jack Clement...and many more too numerous to mention. 

I had followed Johnny Cash's career since I was a teenager in 1956, and was privileged to receive a phone call from him while I was Music Director at the 50,000 Watt Giant on May 31st of 1972, when I was doing the Mid-Day Shift.

That call turned into an On-The-Air Interview that I'll never forget, and Johnny Cash was one of the most courteous and kind individuals I've ever known.  His music had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember, but his thoughtfullness and warmth that came through the phone that day during our conversation will forever live in my memory banks.

That live Interview was the talk of the town in Little Rock for days: "Johnny Cash on KAAY !"  And, if you're reading this and remember it, you were among the privileged few, as the equipment I had to record it on in our Main Studio that day had a problem...and I never was able to save it !

Johnny Cash was an American "original" in every sense of the word.  His body of work continued for over five decades, and his life, his music, and the impact of his great career, continues to touch all of us...years after his death. 
 NOTE:  My favorite Johnny Cash songs ?  Many have asked me that through the years, so here's my list: "I Walk The Line", "Home Of The Blues", "I'd Just Be Fool Enough", "Understand Your Man", "I Guess Things Happen That Way", "I Got Stripes", "Get Rhythm", "Folsom Prison Blues" (live), and "Sunday Morning Coming Down".
My ultimate favorite though for many reasons, some personal, is the haunting, beautiful "I Still Miss Someone" from 1958.  If I were to loose all of the rest, this is the one that I'd have to save.  

Jonnie King

NOTE: For my complete Tribute to Johnny Cash, and a Review of "House Of Cash" written by his son, John Carter Cash, simply go to this Link on my WebSite:  http://www.jonnieking.net/gpage31.html

KAAY Christmas Jingles

Yes, it's a little late for this past Christmas, but the cheer is still there!  We've used these jingles a couple years ago when we had numerous former KAAY deejays lend their talents to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  These are the "raw versions" that were aired as spots in season.

Courtesy of A. J. Lindsey:

(or download here)
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Memorial Day

"All gave some, but some gave ALL...."

Please remember those who have fought, and those who died, so that we and others may be free.

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Dickie Goodman: The Flying Saucer

A.J. Lindsey, in his own words:

"If you listen to the newscasts that have been featured on this blog, you understand that times were trying just as they are now. At KAAY we were always looking for the bizarre, the ridiculous and satirizing all that we could. You have seen the "Ear On Arkansas" discussions. Later, I will feature some recordings from "Ear". Today, I ran across a record that the oldies stations never play even though it reached number one. And several of his succeeding records also were as big. Even in the KAAY days I don't remember playing this song as an oldie. This is a little bit of history that needs to be brought forward. Read about it and then listen to an off the air recording, for educational purposes only:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Dickie Goodman (April 19, 1934 - November 6, 1989) is considered one of the earliest proponents of sampling in music, through a series of "break-in" records he created from 1956 to 1986. His first song, "The Flying Saucer," was co-written with partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a description of a news-covered invasion of earth from a Martian space ship. While Goodman asked questions of pedestrians, scientists, and even the Martian himself, their responses were "snipped" from lyrics of popular songs of the day, including tracks from Fats Domino, Elvis Presley and Little Richard.

Although "The Flying Saucer" became a major hit, it also landed Goodman in court for infringement of copyright - e.g. the songs he used to create his "break-in" records. The lawsuits were later settled out of court when the judge ruled that Goodman's records were burlesques and parodies, and were original creations in and among themselves.

Goodman later recorded other break-in records, usually based around a political theme, or having his reporter alter-ego interviewing Batman or Neil Armstrong. In 1975, Goodman returned to the pop charts with "Mr. Jaws," a break-in record in which he interviews several characters from the motion picture Jaws.

Goodman's singles often had instrumental numbers (in which his actual role is uncertain) as B-sides. These are not found on either his original LPs or his CD compilations.

Goodman died in 1989 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His son, Jon Goodman, continues to promote and administer his father's works. In 1998, Jon supervised the issue of Greatest Fables, the first authorised CD collection of Dickie Goodman's recordings, which included Jon's own tribute, "Return Of The Flying Saucer". (This included sound bites from The X-Files and Hanson, among others.)

Goodman also is survived by his son Jed and daughter Janie.

Goodman is recognized by Billboard Magazine as the #1 Novelty Artist of All Time."

---courtesy of A.J. Lindsey

(or download here)

I remember this compilation when I was a kid and thought it hilarious!  I'll bet this enjoyed plenty of air time on KAAY!

The posts A. J. mentioned in his comments above were from his own blog, now dormant after his passing.  You may search his blog on this link:

http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Dave S. for snagging this one!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Where It All Began....

As many of you know, KAAY began life as KTHS 'way back in the early days of radio (1924), in Hot Springs, AR at the Arlington Hotel.  I was priveledged to have an entry accepted in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas regarding KTHS and KAAY:

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6423

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6228

KAAY engineers Hollis Duncan and Dave Montgomery have included me in some of their e-mails back and forth regarding the Arlington Hotel and included some pictures for all to enjoy, both past and near-present:

As you can see in the first photograph from 1925 (about a year after KTHS's birth), there is a radio tower on the roof.

Enjoy the articles and the pictures...thanks, Hollis and Dave!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

The Beatles On KAAY (Teenage Wasteland I)

The radio in my Mom's '65 Ford Galaxie 500 was pretty good. Nice bass response for a 6X9 dashboard speaker and instant-on thanks to transistors. We're flashing back to about 1965 here; there may be some fuzziness about dates, but the Big Picture is beaming in loud and clear. Every note is as pristine as it was Back When. The message will not end.

Every now and then, I'd catch a ride to school with Martha on her way to teach Biology at Malvern High. She had long since learned that the radio belonged to me and she was okay with it (loved her some Wilson Pickett, she did). Naturally, that radio was tuned to KAAY and cranked up as loud as she'd let it go.

I was fourteen and clueless (I would not know everything in the world until I was fifteen), but there was just something about Beatles records on my favorite station. Compared to everything else on the air in those days (with the great exception of Motown), they seemed to leap out of the speaker. They demanded attention, they dared you not to listen. I always tried for an extra notch of volume when one came on.

I would not learn the why of this audio magic until decades later, when I read George Martin's elegant book, All You Need Is Ears. He wrote about compressing Beatles recordings so they'd be as loud as possible when played on the radio. He and his team of engineers were also fascinated--and frustrated--by the amount of bass that Motown records could achieve. If they cranked up the bass on Beatles recordings beyond a certain point, the arm of the cutting lathe would jump up off the turntable and ruin the master. "We could never figure how the Americans were doing it."

Turns out there was some more audio magic at work up in Little Rock, where KAAY played those Beatles 45's on Gates turntables into a Collins vacuum tube console. From there, it was off to Wrightsville and into some more (huge, glorious, delicious, creamy, fat) tubes in the mighty RCA BTA 50-F transmitter. At the last minute, the sound would pass through Felix McDonald's legendary 70-cycle "choke," where anything below that frequency would disappear--and the remaining bass notes would get shaped and clarified, cut like a bodybuilder's torso. (To this day, Felix maintains that anything below 100 cycles is just hum.)

Oh. There was one other bit of magic afoot in those fabled days. On one of our morning rides, I discovered that I could predict when the next record played on KAAY would be by The Beatles. It only worked when I was in the car with Martha (go figure), but I hit it every time. Now what do you suppose that was?

David B. Treadway
Doc Holiday VII
The Last PD

Bonus Points: When I was grown and working for a living on the air, it disturbed me that every available version of Penny Lane was missing those seven piccolo trumpet notes at the end, which I was certain I had heard every time KAAY played it. Where had they gone? Had I only imagined them? Nope. The original promotional copies of the 45 had, indeed, contained that wistful signature at the end of the song. Subsequent mixes and releases did not. When you hit the link below, you can hear what we all heard on The Mighty 1090.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH8f-HGsgJ4

Life In The Funmobile‏

The recent picture of Ron Owens (and Sonny Martin III, just to his left) at a remote broadcast in 1969 made me go time traveling again, back to the days when taking KAAY on the road was a pretty big deal. Now, you just stick a DJ with a cell phone into the store of whichever client is willing to pay the freight, send along a few t-shirts and the station banners and it's called going "On Location." It's also supposed to fill the store with customers, but it mostly never does--unless there are some Monster Trucks or Pro Rasslers on display.

In the Glory Days, a KAAY remote broadcast took some doing. We rolled our portable studio--the Funmobile--to the client location, hitched it up to a specially-ordered telephone line and cued up the 45 RPM records on QRK turntables (we called 'em Rumble Kings) positioned to either side of what is, to this day, the smallest audio console I have ever seen: a Sparta four-pot with a single VU meter. It was identical to the one below (ignore the microphone; we had a duplicate of our studio mic in the Funmobile).

 

We did use a gooseneck--a fair bit longer than the one above--to mount the Electro-Voice 667 A (I've never been sure of the model number, but it was a big honking beast that made voices sound huge on the air). It was nice to cuddle up to something nearly as big as your head:

In a time before widespread use of Marti remote pickup transmitters, a specialized phone line had to be ordered a week or two in advance of the remote. It was known as a 15K equalized loop, the "15K" referring to the highest audio frequency that it would carry: 15,000 cycles per second, now referred to as Herz. The human ear (especially the female human ear) can detect frequencies a bit higher than 15K, but such a limit was plenty good for music and voice. (Ah, we always went for Maximum Sound Quality, didn't we?) One end of the loop would be installed at the client location, the other end would come to the 1425 West 7th Street studios and terminate at the studio patch panel in the control room equipment racks.

In my memory, it generally fell to the unfailingly cheerful Dave Montgomery and his all-around assistant, Larry, to hitch up the Funmobile to what we'd now call a big SUV and tow it to the location. Larry would get out the jacks and set about leveling the unit, while Dave powered it up, connected it to the loop and sent a test tone to the studio. Depending on the time of broadcast, all this would have to be done early in the day or the day before. It was also important to ensure that there was enough AC power on-site to pull a rather large air conditioning unit; the Funmobile could double as an oven in the summer.

Music Director Jonnie King, a mighty man his ownself, kept a duplicate set of the 45's that we were playing in a sturdy wooden box in the Funmobile, divided by category and stored out of direct sunlight to prevent warping. Music and DJ content would come from the remote, with commercials inserted by a board operator back at the station. When the spot break ended, the board-op would hit a jingle and we'd take it again.

The Funmobile was what you'd probably call a camping trailer. We got it second-hand from WBBM in Chicago, where it was the BeeMobile. I am pitiful at estimating dimensions, but it looked about twenty feet long by ten feet wide by ten feet high, with huge windows to the front and to either side of the DJ position. There were horn-type speakers on the front and Pat Walsh (who must surely have been the P.T. Barnum of his time) had heavy cardboard signs printed for each DJ to put in the windows.

And did we draw some crowds or what? The Razorback football pep rally remotes with Sonny Martin and George Jennings on game days would pack 'em in downtown for a block or so. I remember one Jackpot self-serve gas station remote where the traffic got so bad that the police had to show up to break the jam and try to restore some semblance of a flow. Once when I ran out of prizes, I noticed that Sonny had left his hairbrush in the Funmobile, so I forged his initials on the back of it and gave it away on the air. Six women immediately showed up to try to win it! (I have never before confessed this. Sonny, this is what happened to your brush back when we were all famous.)

Remotes then were a bunch of work, but that Funmobile helped KAAY to always be bigger than life.

David B. Treadway
Doc Holiday VII
The Last PD

Tom Bigby Checks In!!!

As per Tom's comments:

"Phil Beckman passed this site on to me this morning.....what a trip down memory lane.. I was one of the originals.. Itty Bitty Buddy Car.. Mccormick gave me the name when I came up from Odessa Texas.. I think I was 21 and doing PM Drive on this big Monster Radio Station...would love to know how many of the originals are still around.... Sorry to read of AJ's passing...."

Tom Bigby, Tom Bigby Media Pros, Sports Radio Consultants Dallas, Texas on KAAY 45 RPM Record: The Pig:

http://mighty1090kaay.blogspot.com/2013/04/kaay-45-rpm-record-pig.html



Tom, it is a pleasure to hear from you!!!  We would like to know more of your stories, please!  Would you contact me at my e-mail address below?  Thanks in advance, Bud Stacey   BudS. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY: Ron Owens

Snatched from the jaws of obscurity by our own Dave S., here is a formerly "lost" clip of Ron Owens with Bill Edwards, with Comex Contemorary News opening this aural treasure!

(or download here)

Here is the link in A.J.'s blog to info about Ron Owens:  http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/search?q=ron+owens

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY 45 RPM Record: The Pig

Another great piece of history, from A.J.'s archive...we'll let him explain in his own words:

"Continuing the history of Razorbackmania as promoted by KAAY. I need you help guys on the year this song was played. It's "The Pig" by the Pacers. J. Paul Scott wrote it and Bobby Crawford and the Pacers recorded it. Please email me the year and any other stories you may have connected with this record. Bobby and The Pacers still play dates today. As with all of the airchecks featured on this blog, it was recorded off the air and is presented here for educational purposes. "
---A.J. Lindsey Oct 22 2006

As A.J. has passed on, you may e-mail me at my address below if you have any info that A.J. originally wanted....

(or download here)

Thank you, Dave S., for the audio work!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Jonnie King Shares An E-mail

Hi, Bud!

Just got this eMail and wanted to share it with you ! Just so excited that this GREAT listener found my www.jonnieking.net Website and got to re-live a part of our KAAY History !

Feel free to Post this if you want...and I'll have something very cool to share next week !

BTW: In that photo you have of Walt Sadler (Ron Owens) by the KAAY Funmobile, that's Matt White (Sonny Martin) looking over his shoulder...wearing sun glasses. AND, it's definetely a Summer '69 photo !

Here's how that went down: I had just gotten there April 21st, as you may remember, and so I know the info well as the Album they were giving away was "Johnny Cash At San Quentin"...and the #1 Single out of it that we were playing was "A Boy Named Sue"...it had first hit the Billboard Chart on July 26, 1969, but we had played it l-o-n-g before that !

All the best to you, Bud !

Jonnie

eMail from Alfred Mussert:

" Dear Jonnie,

Me and my friends used to listen to you on KAAY in 1969-70 from Havana Cuba. I was 18 or 19 at the time. Many of us were never into Cuban music had developed a habit of listening to WQAM (Miami) during the day and to KAAY from Little Rock in the evenings. We all listened to WQAM from 1963 on.

KAAY became the main attraction in the evenings as soon as we discovered the Beaker St show. (also because of its powerful signal) I bet you guys never knew you had fans in Cuba !

Yes, we were quite a group of anti-communist "misfits" in that weird environment back then. The ones among us who spoke English had to translate for the ones who didn't. I used to record a lot of music off the air, using my dad's reel to reel recorder and then play it back at our little dance parties on Friday or Saturday nights.

Many thanks for making these pages available and with so much info. I never dreamed I would some day be able to see what you looked like.

I really miss those years just like you do. You should know that in 1969-70 KAAY was as powerful or more than the local Havana radio stations, and we were with you every night !

Alfred Mussert"

Ear On Arkansas Parody

KAAY's "Ear on Arkansas" was another satirical "news program", this one spoofing Arkansas's "Eye on Arkansas" TV news program.  Again, rescued from A. J. Lindsey's site before the players quit, I'll let A.J. explain in his own words and his original post:

"I've referred to "Ear On Arkansas" in some old posts and one of the Timeless Tracks has a discussion of Ear. Briefly, it was a weekly 30 minute satirical review of the news in Arkansas. This was one of the features that made KAAY unique and not just another music station. Over the years, many different individuals assumed the responsibility of putting the program together. As I listen to some of the Ear recordings, I realize how times have changed and things that were important them, can hardly be recalled. Also, in 1967 no one would have guessed that the Arkansas Gazette (the old grey lady) would cease to exist. Here are a few cuts from an album that was pressed and given away about the year 1967. There was a second album done for 1968. Listen now to about 40 minutes of Ear On Arkansas"
---A.J. Lindsey, Nov 14, 2006

I was personally given one of those albums by Charlie Scarbrough ("Charlie King") a while back; it is in great shape, but I dare not put it on a turntable without a way to back it up to digital...maybe in the future, but it is in safe storage for now.  Please enjoy!


(or download here)

From A.J.'s blog:  http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/search?q=ear+on+arkansas

Thanks, Dave, for the audio!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY Montage

From the A. J. Lindsey archives, previously posted on his blog, Dave S. has rescued this montage of audio from early on in KAAY's history, opening with the Rob Robbins Oldies Show, with Mike McCormick sitting in.  Hang on and enjoy nearly a half-hour of 'scoped audio!

This version has a "horn honk" at each division where it is 'scoped.  It has been quite some time since I have been able to listen to A.J.'s archives, and I don't remember this little phenomenon.

Thanks to Dave S. for retrieval, archiving and linking- Dave, we couldn't do this without you!

(or download here)

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

David B. Treadway Moves To Mornings On US 97!

Hooee, this ol' boy (who we all enjoy his prose and thoughts on the blog) has teamed up with Vicky Parker on the morning shift at KQUS, "US 97"!  The results are an almost out-of-control country music team (you MUST hear their "Morning Song"!), tearing up the airwaves in Hot Springs, AR- and the world beyond!  Link in and listen at:

http://www.myhotsprings.com/

Click on the "US 97" link at the upper right, turn up the speakers...then sit down, buckle up and hang on for the ride!  Their shift is from 6AM to 10AM Central, Monday through Friday.

David B., "The Voice Of Arkansas", you have re-gained this listener!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

A Sad Anniversary....

Thanks to Doug Virden for the reminder...as a matter of history, some would like to revisit and experience The Last Day's audio.  We did it in two parts back in April 2010, so we'll revisit it here.  Barry McCorkindale ("Barry Mac"), who is the originator of "Tin Can Alley", and David B. Treadway (whom I call The Voice of Arkansas on U S 97) both wrote their own version of that day.  Even though memories grow fuzzy over the years, these are still deeply personal and moving comments by what they remember.

Part one:

http://mighty1090kaay.blogspot.com/2010/04/last-day-last-hour-part-1-barry.html

...and part two:

http://mighty1090kaay.blogspot.com/2010/04/last-day-last-hour-part-2-david-b.html

There were still bits & pieces of audio we gleaned from A.J. Lindsey's blog from that day; they can all be found below, in one bite...just follow this link and scroll through the many, many posts we had regarding that sad day:

http://mighty1090kaay.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Last+Day

There are still sentiments of those who wish KAAY to return to her former glory; unfortunately, I doubt that will happen, even though many of us have fantasized about buying her for pennies on the dollar and resurrecting her.  Even the late, great Jerry Sims ("Sonny Martin II") expressed his desire to do so.  Nonetheless, when I saw consolidation take place a couple of decades ago, I shook my head and acknowledged that it was the death knell for radio as we knew it.

At times, I have to travel with one of my jobs (I have two, by the way, one full-time and one part-time); I constantly scan/seek and manually tune the AM dial.  I have found that there are STILL home-owned, mom 'n' pop stations and groups out there who have not succumbed to the  lure of the conglomeration giants.  My hat is off to them.  I, as well as many I am sure, wish that KAAY had not gone the way it had, but at least it does have Christian programming and not some of the garbage found out there.

Yes, yes, I know, that may be an unpopular statement on my part, but if you think about it, there's not much "out there" worth listening to.  I also scan the FM band and all the stations sound alike: the same country & western, the same rap, the same rock (of many genres)...and, yes, the same conservative talk, as stations take on either this or that group.  To be sure, the locally-owned stations DO have their own local talk show hosts in several slots during the day, and that's refreshing.  Even though KAAY has wound up to be a "tool" of a media conglomerate, at least she's broadcasting "the good news"....and not broadcasting cop-killer rap.

I know, it's time I get off my soapbox...for now...so let's go back in time (after men graduated FROM troglodites!) and revisit that Last Day....

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

"The KIXZ Twist"

Paul Kirby, of Texas radio fame and friend of this blog, sent along a really neat comparison picture and recording, called "The KIXZ Twist", after he read the post regarding the "Big KAAY Twist".  He & I thought it would be fun to compare the two and allow you to hear the difference and likeness of the two...here's Paul's comments:

"Bud,

I do not remember who e-mailed me the KIXZ Twist MP3 at the moment. I will keep "mind surfing" and see if I can remember. Anyhow...here is what I was told...

Ray Ruff recorded the "KIXZ Twist" at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico in the early 60s.

KIXZ was (still is) an AM radio station on 940 in Amarillo, Texas.

Here is a link to Ray's obituary:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?GRid=16466896&page=gr

I think putting it on the KAAY blog for comparison would be interesting.

Paul Kirby"

And thank you Paul for sending this along!


(or download here)

I met Paul Kirby and Vicki Worthington through George Jennings- not directly, mind you, but because George Jennings was a native Texan and also worked in the Texas radio markets.  Both Paul and Vicki are friends of this blog and we enjoy conversing back & forth via e-mail...they send along a lot of encouraging comments as well.

By the way, this is a good point to remind you of the website they have put together, where George Jennings is mentioned...it is called "San Antonio Radio Memories" and here's the link:

http://www.sanantonioradiomemories.com/

Thre's been quite a few additions since we mentioned them awhile back, so be sure to visit and enjoy!  Also be sure to click on their Comment/Question tab at the bottom and let them know we here at Mighty 1090 KAAY sent you and leave them some kind comments!

Thanks to Paul Kirby for this interesting bit of history!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Happy Easter!

He is risen!!!!!  Have a happy, joyous Easter!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

"Sonny Martin" (Matt White) Moves To Cool 104.7

"Sonny" (Matt White) Martin" is doing Saturday mornings now at Cool 104.7 (KFLI-FM) from 6AM-9AM Central...here's his bio:

http://www.cool1047.com/common/page.php?id=241

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY Surveys! From David B. Treadway

Hi, Bud!

Here are some artifacts courtesy of Bob Moody, formerly of KAAY sister station WAKY in Louisville, Kentucky. WAKY (yeah, it was called "Wacky") was a Lin Broadcasting Corporation Station along with KAAY, and it was owned by Multimedia at the same time.

Bob was a tremendous help to me in launching the final Oldies format on KAAY in September of 1984, going so far as to ship a load of his personal vinyl to Little Rock--at his own expense. If that ain't respect for the Mighty 1090, I don't know what is! I also don't know how I'll ever repay him for such cavalry-to-the-rescue assistance in a desperate moment.

He says it's okay to post these surveys to the Blog, and that they are part of a larger and more wide-ranging package that he's sending to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. (What a guy, huh?) Astute readers will note that, in 1966 and '67, KAAY continued to play the big national hits but was unafraid to include the regional songs that gave the station its neighborhood appeal. Quite a difference from this Brave New 21st Century when one could drive from New York to LA and hear the same handful of songs on every station along the way, no?

Bob Moody is one more great example of the support network that KAAY was once blessed with: creative and passionate people who wanted success for our station as well as theirs. They couldn't stand the thought of us going anywhere NEAR the ditch. Some times, we didn't even have to call 'em--they just showed up. Like they KNEW...somehow.

Listeners never heard their names, but dat ole 1090 would have been a lot less Mighty without them. God bless 'em every one!

David B. Treadway
Doc Holiday VII
The Last PD

Ron Owens Retro: November 20, 1969 !

Here is the last in our first batch of the now restored "lost" A.J. Lindsey audio files.  The clip today is of Ron Owens (Walt Sadler).  Here's what A.J. had to say when he first published this clip:

"Walt came to KAAY from Louisiana at the recommendation of Ray Brown who was then the Doc Holiday. Walt took the name "Ron Owens" and I believe he was the second. He did D.J. work, news, remotes and anything he was asked to do making friends everywhere. Walt worked as sales manager at KOKY, and news at KLRA. He was back at KAAY (religious format) when he passed away a few years ago. Here is an air check from the 11/20/69."

(or download here)

Enjoy!

More Retro: Mike McCormick

Continuing our republication of A.J. Lindsey's lost audio files, we have a clip of KAAY's first Program Director, Mike McCormick.  Here's what A.J. said about this clip:

"Mike McCormick a/k/a Jim Hankins, as mentioned previously, created the original sound of KAAY. He did the 9-12 AM shift. Here is his bio from 1962:"

Now hear Mike and some of the early KAAY production with some of his "seasonal" promos."

(or download here)

(You can read A.J.'s archive on Mike at this link: http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/search?q=McCormick )

Alvin Lee of "Ten Years After", Dead At 68

Ten Years After...was, in my book, 'way ahead of their time.  When I heard that Alvin Lee passed away on this morning's news, I instantly remembered the song "I'd love To Change The World":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzrUqAtUcpU&list=AL94UKMTqg-9Cpsp5hpUKHJ6FQ6nWCCd8K

I know I heard this song on KAAY during the late, l-a-t-e evening hours...which added the mystique to the station and its cutting edge music parade.

God rest your soul, Alvin Lee:

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1550730/alvin-lee-of-ten-years-after-dead-at-68


Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

"This Is The M-Squad" Retro Post

You heard this on one of the Buddy Karr retro posts...this version, unchanged from the tape version and NOT modified digitally, comes to you from A.J. "Doc" Holiday" Lindsey's aforementioned "hidden" archive.  It is of the same era in 1963.

Sharp writing and performances show the dedication of the early-day KAAY personnel.  Hit it, Dave!

(or download here)

Thanks, Dave!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Answers At Last (David B. Treadway)

I don't know if it was a privilege or a curse, getting to watch from the inside as KAAY moved from 1425 West Seventh Street to the new building at 2400 Cottondale Lane in 1976. A few things troubled me from the moment Dave Montgomery unscrewed the white key from the microphone switch and told me to make sure it got onto the RCA console in the new control room. Now I think I've got 'em figured out--and I'm afraid they are the definition of Tragedy. That move across town was the beginning of the end.

It only took a few days in that wonderful new facility to convince me that something was Not Right. There were some intangibles that had not made the move with us. That old KAAY Spirit never set foot in the new building. The magic just did not transfer when the people did. For years, I wondered where it went, and now I see that it already had been killed off. It was dead before we tore out the last turntable in the old studio.

There were a couple of craters in the Promised Land. Operations Manager Wayne Moss was gone, along with General Manager Pat Walsh. They had both been replaced shortly after LIN Broadcasting sold the station to Multimedia, and if the new guys had a clue at all, it didn't show. Yeah, that's my opinion, but you'd have no trouble finding other insiders who'd be a bunch more blunt.

Replacing Pat Walsh was a huge and fatal mistake. You're getting rid of the only GM in LIN Broadcasting's radio division who once billed a million dollars in one year with a stand-alone AM station? "There ain't but one set of ratings that matters a damn, and that's how much money did you make." Pat told me that when I was 26 and I have yet to meet anyone who can counter it.

The image of Pat Walsh as a hardboiled, obnoxious, money-mad ogre is a fair one--and I believe he cultivated it. But there was a lot more to Pat. His genius was in his belief that you hire the best possible person for the job, then just let them do it. Reward them when they succeed, chew their hindquarters like a starving alligator when they fail--but leave them alone as much as possible and let them work!

Wayne Moss thought like Pat. If you were good enough to be on the air at KAAY, you didn’t need somebody hovering over you. If you screwed up beyond a certain point, Wayne would be on you like two coats of paint (ask me how I know this), but he mostly laid out the path and trusted you to follow it.

The new Multimedia Program Director seemed to take pride in being the exact opposite of Wayne. It was like he never trusted his staff. It seemed as if he was waiting for us to mess up so he could pounce. Very quickly, the perception was that we couldn't be counted on to do our jobs properly, that we needed constant correction. It was a rude slap that long-timers deeply resented, and I think it was a main reason that Sonny Martin III soon bailed out for a new gig at KSSN across town. It wouldn't be too long until Bob Robbins followed him.

You can't be trusted to do your job. Somebody's got to watch you at every moment. There's the difference between KAAY's glory days and the shell it soon became. It's an attitude that's been stifling and crippling Radio from that day to this. It's such a simple thing that it's taken me nearly forty years to figure it out: complete control destroys the soul.

I don't blame New PD 1 for the way he ran things, nor do I blame the ten or twelve who followed him for their methods. Likewise, New GM 1 was just doing things the Multimedia way--as were the half dozen or so who came after him (all of this turnover in well under ten years). The blame rightly belongs to Multimedia Radio, which could not stay out of its own way long enough to let KAAY function.

I look back now and am reminded of the day in April 2011 when I touched the ruins of that glorious RCA BTA 50-F transmitter in Wrightsville. All they had to do was leave it alone…

David B. Treadway
Doc Holiday VII
The Last PD

"BIG K" Retro Post!

You've heard it, possibly during the Barry Mac shows, possibly on the Timeless Tracks post, but here it is all by itself!  The folks at KAAY constantly worked with new ideas and technology to bring catchy announcements, station i.d.'s, commercials and what-have-you to keep the listener glued to 1090!  This is one of the fun things they did:

(or download here)

Much of this stuff was done with NO synthesizers and all by analog means- NOT digitally!  These radio pioneers were 'way ahead of their time and other radio stations could only HOPE to get near their competitive and genius level!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

"The Big KAAY Twist" Promo 45 Record!

I could have sworn that there was another picture of this promotional 45 record, made for KAAY, but maybe my mind is going...or maybe my memory isn't as good as it used to be...anyway, borrowed from A. J. "Doc Holiday" Lindsey's archives, in his own immortal words:

"One of the early promotional 45 record give-a-ways at the Mighty Ten Ninety was "The Big KAAY Twist". Originally it was a jingle produced in Nashville. The full version on the record runs 1:30. As good as any of the twist records out at the time, the thousand or so pressings were quickly given away. This would be a great find if you could turn one up today. I have seen one go on Ebay for $30.00. You can have it free! Here it is:"

(or download here)

Give Dave S. a hand for making audio here look easy!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Retro: Silver Dollar Survey Jingle!

You've seen several Silver Dollar Surveys we've been able to bring you here, but we realized we had a jingle in the archive we could bring you!  Again, in A. J. "Doc Holiday" Lindsey's own words:

"Mike McCormick A/K/A, Jim Hankins, originated the original KAAY, Big Kay, Friendly Giant, Mighty 1090, jingles and "sound" of KAAY. This Jingle is a very early KAAY jingle that mentions the Silver Dollar Survey shown in earlier posts. It also mentions the friendly giant and the logo line K A A Y, Tune Ten Ninety. In later years the word "tune" was dropped, but for several years it served the purpose of establishing a logo that listeners could and would sing any time they saw the mobile unit on the streets. Click the link and enjoy a 1963 jingle."

And it sounds great, too, almost stereo-like!

(or download here)

I'd like to thank Dave S. for his keen eye and reminding me these were out there!  We hope to bring you more Retro as we find it!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY Back On The Air

Doug Virden has reported that, as of the evening of February 6, 2013, KAAY has returned to the air...and that he wished the music from the 60's and 70's would have returned, as well.  Nonetheless, kudos to the technician(s) involved who got the station back on the air!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Another Buddy Karr Retro Post!

Here again, folks, is Buddy Karr!  From the A. J. Lindsey recovered archives, Dave S. brings you this audio tidbit.  I believe it to be of the same era of the previous post around 1963...roll it, Dave!

(or download here)

(You can read about Buddy Karr on A.J.'s blog --- use this link: http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/search?q=Buddy+Karr )

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

ROCK & ROLL RADIO HISTORY: "THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED"...


THE MOST TRAGIC DAY IN THE EARLY YEARS OF ROCK & ROLL
HISTORY WAS FEBRUARY 3, 1959...

...it was the day that the plane carrying Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and, The Big Bopper, crashed in a field near Mason City, Iowa, killing all three singers, and the pilot.

DON McLEAN relived that incident in his instant-classic hit "American Pie". I was the Music Director at KAAY when it was released in the Fall of 1971, heard it way before I put it on the air...and it just blew me away !  He termed that day... "The Day The Music Died", and since then that's the way it's been known.

I've had this rare, historic, News Bulletin about the crash on that day, February 3, 1959, in my Archives for a long time, but I don't know where it was originally broadcast or who the announcer is. When I decided to add it to the WebSite, I added a little bit of music from Buddy Holly, and Richie Valens, PLUS, the voice of The Big Bopper with his legendary Intro to start things off...to give it a little more balance and give you a chance to hear their voices again.

This special, rare audio that your hearing is not very long...but it is very important. And, maybe next time when you hear Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, or, The Big Bopper on your radio you'll think about the musical legacy they left us, and remember that they left us way too soon.

Simply Click-On Here , listen to the audio, read my personal thoughts on this tragic occurence from 54 years ago, and, remember those 3 Legendary singers whose music will live on forever.

My best to all, and thanks to Bud & the Crew, plus all who take the time to visit us here at The Mighty 1090 / KAAY, forever, Blog.

Jonnie

KAAY To Soon Return To The Air

An anonymous post popped up late January 28 and I just got to it today:

"Anonymous January 28, 2013 at 10:15 PM


Just to let everyone know, KAAY will be back on the air soon. A 5KW transmitter is being delivered hopefully tomorrow (1-29-13) Just waiting on the crystal now."

There are things in the mix, folks, please be patient!  I will not divulge my source....

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Goin' Retro --- Buddy Karr, 1963 !

Folks, it's time to go retro!   As you may or may not know, A. J. "Doc Holiday" Lindsey passed away a few years ago and several of us picked up the reins and started this blog, since no one, not even the Lindsey family, had the password to get into and continue his original blog.  So, with the express permission of the Lindsey family, this blog was born, in the original spirit and mode of what "Doc" started.

Many of A.J.'s audio files were saved on his Podomatic account, which you can still use.  But lots more files were scattered about on a variety of web sites that are now inactive.

With that said, we begin our mission to republish A.J.'s missing audio files that were stored in an "off-site" archive that Doc revealed to me (and ultimately to Dave S., so he could save the archive to media).  None of these items have been available since Doc's blog went silent, and we are pleased to make these audio clips available again.

For the first installment, we're going 'way back to about 1963, to Buddy Karr, a.k.a. Tom Bigby...roll it, Dave!


(or download here)

Onward, to more Retro!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

'Nother Nice E-Mail...

...this time, from a fellow Ham and AM enthusiast, Tim Moore:

"Hey Bud, It's been a while since I last "talked" to you. Just wanted you to know how much I appreciate the work you're doing! I have to disagree with Mike in Wisconsin. KAAY was THE Giant! We could all listen to WLS, WABC, KOMA and all the others but KAAY was family! I often sit in the shack at night after I go QRT and I listen to all the audio clips. I have them saved to the computer and as I listen, it just brings back really great memories of a time long ago. Seems like things were so much easier back then, no computers, no texts, tweets and instant round the clock bombardment of information like we have now. I told my boss just the other day, I'd give anything for a typewriter and carbon paper!! My cousins and I used to go camping on the weekends and what I remember best was sitting around the fire, deep in the woods by the lake with my Panasonic RF-2200 listening to KAAY music and then Beaker Street. We just thought we were so cool! I still have the RF-2200 and it misses KAAY! Bud, thanks for all you do, I can't wait for the next audio posts!

73 My Friend!
Tim N5YCN"

THESE are the kinds of neat, wonderful memories we're looking for!  Keep 'em coming, folks!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

We're Goin' Back In Time....

Dear visitors and friends of the Mighty 1090 KAAY Blogspot, 

In the coming weeks, maybe months, we'll be bringing you some lost archived audio --- and maybe pictures --- that are no longer available on A. J. Lindsey's blog.  After A.J. "Doc Holiday" passed away a few years ago, the audio players on his blog page wouldn't yield the audio there. Mysteriously, they began again, for a short while, then went dormant again.  In addition, "Doc" had saved his extensive collection of audio clips across a variety of web sites, some of which disappeared soon after Doc's death.

Fortunately, Dave Schmidt was able to download and archive everything on A.J.'s blog and off-blog storage.  Honoring my promise to the Lindsey family to continue in the fashion in which A.J. would approve and to continue to credit him and his blog with the material, we will be bringing the aforementioned archived material back, to reside on this blog:  in memory of A.J., who worked so hard to bring you these memories back to life; for all the fine people of KAAY who "made it happen"; and for THE KAAY 1962-1985 we all remember and love.

What more could we do?  We can not let these fine aural memories fade into nothingness... it would be a shame to lose what A.J. sought to bring to you dear folks.  So, with that, sit back, enjoy the memories we're bringing back to you and PLEASE comment when you can or so feel inspired.

Thank you for your support!  I'm sure A.J. would approve....

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Nice E-Mails....

This is from Gary, on the other side of the world, in regards to a post I made awhile back regarding a Mobile broadcast station:

"Hi Bud

Congratulations on your efforts to preserve another interesting piece of radio history with the KAAY Radio Blog.

I noticed your interesting post concerning 1410 WNGL (Dec 10 2009) during an internet search.

Thought that you might be interested to know that the 1410 WNGL signal made it through to South Africa on the 15th September 2011.

I was fortunate to receive a brief email verification from Station Manager David Renshaw after a follow-up reception report.

Details available here  http://capedx.blogspot.com/2013/01/wngl-mobile-al-qsl-and-audio.html at the Cape DX blogsite in case you're interested.

Best

Gary

Gary Deacon
Fish Hoek
Cape Peninsula
South Africa
www.capedx.blogspot.com "

...and Gary followed up with an audio link and the station manager's response:

"...definitely WNGL that made it through to SA on 1410 kHz back in September 2011 - a pity about the "female announcer" issue -

My guess is that the top-of-the-hour id announcement was possibly pre-recorded and aired at the time that I managed to hear the signal (apparently Daniel diSilva was station manager at the time).

A brief audio clip of the reception is also available at www.capedx.blogspot.com

Best,

Gary"

And from Mike, a KAAY fan:

"Hello!

I am a former devoted KAAY listener and enjoy your site. I listened a lot at night in the mid to late ‘60s and early ‘70s, especially in the winter when the signal boomed in. I shunned WLS in Chicago for KAAY mainly because I liked the variety of music that they played.

I recall listening to an overnight DJ who used the name Ron Owens. In fact, I wrote to him once and got a handwritten letter in reply. I recall he was also a newsman. I might still have the letter someplace…

I also remember an evening DJ who used the name Rock Robbins and used the song “Rockin’ Robin” as his intro.

Does anyone remember the program “Ear on Arkansas?” I think it was broadcast on Sunday afternoon or evenings. It was a political satire aimed mostly at Arkansas politicians. It was way ahead of its time.

In its heyday, KAAY was a fantastic Top 40 radio station but never really took its place among the giants like WLS, WABC, KHJ, etc., which is very sad. But, I think that had a lot to do with the interruptions of the Top 40 format for religious programs (early evening and early morning) and for advertising programs. I recall they had a 15-minute infomercial-type program at midnight every night that advertised a set of books, but I just can’t remember what the books were about! I also think they had a 15-minute program that advertised sets of classical music recordings. Maybe if KAAY had been all Top 40 all the time, things might have been different. I still miss the Mighty 1090.

Keep up the good work! I enjoy the unscoped recordings that bring back a lot of memories. Thank you for the site.

Mike R. Bondarenko, Baldwin, Wis.

mikerbondarenko@baldwin-telecom.net "

Comments- and e-mails- like these are far and few between and it warms my heart to get them and share them with you!  It makes me (and others here working on the blog) feel like we're doing something worthwhile.  When I get an e-mail, I take the time to answer and correspond...in the case of Gary in South Africa, he mentioned in a follow-up e-mail that he was looking for a picture of the station or towers...I did one better, I got him a roadside Google map shot of the facility.  With Mike, I discussed Ear on Arkansas and mentioned the album I received from "Charlie King" (Charlie Scarbrough), KAAY 1967-1969. By the way, Mike, I like the unscoped versions, too...makes me feel like I'm "back there" reliving the good times...especially when I can recline on the lawn on a starry night and listen to Jonnie King, Phil North and others, as well as Clyde Clifford and Beaker Street, in near-real time (evening)!

Speaking of which, we have some "retro treats" coming back, including Ear on Arkansas!  So stay tuned, we're bringing back as much as we can!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY, Wayne Moss, February 21, 1974, Part 2

Well folks, this is the last of the Wayne Moss Collection...and the end of our available audio- UNLESS someone else comes forward with anything else we haven't been able to unearth....

This is Part 2 of the previous post, again lovingly recovered and digitized by Greg Barman and linked by Dave S.


(or download here)

It has been our great pleasure and privilege to bring what I call The Wayne Moss Collection to you.  Wayne was happy and thrilled that he could share with us.  Now, his voice and KAAY will continue to live on in digital format!

Thank you Dave S.; thank you Greg Barman; and thank you Wayne Moss from the bottom of our hearts!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY Off The Air

According to Doug Virden a couple of days ago, KAAY was definitely off the air, due to water seepage from the bad roof affecting the transmitter.  When I was at the transmitter site almost two years ago this coming April, I could see evidence of leakage from the roof, near the newer transmitter.  This isn't surprising that the current owner is running this once mighty station into the ground...after all, it's all about the money, isn't it?

I have been involved in buy-outs before (non-radio/broadcasting) where new owners do "hatchet jobs" on businesses, refusing to invest in a thriving business, bleeding them to the last penny until they finally bankrupt the business and closing the doors or selling it off for pennies.  I have jumped horses in mid-stream, missing the inevitable and I have had the horse shot out from under me once...so, I know what happens in business.  Too bad, that business ethics no longer apply, that the dollar is their god and jobs don't matter.  Even though we need jobs in America, some businesses are not willing to make the investment to keep businesses going.  Why not feed the goose that lays the golden egg?  No, some would rather butcher the goose and cut it open, looking for a mother lode of golden eggs, only to find there are none...and the goose is dead.

The old axiom, "you got to break a few eggs to make an omlet" no longer apply, in these cases.  Is KAAY destined to die a rotting death?  What a horrible way for a giant, both in history and fame, to wither away.  Can it be saved?  At least made a National Historical Site?  Anyone????

My opinion and mine only.

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY, Wayne Moss February 21, 1974 Part 1

Here's another Wayne Moss aircheck, supplied by Wayne and restored by Greg Barman!  Here's Greg's take on the material:
 "Feb. 21, 1974: Wayne Moss mostly untelescoped, 11am to noon. It was a rainy day with severe weather in the area and static-filled reception. There's a 'heavy progressive music' Beaker Street promo for Don Marcus. And, WLS's Lyle Dean with an Energy Update! And at noon, Marvin Vines's farm report."


(or download here)

Thanks, Wayne and Greg!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Comments & Recordings

Folks, we are ALWAYS looking for comments and e-mails in support of this blog!  Here's one that I found lately in my e-mail:

"Hello

I grew up in a small town Louisiana MO. I use to listen to Baker St. on your station (1974/75) ever night when I could get the skip. I'm glad to see you are still around. Your station was better than any thing coming out of St. Louis.

Respectfully yours,

Gerald "Jerry" Floyd
541-xxx-xxxx"

Another recent comment was 'way back on a post we made about Ray Lincoln...the anonymous commenter said he has reel-to-reel recordings of Ray and some of his characters.  Please, to the anonymous commenter, YES, we would like digital copies of those recordings so we can post them here for you!  If you cannot transfer those reel-to-reel tapes, we have a man who can do it: Greg Barman.  I'll even pay for the postage to and from (if it is REASONABLE, that is).

Please contact me @ staceys4@hotmail.com regarding recordings and audio!

Bud S.

KAAY Wayne Moss, April 1, 1974

"Ladies and gentlemen (boooom!), Wayne Moss!"

This aircheck was made on April 1, 1974.  We didn't want to wait till April to post this one, so here it is in wintry January, but maybe it will get you in the mood for spring!

Here's Greg Barman's commentary about the material: "10:10am-11:20am. Telescoped, though a lot of music left in. KAAY promotes their big power on this aircheck a lot, like the increment-weather promo: 'our 50,000 watt signal will reach out in the increment weather and keep you appraised.' There's a promo for Beaker Street with Don Marcus and a sing-over jingle over the beginning of Olivia Newton-John's 'If not for you'. Note the spot for a Casio mini-calculator, which cost $19.95 back then! Newsguy is Mitch Michaels.''

April Fool's joke here?  No...but maybe so....listen carefully!


(or download here)

This is another tape-to-digital conversion Greg facilitated for us.  I must say, Greg's dedication to preserving the audio of our favorite station is stupendous!  Thank you, Greg!

Thanks also go to Dave S. for his computer wizardry for archiving and linking for us to enjoy!

And thanks to Wayne Moss for offering his library to us!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY, Wayne Moss September 3, 1973 Part 2

Folks, when I speak with Wayne Moss on the phone, his voice still has that great radio pitch and timber!  Here is Wayne again, from his collection, donated for our enjoyment.  This is Part 2 of the previous post.  Again, Greg Barman was able to save the tape(s) and transfer to digital format and Dave S. linked to our archive for YOU, dear visitor, to enjoy these great memories.

(or download here)

How about those great Gary Gears announcements?

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH WOLFMAN JACK !

      

TO ALL MY KAAY FRIENDS: 

 WHILE I WAS On-The-Air on JUKE BOX 96 Radio in St. Louis on New Year's Eve, 1993, I received a surprise phone call from my old friend the Legendary WOLFMAN JACK !

I had no idea that The Wolfman was going to do this...it took me completely by surprise.  I can't really tell you how grateful I was for his kind gesture, and if I sound excited on this recording it's because I truly was !

This piece of Audio History had been locked-up in my Audio Archives for all these years, but I wanted to share it with all of you so that you could once again hear his voice, and so that I could fittingly pay Tribute to this wonderful, truly professional, R&R Radio Icon:  My Friend, WOLFMAN JACK.

ALSO, I've added some of my personal thoughts & remembrances of this Radio Legend & Hall Of Famer on this same Page.  PLUS, if you listen closely, you can "CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN"  with the Guess Who !!

READY ? OKAY, THEN JUST Click-On This Link http://www.legends.thewwbc.net/gpage25.html and re-live a part Rock & Roll Radio History on "New Year's Eve, 1993, With Wolfman Jack" !

Thanks again to each & everyone...and I hope 2013 is a FANTASTIC year for you all !

Your friend,

Jonnie King   www.jonnieking.net 

.

 

Benefit For Bill Johnston, Co-Founder Of A Warehouse

Bill Johnston, founding partner of A Warehouse, was diagnosed with throat cancer in January 2012.  There will be a benefit on his behalf on January 10, 2013, at The Joy Theater, 1200 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA; doors open at 6PM Central, with a silent auction, show begins at 7PM Central.  Tickets are $35 on Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.  If you cannot make the benefit, contributions can be sent to: Benefit for Bill Johnston, 2213 General Pershing Street, New Orleans, LA 70115.  For additional information, contact Louie Duet at louieduet@gmail.com

In a telephone conversation with Bob Wahl (http://www.blackstrat.net/), there were a few seats available.  Folks, this looks like a BLOWOUT!  Bob also told me that Bill was the guy who called the radio stations and booked and paid for the advertisements...remember all those great ads on Beaker Street?

There will be an all-star line-up and many fabulous items to be auctioned off by silent auction.

If anyone wishes, I can forward the e-mail Bob Wahl sent me, as there are many other details.

By the way, see this link for additional information regarding a memorial for A Warehouse: http://www.fox8live.com/story/20161644/effort-to-commemorate-the-warehouse-concert-venue-gears-up#.UM6bSHykhKc.email  

Bill Johnston (along with Don Fox) brought a great thing to New Orleans with A Warehouse and many bands came there NOT for the money, but to play for the people and have a great time.  Let's see if we can help Bill in his fight against cancer.

Thank you, Bob Wahl, for all your efforts, and to Bill Johnston for A Warehouse, and for being friends of Mighty 1090 KAAY Blogspot!  And thank everyone for helping Bill Johnston....

Bud Stacey (staceys4@hotmail.com)

MY KAAY CHRISTMAS IN ENGLAND !

Since my Great-Grandparents on my Dad's side came from Ireland & England, and due to my acting for many years and having great insight into the works of Shakespeare, I've always wanted to travel to England & Ireland.  What better way to spend Christmas than in the land of  Dicken's "Christmas Carol" ?

Which brings me to 1969 and my working at KAAY:

 I began at the Mighty 1090 on April 21st and, being single, occasionally found some nice girls to date.  But, in September of that year I saw a show at the Arkansas Art Center and was very impressed by one of the very attractive dancers in the show.

I found out from the program that the girl's name was Kerry, and sometime after the show got in contact with her and - since the feeling was mutual - we began dating in October...starting the beginning of a lengthy relationship.  But one of the things that really entranced me was that Kerry was from England !   She had actually grown up there, and later took up residence in Little Rock.

Since the Holidays were upon us, she asked me to spend Christmas with her and her family to which I agreed, but had to get the approval of the PD (Barry Wood) & Pat Walsh, GM.  They both gave their blessing, travel arrangements were made, and on Christmas Morning, 1969, Kerry & I headed for England to join her wonderful family for a most-unimaginable feast, and a day to remember...the first of many I would spend there.

How could we do it all in one day ?  Well, it was only about 26 miles from where we lived in Little Rock to England...England, Arkansas.  But it WAS England !

God Bless Us, Everyone, and especially Kerry...wherever you are.

Jonnie King  http.www.jonnieking.net

THE CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY FILM LIST FOR 2012 !

                                       

                           

________________________________________________________

  MY 2012 LIST OF CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY FILM CLASSICS IS READY !

                             

SOME NEW ADDS TO THE "Extras" List this year...and ALL are worth a viewing between now and the end of the year !

Happy Holiday viewing to all of my Big K Friends...and thanks for all of your kind comments, and support of my Concept & Version of "The Breakfast Serial" since I began the Series in 1973 !

A very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to each and everyone!

Ready ?   Okay, Simply Click-On This Link  and it will take you right there!

Jonnie King, 2012

KAAY, Wayne Moss, September 3, 1973 part 1

Another in our series of Wayne Moss airchecks!  Herewith Greg Barman's comments:

"Sept. 3, 1973: Wayne Moss, 10:07-11:34am, in two parts, not continuous. Part 1 is mostly untelescoped; Part 2 is partially telescoped. Great quality; must have been a radio with a good high-end AM section. Beaker Street promos for O'Brian. Newsguy is Michael O'Sullivan." 


(or download here)
 
Again, many thanks to Wayne Moss for his donation of fine historical audio; to Greg Barman for faithfully restoring and transferring said audio to digital; and to Dave S. for his computer know-how to bring this wonderful audio to the blog!
 
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

New A Warehouse Tribute CD Available!

For you dedicated late-night Beaker Street listeners who remember those Warehouse commercials, all the way from New Orleans...and for those of you who actually got to attend concerts at A Warehouse...now, a tribute CD is available!  See the link below:

http://app.e2ma.net/app2/campaigns/archived/1354864/08d0cd293d2af4f93a0d96e1930a59e7/

I plan on trying to get one for a buddy of mine, who attended Warehouse concerts, for Christmas.  You should, too!

And, in the meantime, please visit A Warehouse's website...there's always something going on!

http://www.blackstrat.net/

Be sure to e-mail Bobby Wahl at his link on the website & tell him I sent you!  And how much you enjoy his website, as well....

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

...THE FALL OF 1971 !

 FALL FUN ON THE MIGHTY 1090 / KAAY IN LITTLE ROCK !  Lots of neat stuff happening in that beautiful Fall of 1971: Razorback Football was super-hot, James Bond's "Diamonds Are Forever" was in theatre's everywhere,  "Columbo", and, "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour"  debuted on TV, William Peter Blatty's soon-to-be-classic volume "The Exorcist" was published, and Richard Nixon was the President of the United States.

This Page has plenty of pix & info on it, and you'll even get to see the Big K "Hogmobile" !  I remember this being a truly fun night On-The-Air for me...hope you enjoy this Aircheck as much as I did doing it !!   Wanna hear it right now ?   Okay, just Click-On Here,  listen & enjoy !!

ALL THE BEST TO YOU FOR THE SEASON !
Jonnie King

"Ladies And Gentlemen: Wayne Moss! K-A-A-Y, Little Rock...."

THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND!  WAYNE MOSS, 1970-1971!!!!

In my book: certainly The Man!  His name takes on mythical proportions.  And he will always and ever be one of the legendary people of KAAY!

Wayne sent along this studio picture to share with you, dear visitor.  And what a handsome picture it is!  You have seen studio pictures like this of other deejays from the past here on the blog.  This is the first- and only- one like it I have seen of Wayne Moss.

I must say folks that, when I call Wayne, that voice of his is still strong and authoritative; I revel in the fact that I can still talk to one of KAAY's living legends and listen to his voice, very much as it was back in the day.  It was a thrill for me to be able to call him on the phone and it still thrills me today to be able to talk with him (when my wife allows me to make long-distance calls)!

Wayne, please allow me to thank you, both on the behalf of the blog visitors and myself, for sharing all you do with us!  What wonderful, historical gifts you gave for us to enjoy!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)