Question From Barry Mac???

 So, it's from 7th Street, probably late '60s, and...it's a black guy in front of the control board! Maybe just a visitor, but anyone have any idea when KAAY maybe hired their first African-American? And if so, maybe it's this guy?

 Posted by Barry Mac on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10224267911036152&set=gm.10158811724944313

(Dick Price said, "Johnny Scott, midnight to 5am."...?????

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

A New "Phil North" Story!

 Posted by "Pea Gee"on Facebook, a story about Phil Rowe, a.k.a. "Phil North":

"By the time Phil Rowe was in the sixth grade at Greenwood School, he had developed a passion for radio and broadcasting. Phil would tape little "radio shows" and play them over the phone to his friends. In junior high he started hanging around real radio stations, sweeping the floors and reading the occasional weather report over the air.

In high school Phil was a full blown broadcaster. He was the night time DJ at Hot Springs' radio KZNG. On weekends he traveled to Little Rock where he became "Phil North" on powerhouse KAAY. Phil's voice could then be heard from the Canadian border all the way to Cuba."

 

Unsure of where this picture was from, but we'll have to trust "Pea Gee" on it!

 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1394551784222439&set=gm.3760513833999417

Thanks, "Pea Gee"!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Monroe Looney, Per Barry Mac

 From Barry Mac's Facebook post:

So, anyone remember this guy? Not on air talent, but a salesman from the '60s and '70s by the name of Monroe Looney, and I think he sold for several other stations in addition to KAAY.

 

And a funny story about a saleswoman:

Barry Clarke McCorkindale

I've got a quick fun Lyndae story. After we were all brought under the same roof on Wellington Hills Road off of Chenal, they were having a sales meeting in the main conference room, probably in 2001 or 2002. I was coming out of the business office and through the sales area and saw Lyndae, and asked her, "Uh, you not going to the sales meeting in the conference room right now?" And Lyndae's response was, "Oh, Barry, I don't have time for that foolishness. I'm trying to actually work." Loved it!

 

Thanks, Barry!

 

Buyd S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

 

MIke McCormick, Per Doug Virden

 Per Doug's words:

"This is how I got the information that Mike passed away in January 2018."

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/198469254312/permalink/10158790272664313/

 

Thanks, Doug....

 

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Vintage KAAY Poster, From Doug Virden

 From blog friend Doug Virden comes this vintage KAAY poster and in his words:

"It was announced today (e-mail dated 12/20/2020) that the Arkansas Razorbacks would take on the TCU Horned Frogs in the Texas Bowl on New Years Eve so the thing to do is post this vintage poster of a former Southwest Conference rival. 

Nowadays a team's name and logo are patented so something like this can’t be done anymore."

 

 

 Thanks, Doug!  All I can say now, is :"GO HOGS!"

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com

Toys For Tots, on KAAY

 

Thanks to Barry McCorkindale posting this on Facebook!  I had never seen a picture from those times.  I had mentioned years ago in a post here that I'd wanted to take vacation during Christmas, drive up to Little Rock from Mobile, AL and work with the Toys For Tots program.  Thaty's how much I loved KAAY.

 

Unfortunately, being of meager means for a teenager (I was working to put myself through school and college and taking care of cattle on our farm), I just couldn't take off.  But this is a great memorial picture, which brought back great memories.  Thanks, Barry Mac!

 

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Happy Thanksgiving! Ram and Lester....

I just found this on Facebook on one of Barry Mac's posts...another bit of history!  Picture above and explanations follow:

Cliff McGaha

That's me in the bathtub. Had a lot of fun doing those ads with Ray. Ray was so strange. He would not let anybody see him doing Ram's voice. Even me. He would take my hat and cover his face.

Barry Clarke McCorkindale

YOU'RE the one! I'd posted a "Ray & Ram" picture from this time period of 1980 back a couple of years ago, but no one could definitely identify who "Ram" was. Did you work at the station?

 

Cliff McGaha

Barry Clarke McCorkindale

I wore several hats. I started as an engineering intern from UALR s RTV dept. I worked under Dave Montgomery. I became so close with Dave he was my Best Man when I got married in '85. I helped build and ran the Portable Party Machine. If you ever saw the T-shirts for the party machine I designed those too.

 

Cliff McGaha

I retired from the audio and video business but noe I have McGaha's Gizmo Studio. I build and sell Bluetooth Art pieces from old radios. If your interested you can see and hear them at Consign Design in Maumelle.

Barry Clarke McCorkindale

Never met Dave, but remember the name very, very well. And I know about Consign Design, as I work at Martinous, and we recommend to our customers who have rugs (NICE rugs) they're trying to sell to contact them. Sounds like I need to get out there and check out what you got!

 

Cliff McGaha

Barry Clarke McCorkindale

I got to work with the whole crew from Rockford. C.David Hamilton, Joe James, Dan Campbell and Jack Randall. They were a crazy bunch. Talk about being dipped into a bunch of DJs. Dave and I took them out as hosts to make extra money on The Party Machine. We travelled all over Arkansas and even up into Missouri. KAAY was the only station they could get late at night in some of those places. I even did a dance on the Hogtrain going from Little Rock to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl against Alabama. The party machine was built using Cart Machines so we were the only dance system that could handle the bumpy ride in a mail car behind the Locomotive.

 

Barry Clarke McCorkindale

Still remember Jack Randall's tag line he used, I think, every day - "...with the fury of a thousand jungle beasts..."

 

Thanks to Barry Mac on this Thanksgiving 2020!

 

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

A "Beemobile" For KAAY?

 

 

From Facebook, posted by Barry McCorkindale and commented on by Dale "Clyde Clifford" Seidenschwarz:

 

"

 One of the LIN chain at the time. WBBF didn't want it. Pat Walsh somehow snapped it up.

I did a bunch of remotes in that thing. We did a lot of Toy Hills in it.

It went down in it's own funeral pyre on the way back from a remote in Conway.  I was in the Marine Reserve unit and my best friend Wayne Moss did a couple Toys for Tots events glad we got to work together."

Barry: "I KNEW Dale would have some insight into this, thanks!"

 

Thanks, guys!  Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

 

 

Visit To A Warehouse, New Orleans, LA

 Just look back at our Posts here for A Warehouse, which has been advertised on Beaker Street...here's a flashback for you:

https://www.facebook.com/60saroundsounds/videos/445609169177079

Found on Facebook.

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.,com)

Newspaper Article, From Doug Virden

From Doug Virden's posting on Facebook:

 

"Rex Nelson's article about the 50th anniversary celebration of The Mighty 1090."

 

Thanks, Doug!

 

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

 

Bobbie Walsh, Wife Of Pat Walsh, Passes On To Radio Heaven

Thanks to Richard Robinson, on Facebook...the entire message here:

 

"For those KAAY fans who knew or knew of J. Pat Walsh, who was a manager of KAAY and a broadcast media consultant for many years in Little Rock, I have some sad news to report. His widow, Bobbie Walsh, died on August 18, 2020. Her graveside service was held on Saturday. Bobbie loved the Arkansas Razorbacks, Pat Walsh and her family. When Pat was managing KAAY, Bobbie used to sit at home, listening to the competing stations and taking down the names of all of their advertisers for use by the sales staff at KAAY. I'm posting the link to her online obituary for your information. I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Walsh when I interviewed Pat in their home and later Bobbie after Pat's death. It was a pleasure to know her and I am sorry to hear of her passing."

https://www.arkansasonline.com/obituaries/2020/aug/21/bobbie-walsh-2020-08-21

Thank you, Richard, for your info on this....

 

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY COMEX Newsmobile, 1960s Style!

Again, gleaned from Barry Mac's Facebook post, and all I can say is, "Va-va-va-VOOM!" 

Thanks, Barry!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

James Wells, KTHS/KAAY Engineer

Thanks to Tony Meyer, here is a picture of James Wells, d on Facebook, who was the engineer of KTHS and KAAY from 1954 to 1965.  Just reading the comments, he is one of the few remaining engineers alive form the KTHS/KAAY era.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3230368037042110&set=gm.10158637031339313&type=3&theater

Thanks, Tony!

 

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Lawnmower Contest Promotion

 

This was also posted by Barry McCorkindale on Facebook, he just found it after he found the other lawnmower photos...ah, well, we can't be picky!  But this works for the blog, because latest comes firstest and you can just scroll down to see "the rest of the story...."

 

Thanks again, Barry!

 

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY Lawnmower Promotion?

Barry McCorkindale posted this picture on Facebook regarding a lawnmower race, obviously tied to a previous photo and post here and on Facebook. How does one win a lawnmower race? Perhaps the cleanest cut in the lowest elapsed time, it looks like!

Thanks, Barry!

 

Bud S. (staceyts4@hotmail.com

Jerry Sims, the 2nd "Sonny Martin", Presentation

Thanks again to Barry McCorkindale and his photo vault, here is Jerry Sims presenting Herman's Hermits' drummer Barry Whitwam leader Peter Noone with a car tag.  Some comments were made about the gentleman in the background (drummer Barry Whitwam) copping some Zzzz's but I'll bet they had "camera-flash-itis" where they automatically blink when the photographer said, "one, two, THREE!"

Thanks again to Barry McCorkindale for posting this on Facebook!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Lawnmower Givaway

Barry McCorkindale posted this on Facebook a short while back:

Richard Robinson (son-in-law of Eddie Graham) identified all the gentlemen here but one...I recognized A.J. Lindsay and Jerry Sims right off the bat...

"Richard Robinson Barry, I asked my father-in-law, Eddie Graham and here is the information. You are correct, all of the men pictured were air talent at The Mighty 1090. From left, A.J. Lindsey (one of the "Doc Holidays"), Bob Mullins (air name unknown, but he worked a day shift), Howard Watson ("Ken Knight," worked nights, left for a day shift on KMYO - "Cameo" in LR), Richard Wietan (Eddie isn't sure about the spelling of his last name and didn't remember his air name. This came to KAAY from Moberly, Missouri. He only worked at KAAY for six months or so. He was in the National Guard and was tragically killed a short time later in a Jeep accident, during his summer training, according to Eddie. The last jock on the right Eddie remembers, but can't recall his name. Eddie did remember that he didn't work at the station very long. That's what I have, so far."

Great history, thanks to Barry McCorkindale!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Beaker Street Set Lists

One of our blog readers, Tyler Vincent, contacted us about a web site he and others are maintaining for the newest incarnation of Beaker Street --- go to Beaker Street Set Lists,   

https://beakerstreetsetlists.com

to see the set lists and listen to each of Clyde's shows.

Thanks, Tyler!

Beaker Street Returns: Article

Thanks to Doug Virden for sending the link...photograph credit to Arkansas Online:

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/jun/21/underground-returns-to-the-air/#

"The show airs from 9 p.m.-midnight each Friday on the Arkansas Rocks network of classic rock stations. It can also be streamed at arkansasrocks.com. "  This, after a nine year absence from the radio waves.

Enjoy!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY Tower #1 Down....

Per Doug Virden's e-mail and Facebook post:

"A couple of photos taken by Pat McDonald Hardwick after the tower went down.

According to an all access media article one of the KAAY nighttime directional towers has fallen down.  Currently there are only two towers standing.According to the Chief Engineer it was caused by a rusty guy wire at the insulator.  Inspectors will be at the transmitter site this week to look over the two remaining towers.  An STA has been filed for 12.5KW ND at night, that’s seventy five percent less power.

A boatload of money has been spent in recent years to get the signal back to full power.
 

As to what will happen with the station is still uncertain.  It will be very costly to put up a new tower and wonder if the company will spend the money to replace it?  Cuts have been made recently due to the pandemic." (re: the coronavirus, or "COVID-19" pandemic...google it for all the drama you can stand. bs)

It has been estimated that the tower went down right around Memorial Day (2020).

 

I walked amongst those towers with David B. Treadway and Jerry Sims, looking for Glaspie Dillard's grave; it took Daniel Appellof to take us; we rode on his truck tailgate out to the site near one of the towers to see his resting place.
 

Sad to say, this is what budget cuts cause; lack of maintenance and inspections lead to catastrophe.  Knowing what's been going on with KAAY in these latter years, some people's opinion is that this tower may never get replaced....

 

Thank you, Doug Virden, for alerting us to this tragedy.

 

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)