|
WKLO
DJs and Newspeople
This page updated
Monday, May 05, 2008
| On this page we'll list all of the
WKLO DJs and news people we know about, plus their current
whereabouts. If you can help us flesh out this list or have
corrections, please
e-mail us. We're constantly updating this page as information
comes in...so check back every few days to see how we're
progressing. |
A
B C D
E F G
H I J
K L M
N O P
Q R S
T U V
W X Y
Z
A
Keith Adams
WKLO DJ circa 1971.
Do you know where he is
today?
Omar Andeel
WKLO newsperson in the
early-to-mid '60s. Later
worked for many years as a morning broadcaster on the Family Radio
Network, plus spent many years on TV in San Francisco. Passed away in the 1990s due to
colon cancer.
Johnny "Alligator" Argo
Mid '60s WKLO nighttime
DJ. Previously worked at WPOP in Hartford and KUDL in Kansas City. Later worked at WAKY.
Deceased.
B
Larry Baker
WKLO DJ in 1963 and 1964.
Departed WKLO to go to WIFE in Indianapolis. He had a long successful career
as Jerry Baker doing play-by-play for the Indiana Pacers,
broadcasting Indiana High School games,
and working on the Indy 500 network radio broadcasts. In the past few
years he had worked for the Indiana High School Athletic Association as
Director of Communications.
He left the IHSAA in 2004. As recently as June 10, 2005 he was listed on
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website as a turn reporter for the
Speedway's radio network.
 Bill Bailey
WKLO morning known as "The Duke of
Louisville." Bill joined WKLO in 1965 from Winston-Salem, North
Carolina and ruled the AM drivetime there
through 1969, when he left to do mornings WLS in Chicago. He returned to
Louisville six months later for morning drive at WAKY, where he stayed
until 1981. Bill left WAKY for country-formatted WCII (the former WKLO)
but returned to WAKY for another stint in 1985 and 1986. After leaving WAKY the second time,
Bill did some airwork for Louisville's WTMT. In 1987 former WAKY PD Bob Moody
asked Bill to join him at WPOC in Baltimore to team up with Laurie
DeYoung for mornings, but after a few months, it was agreed that it
wasn't a good fit. Bill retired
from radio -- until being coaxed out in 1989 to do PM drive at
WVLK-AM in Lexington where he remained until 1994. Bill is now in a
Louisville-area nursing home recovering from a 2003 stroke. His mind is
still sharp and old Bill Bailey wit remains. [Real Name: William Clyde Boahn]
|
Closed circuit message to WKLO alumni
that worked with Bill Bailey
Contact the Webmaster for Bill's phone number. Bill
would love to hear from you!
Or, write:
Bill Boahn c/o Friendship Manor, 7400 La Grange
Road, Pewee Valley, KY 40056 |
Ted Barbone
WKLO morning drive DJ in
the early '60s.
Did a brief stint as Program Director.
Do you know where he is
today?
Steve Baron
WKLO DJ and newsperson in
the 1960s. Jocked the overnight show in 1965. Later worked at WAKY.
Do you know where he is
today?
Ed Bowman
WKLO overnight and early
afternoon jock in the late '50s and early '60s. Used to do remotes from
the Parkmore Bowling Lanes. Left WKLO to take a job with the Chamber of
Commerce in a Southern Indiana town.
Do you know where he is
today?
Bo Brady
WKLO DJ in the 1970s.
[Real name: Tad Murray] Tad writes: "I was at 'KLO from April
(tornado week) 1973 till mid-1978. Bullitt County was my home but I was
working at KSO, Des Moines before coming to WKLO. After leaving 'KLO I
went to WNUU/WRKA. Today Tom Leech (voice of the UK Wildcats) and I
do mornings on News-Talk-Sports
WLAP in Lexington, Kentucky."
Kentucky Radiomeister Rob Calhoun adds: "Tad also was PD and
afternoon drive at WVLK-FM (K-93) for a couple of years in the eighties and
at WAMZ before that. Tad (or Bo) was the jock who awarded Johnny
Randolph a cash prize, discussed on the 1984 WHAS aircheck. Tad told
me he caught hell. He defended himself by telling management Johnny used
his real last name and he had no way of knowing who it was. A copy of the
WKLO check made out to Johnny was proudly displayed in the WAKY break room
for years."
Chuck Brady
WKLO PM Drive jock
1971-1973. Chuck writes, "It was one of the best times of my 40-year
career."
He's known as Jim Brady
at WRQN-FM in Toledo, Ohio where he does PM drive as well as APD/MD
duties. [Real name: Jim Felton]
Dick Braun
WKLO midday DJ (circa
1971) from
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Also worked at New Orleans' WTIX, Buffalo's
WKBW, Cincinnati's WSAI. Louisville's WINN (under the names Dick Wagner
and Wretched Richard) and WAMZ. Dick passed away on July 28, 2006 at the age of 77.
Chuck Browning
WKLO late-morning jock in
1965. Chuck worked in Philadelphia, Detroit, New York, Los Angeles and San
Francisco after WKLO. Deceased. A May 1965 WKLO survey says of Chuck:
"Memphis-born and raised. Quite active in theatrical work. Fractures the
staff with his comic impersonations. Married and has a small daughter,
Laura Denise."
Allen Bryan
WKLO jock, newsman and
later News Director. He jocked 9 a.m.-12 noon in the early '60s, 7 p.m.-12
midnight between 1964 and 1965, and the Hi-Fi Club in 1961 and in 1964.
Allen writes: "During the years I was with WKLO, I started as the 6p-12m
newsman, moved to doing afternoon drive news and 9a -12n DJ show at the
same time, then to night time teen DJ, then back to news, then appointed
news director, worked morning drive doing news with Bill Bailey for a
couple of years, then off the air as Sales Marketing Manager, then a dual
role and Manager of News and Information which included the news
department. I finally left in December of 1973 to go to work for the Mayor
of Louisville. I never went back to radio after that. In the news
department we generally had about 4-5 full timers and 1-2 part timers, but
at times we had as many as six full time news people. From 1964 on we
always had at least one full times newsperson on the street, not doing
regular newscasts. I'm retired...still living in Louisville. I've been
here since 1960 except for my two years in the Army." Check out the
Allen Bryan Audio Interview and the
Allen Bryan Q & A.
Allen Bryan (April 2007)
C
Dave Carson
WKLO DJ 1969-1970.
WKLO
Dave writes
on September 15, 2007:"Stumbled onto your site a while
back and really enjoyed navigating my way through all the
nostalgia. It was so eerie seeing my name listed, and here I am
just down the road in Nashville. Although my time at WKLO was
rather brief (fall '69 – late spring '70), my memories of the
station and of Louisville are quite vivid. Carl Wigglesworth
hired me from WLAV, a Mike Joseph consulted Top 40
operation in Grand Rapids for 10p - 1a Monday -Friday, Mid. - 2am
Saturday night (taped), and 2 -7 Sunday afternoon. Shortly after
my arrival, Jack Sorbi left for I believe WNDE in
Indianapolis and Mike Smith from WAKY replaced him in the
1-3 PM slot. It sounded cool having a two hour shift but as I
recall, Mike wound up a slave to the sales department, locked in
the production studio cutting and/or carting spots all day.
"I remember letting out a silent groan after entering the control
room for the first time and laying eyes on that clunky push-button
Gates console that I had suffered while working overnights at
country formatted WEXL in Detroit a year or so earlier. At ‘KLO I
wound up slip cueing the records to ensure fast starts. Technology
was decidedly better in the brand new state-of-the-art-recording
studio downstairs, outfitted with Scully 280 series 4-track,
2-track and 1-track decks along with a console featuring slide
controls. I had never seen anything like it in a radio station.
Sadly, all my production duties were carried out in the old studio
upstairs.
"Preceding me on the air every evening from 6 to 10 was Carl
Strandell who did a big personality show directed at teens
with features such as 'Voice Your Choice', and his 'Crystal Ball'
predictions. He would also banter with his grunting sidekick
'Muttley the Wonder-Dog.' Carl also had a 1st class ticket and
would hang around for meter readings until 'Big' Joe London
arrived for his all-night gig. There were many nights when at the
end of my shift, Strandell, newsman John Irwin, and I would
head out into the night for some beer and conversation. First stop
of course, was the Carnival Bar, a somewhat seedy establishment
across the street from the station where the waitresses hustled
lonely guys for drinks, in the days before the practice was
outlawed. They seemed to know the ‘KLO crowd and put their efforts
elsewhere. As you can imagine, 90% of what we talked about had to
do with radio: stations, formats, jocks etc. – where we’d been and
where we were going. On and on it went until we wound up at the
'White Swan,' a great workingman’s 24 - hour downtown restaurant
where we’d each consume a massive T-bone steak, mashed potatoes,
veggies and more for about $3.50. Well, coming up on 4 a.m. – time
to head home and get to bed. I also recall good times at the
'Office' club on Bardstown Rd. and at Masterson’s Restaurant in
Old Louisville. Oh – can’t forget Lentini’s Italian.
"As there were no FM stations programming progressive rock in
Louisville, the last hour of my weekday show was dubbed
'Underground' where I dimmed the lights and played album tracks.
However, it was difficult to create much of a mood because the
station still required that I come out of each song with the WKLO
Sonovox stab and typical exit line. However, after receiving an
advance acetate of John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band’s 'Live Peace in
Toronto' concert, I broke this important ‘KLO commandment and that
landed me in some hot water.
"After WKLO I returned to Grand Rapids working again for WLAV and
then WMAX followed by gigs at WTAC and WWCK in Flint. By the
mid-seventies I was out of radio save for a brief fill-in at a
jazz station in San Francisco. Later while living in Houston,
Texas, I finally completed my BA in Journalism at the University
of Houston. However, I wound up in ad sales - and print rather
than broadcast including five years in LA with the Los Angeles
Business Journal. It was while working in sales for Bud
Paxson’s radio networks here in Nashville back in ’95 that I
wrote my first book titled Rockin’ Down the Dial: The
Detroit Sound of Radio, from Jack the Bellboy to the Big 8
(Momentum Books, 2000). It was a narrative history of radio in my
hometown from the late 1940s to the early 1970s. Casey Kasem,
Dick Purtan, and Bill 'Wild Willy' Hennes wrote
jacket notes. Later I spent six years as Associate Publisher of
the US edition of Audio Media, a trade publication serving the pro
audio recording industry. In 2005, my second book,
Grit, Noise, and Revolution: The Birth of Detroit Rock ‘n’ Roll
was published by University of Michigan Press. It won the
ARSC 2006 Award for Best Research in Recorded Rock Music. The
paperback edition came out in 2006.
"For some strange reason, Louisville, more than any other town
I’ve lived has always held a special fascination. Perhaps because
I crammed a whole lot of living into the short time I was there.
Even today whenever we’re driving through on 65 north, I find
myself pointing to the old brownstone Hampton Hall Apartments on
York Street near Broadway and for the umpteenth time, announcing
to my wife and daughter: 'Hey, over there! That’s where I lived,
right there on the fourth floor.'"
|
Ron Chilton
Station Manager and
announcer on WKLO-FM (which became WCSN).
WKLO
| Ron writes
on August 8, 2006:
"WKLO General Manager
Ernie Gudridge and I were working on our Master's Degrees at U.
of L. in 1973 when he asked me to come to work for him as station
manager of WKLO-FM. I was excited to become part of the WKLO family
even though FM radio was an unknown entity in those days. Mr.
Gudridge divulged his plans for a 'NEW' station and format. Soon
after I arrived we changed the call letters to WCSN (in honor of
Great Trails owner Charles Sawyer) and contracted with
Bonneville to provide us with 'Beautiful Music.'
"For the first few months hardly anyone knew what I was doing there
(including myself at times). One morning I overheard Bob Cline
ask Bill Love: ' Who is that guy and what the hell does he do
here?' I would arrive at 5am at the KLO studios, disappear into the
DUNGEON (the WCSN studio was located in the basement), do my morning
show, then attend to my managerial duties until 2 p.m. and leave the
building...with the ROCK JOCKS aka Bo Brady and Gary Major
asking the same question: 'Who is that guy?'
"We did everything we could think of to bolster ratings and make FM
a 'viable' frequency. (Who knew what it would become?) We even sold
FM converters to auto owners for $9.95 with FREE INSTALLATION. AM
radio was still 'the thing' in the mid-70s and WCSN-FM was viewed
mostly as an automated monster in the dungeon that needed attention
(much to the chagrin of the WKLO jocks) lest it stop working
altogether.
"I was offered the position of station manager and chief announcer
on WUOL, the new University of Louisville radio station in 1976. I
stayed in Public Broadcasting for a couple of years, but longed for
the competitiveness of commercial radio and went to work for
Sunnyside Communications (WXVW) in 1980 and stayed with that company
for almost 20 years (a long GIG in this business). Sunnyside bought
WAVG (formerly WAVE radio) in the early '90s and I retired in 1998
while serving at Operations Director and morning DJ on WAVG playing
the 'Music of Your Life.'
"I am now partially retired and working as a public speaker for
Louisville Technical Institute, a part of Sullivan University in
Louisville." |
Bill Clark
WKLO overnight jock in the mid
'60s. Terrell Metheny says Bill was "the first black guy on a
general market radio station in America back before EEO stuff came in."
Bill went to Washington DC. Last heard, he was the pool announcer for the
radio and TV networks that announce the President of the United States.
Do you know where he is
today?
Bob Cline
WKLO weekend/swing jock
for a large portion of the mid-to-late '70s. Gary Major reports Bob "did
every air talent's voice in the city. Don't really know what he sounded
like."
WKLO
| Bob Cline writes
on June 3, 2005:
"I worked at WKLO
beginning in December, 1973. I did (as Gary Major offered)
weekends and swing shifts till January, 1975.
"I went back to WKLO in February, 1976, did news on WCSN three
nights a week, and did 2 or 3 weekend shifts. Remember those FM
stations back then that played 'The World's Most Beautiful Music?'
WCSN was one of those (soon to become "THE NEW KJ-100" in 1979).
About June, 1976, I did middays in between Lee Gray in the morning
and Bo Brady (Tad Murray) in the afternoon. Rusty Rodgers
(God bless his soul) did evenings at that time. I was on middays
live for about 4 months and then they infiltrated an automation
system that eventually was pitched. I eventually did 11p - 2a from
about January - August, 1977. At that time I left and went to WLAC
in Nashville.
"I returned to the same company (Great Trails Broadcasting) in the
Summer, 1980, and worked on KJ-100's AM, which had switched to
Country 11. I eventually did afternoons there (with Bill Bailey
in the morning for a little over 2 years. The call letters
eventually became WCII. The station did well till about 1983, when
Coyote and crew [at WAMZ] started kicking ass.
"By the way, I started seriously listening to WAKY and WKLO on Labor
Day 1960!
"Today I live in East Louisville and I'm a Alcohol/Drug Counselor
for a place called
Ten Broeck Hospital. I love it. I
quote lines from songs sometimes in group. Some of the other
employees know I used to be in radio and tell the patients, who in
turn ask me about it. There have been a few that all but freaked
out, 'Wow, that was you?' I just say something like, 'Yeah, that was
me! And just standing next to me will be added on to your bill.'
They love it when we joke around with them.
"My boss asks me why I don't do something with radio these days and
I just say something like, 'It ain't what it used to be!' And it
isn't. I tune around just hoping to hear some semblance of what
radio was in the '60s, '70s, '80s, hell, I'll even take the 90s. I
get excited when I hear Dick Clark's 'Rock, Roll & Remember' on WASE
in Ft. Knox on Sunday Nights. 'Oh, Dick Baby, keep em, comin'.' I
respected the hell out of the guys on WSAI from January, 2003 to
January, 2005, for doing what they did. They had fun. I listened to
every God blessed word.
"I can remember standing in the studio of WAKY with Jim Brand and
Timothy L. Tyler. I think it was in 1964. They did this experiment
to see how many people they could fit in the studio, and this friend
of mine & I went down to 5th & Jefferson Streets (on the bus mind
you), at like 5:30 in the morning. I remember it was wintertime,
that's all. It was a blast. Ed Bowman let me 'cue up' The Beach Boys
"Surfin' Safari" in the old KLO studios in the Commonwealth
Building. It was probably in the Summer of 1962. I floated home.
"See that's what was so fun about it all. We, the people in live
radio, 'spinnin' the platters, makin' the chatter,' did all kinds of
kind of risky, interesting stuff.
"Oh, by the way, I
don't remember the bit about singing along with Paul Simon's 'Kodachrome'
on WKLO in '76 or '77, but I don't deny that it happened. I probably
did it, knowing me." |
Stan Cook
WKLO newsman in the mid-to-late '70s. Also worked at WAKY as well as
stations in Indiana; Elizabethtown, Kentucky; and Lexington, Kentucky. Now
does news for Louisville's NPR News Station,
WFPL.
Roy Cooper
WKLO PM Drive DJ in 1964. Also worked at WISH in Indianapolis, WPLO in
Atlanta, WSAI in Cincinnati, WPOP in Hartford and WIBC in Indianapolis.
The WPOP tribute site said that as of 1998, Roy was believed to be retired
from radio in Indianapolis.
Do you know where he is
today?
Paul Cowley
WKLO 6 p.m.-9 p.m. jock
from the mid '50s to the early '60s. Previously worked at WLW in
Cincinnati and WLEX in Lexington. Hired to replace Beecher Frank. Known
for doing Coca-Cola Hi-Fi Club remotes from area high schools. Left WKLO
to work for Chicago-based Polaris Broadcasting Company. Now lives in Santa
Fe, New Mexico where he works in the tourism industry.
More about Paul Cowley
Jack Crawford
WKLO DJ in the early
'70s. On January 2, 2001 he became a regional sales executive with AP
Radio, based in Los Angeles. Prior to that, he spent seven years with
Westwood One, including time as a regional format manager. Before his time
at Westwood One, Jack worked in Nashville as the general manager of
WGFX-FM. Do you know where he is
today?
Paul Crawford
WKLO 9 a.m.-12 noon jock
in the early '60s. Do you
know where he is today?
Bill Crisp
Morning DJ in 1964 and 1965. Known as "The Emperor." Left for WAKY when
Terrell Metheny hired Bill Bailey to be WKLO's morning man. After leaving
WAKY, Bill became PD and morning man at WLAP in Lexington, Kentucky. He
later went to work as News Director and Anchor at WTVQ-TV in Lexington,
plus did a morning slot at WKXO in Berea, Kentucky. Bill also co-owned
radio stations in Delaware. He retired in 1993 and lives in Millsboro,
Delaware. A May 1965 WKLO survey says of Bill: "Fourteen years
professional experience. Tennessee native whose father was also in radio.
Married and the father of two little Crispies. Enjoys playing, of all
things, the flugelhorn!"
D
Chuck Diamond WKLO DJ who
came from Peoria and worked for Robin Walker there. He did late
nights in either '74 or early '75. In recent years, he has been in
Rockford, IL, at WKMQ, and at WNTA, which he left in January, 2004.
Do you know where he is today?
Mason Lee Dixon
Late-night DJ for a short time in 1977 or 1978. He worked at WAKY from
1969 to 1972, then left for St. Louis and later, California. When he
returned from California, Mason came to work at WKLO. He is currently
employed at the Holiday Manor BP on US 42 (Brownsboro Road) in Louisville.
[Real name: David Bratcher]
Eileen Douglas
WKLO anchor/reporter and
talk program host/producer (November 1970-June 1974) and News Director
(June 1974-February 1976). Left WKLO for New York. She worked in WAKY's
news department (September 1970-November 1970) before moving to WKLO.
Eileen
most recently worked as a correspondent on ABC TV's Lifetime Magazine.
Before that she spent nearly 18 years at all-news WINS Radio, where she
was the midday anchor for ten years, as well as a reporter, editor and
writer. During those years she also worked as a weekend reporter for WNEW-TV,
and as a news anchor for the ABC Radio network. While in Louisville, she
was also co-host & producer of "NOW," a TV show on WHAS-TV. Today Eileen
works in New York City as a partner at Steinman-Douglas Productions.
Eileen Douglas Today
WKLO
|
From a James Doussard Courier-Journal
Column (June 1974):
Eileen Douglas has been named news
director of WKLO Radio 1080 and WCSN-FM (99.7).
She will supervise and direct a staff
of nine newscasters and reporters.
In making the appointment, the
stations' president and general manager, E.A. Gudridge, said that,
to his knowledge, Ms. Douglas "becomes the only woman now in charge
of a separately staffed broadcast news department."
The selection was made, Gudridge
said, based on "experience, preparation and journalistic
perception."
Ms. Douglas joined WKLO News in
November 1970 as a part-time reporter. For the past two years, she
has been assignment editor and has produced a public-affairs program
called "The News Special" broadcast at 8:30 a.m. Sundays on both
stations.
She was graduated magna cum laude
from Syracuse University in 1968, earning election to Phi Beta
Kappa.
A Syracuse, New York native, Ms.
Douglas is married to Jeff Douglas, a WHAS Radio 840 broadcast
personality. They have a daughter, Rachel, 3.
She is co-producer with Jeff of
WHAS-11's weekly half hour show, "Now."
Before coming to Louisville, Ms.
Douglas reported news for FM radio and TV stations in Syracuse and
was a reporter and feature writer for The Syracuse Herald-Journal. |
Ken Douglas
Haberdashery
employee-turned-WKLO personality during the British Invasion years. A
native Englander, his British accent and knowledge of the Beatles and
other English acts took the WKLO airwaves by storm in 1965. He normally
was on during the 6 p.m. hour and his segment was initially called
"Anglo-Mania." Toured with the Beatles and filed reports on WKLO. Friend
of Davy Jones of the Monkees, with whom he went into the haberdashery
business in California after leaving Louisville. Worked at WINN and WAKY
after he and WKLO parted company. Now works in the retail clothing
business in the Los Angeles area and lives in Marina del Ray, California.
A May 1965 WKLO survey says of Ken: "Kentuckiana's only live in-person
disc jockey hailing from London, England. Has seen many of the top English
groups in person. Much in demand for personal appearances."
Ken Douglas Audio Interview
1965 Ken Douglas Article
Tommy Downs
WKLO country DJ in the
1950s.
Fern Creek, Kentucky record collector Marty Childress reports that
"Tommy Downs died in 1976. He had relocated to Nashville where he owned a
recording studio. He also worked as a producer."
Jim Driskill
WKLO part-time jock in
the early to mid '60s.
Do you know where he is
today?
E
John Egan
WKLO weekend and
overnight DJ between April and October 1975. Previously did PM drive at WLAP in Lexington,
Kentucky. Retired from radio after WKLO. Now lives in Orlando, Florida.
Mark Elliot
WKLO DJ in the early
'70s. [Real name: Rufus C. Hurt] Last known to be doing production
work in the Johnson City, Tennessee area.
Do you know where he is today?
Tim England WKLO-WCSN DJ
and newsperson in the late '70s.
WKLO
|
WKLO |
Tim England
(August 2006)
Tim England
writes:
"I worked at
WKLO-WCSN from May 1977 to May 1979. Initially, I was a jock for
WKLO working weekends and then overnights. During the summer of
1978, I became a weekday announcer (middays) before making the
leap to news during the winter of '78, and that's where I
remained until May 1979.
"I left Louisville
for graduate school at Indiana University in 1979 but continued
working in radio news in Bloomington. After earning a master's
degree in 1982, I worked briefly at WHAS before leaving for
Richmond, Virginia, to work at the Virginia News Network. Three
years later, in 1986, I returned to my native state to work as
news director of WKYU-FM in Bowling Green and to teach at
Western Kentucky University. Then in 1990 I went back to
graduate school at the University of Tennessee where I earned a
doctorate in 1994. For the past 12 years, I have been a
professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, where
I teach Mass Communication and serve as coordinator of the
electronic media sequence.
"My first shifts at
WKLO were quite memorable. The big news that first night in May
1977 was the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire. Also, there was a
shooting that night down the street at Louisville Gardens. So,
we had chaos up and down Walnut Street (Muhammad Ali Blvd.)
which I observed through the storefront window. For
a small town boy from Eighty Eight, KY, life in the big city
seemed action packed.
"Another memory that
sticks with me is pulling split shifts -- three hours as a rock
jock on 'KLO and three hours as a low-key, soft-voiced beautiful
music announcer on WCSN. I became quite the coffee drinker just
to get through the latter half of my day.
"I worked with some
wonderful people at WKLO -- Rip Rinehart, Steve Parker,
Rusty Rodgers, Tad Murray (a.k.a. Bo Brady)
-- but always lived in fear of aircheck reviews with Lee Gray
and later Gary Major.
"Nonetheless, they
taught me a lot."
|
F
Ed Farron
WKLO announcer between
1949 and 1953. [Real name: Edmund Futterman]
WKLO
| Ed Farron
writes on February 1, 2006: "For
old times sake I just checked the WKLO 'roster.' The only name I
recognized was Beecher Frank; that's because I used to work
with him between 1949 and 1953. Does anyone remember the mini music
boxes he played on the air back then? He was a very talented,
articulate guy!
"In the early 50's we did one of the very early 2-man disc shows:
the Farron-Bright Show (Ed Farron and Robin Bright). Does
someone know where Robin might be? I also did the Night Shift: a
late night record show that followed the Foster Brooks Show.
In the mornings, Jimmie Osborne and his little group would
get the station rolling. Charlie Farmer did Farm News
(surprise!). Mary Lou Moore wrote copy, D.C. Summerfield
was the Chief Engineer and Joe Eaton the General Manager.
Plus Randy Atcher...big time country player!
"...and I turned down WAVE when they offered me the first TV host
spot in town, because they offered 5 bucks a week less than I was
making at WKLO! Well, I was young in those days!
"I was reading a
couple of letters from guys talking about the 50's. The early 50's
was a great period in KLO history. Beecher Frank was certainly a big
part of it. And Foster Brooks! He wasn't there long, but made lots
of friends while he was around. Then he went on to national fame.
"Jean Clos; News Director. I wonder how many remember him and
his 'Clos Look at the News.' He'd come in about 9:45 pm (or later)
to do a 15-minute 10:00 o'clock newscast (a bit worse for the wear).
He'd rip the news off the machine, put it together in some sort of
fashion, and ad lib around the stories...making this his 'Clos Look
at the News.'
"In the afternoon, a genial record shop owner on Louisville's main
street would do a live, remote 15-minute record show from behind his
store-front window. The theme song was Glenn Miller's 'String of
Pearls.' Afterwards, the 2-hour Farron-Bright Show...which featured
a constant flow of doughnuts, chocolates, ice cream, etc...provided
by our sponsors, and wolfed down during the show by the two of us
while plugging the contributors. Great fun.
"Someone mentioned Jack Bendt. He arrived at KLO about 1951.
I don't know how long he stayed. Jack Everbach (a local boy!)
was one of the announcers. It would be great to hear from him. And I
wonder if the station is still doing the live Organ Show from the
bar of the Henry Clay Hotel. (I doubt it).
"I left WKLO in '53 to go to WBBM, Chicago. Would really enjoy
hearing from anyone who recalls that era. Anyone still around?
"I'm retired. The
last gig for me was 'Swingin' the Blues' at the local University
radio station (KCSN). Did this for a couple of years, on Saturdays,
and gave it up a few years ago. Now I'm just a listener." |
Jim Fletcher
WKLO jock and newsman
during the 1960s from Guthrie, Oklahoma. Later went to work at WAKY.
Deceased. A May 1965 WKLO survey says of Jim: "Six year veteran of our Air
Force. Hails from Guthrie, Oklahoma. Responsible for much of the
production you hear on the air. Member of the Clarksville Little Theatre
Board of Directors."
WKLO
| Allen Bryan
writes: "I
worked with Jim in Lawton, Oklahoma before we both joined WKLO. Jim
came to Louisville first, probably in late 1959, and I followed in
May of 1960. He recommended me to Barney Groven.
"Jim was a very quiet and self-contained intelligent guy and was an
excellent production person. He loved producing commercials and
promos and was an artist with splicing audiotape. He was a DJ, but
he preferred production. His most unique quality as a DJ was that
you could walk into the control room while he was talking on the
air, and you couldn’t actually hear what he was saying. He always
used a very low volume voice level, and he always sounded great. I
finally learned to appreciate his approach and in my later years at
WKLO lowered by voice projection level considerably. Jim used to
tell me, 'You don’t have to shout. That’s what the microphone and
amplifiers are for.'
"On a personal level,
Jim was well read, liked classical music and was active in amateur
theatre. Unfortunately we lost touch with each other after he went
to WAKY and I went into government." |
Joe Fletcher
WKLO overnight jock in
the early-to-mid 1960s. Also worked at WAKY. Later worked at WAVE/WAVG for many years. Now
retired in Louisville.
Tom Foerster
WKLO sports reporter in
the mid '70s. He subsequently went to work at an ad agency in Louisville.
Do you know where he is
today?
Beecher Frank
WKLO night jock in the
mid '50s who played pop music while the rest of the DJs played country
(and thus had a large teenaged audience). Left WKLO to work for WGRC
(which became WAKY) and was replaced by Paul Cowley.
Also did radio in Miami, Florida and Lexington, Kentucky. He died in 1994
in his hometown of Somerset, Kentucky.
WKLO
| Bernice
Apte-Plante of Ennis, Montana writes:
"Beecher was my
ex-husband's uncle. After he left radio, Beecher took over his
mother's business and retired...just dinked around with antiques,
etc. His wife Gloria is still living in Somerset. Beecher was a real
character, curious about everything and everyone -- and very well
read. He was one of my favorite people. He marched to his own
drummer!" |
G
Jack Gallo
WKLO night jock for about
a year in 1964 and 1965. He also did some newscaster duties. Jack
previously worked with Bill Crisp, Chuck Browning, and
Charlie Fletcher at WKGN in Knoxville, Tennessee. He left WKLO to go
to WAVE where he remained for over a decade, and departed WAVE for a two
year stint at WMT in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today Jack does mornings at
WAMB in Nashville, Tennessee where he's been since the early '90s. A
May 1965 WKLO survey says of Jacks: "Handsome and personable with a large
following. His position as Music Director keeps him on top of the record
business. Another of our airmen who received his radio baptism in
Memphis."
Mike Gavin
WKLO DJ in the early
'60s. After WKLO, Mike
was half of the morning team (when that was unheard of) at WCPO 1230 Radio
in Cincy (the "Shad & Mike Show"). Prior to 'KLO, he was on the air at
WMNI in Columbus, Ohio. Bob Shannon reports in July 2006 that Mike came
out of a nine-year retirement to become Sales Manager at Cincinnati oldies
outlet WDJO (1160 AM).
Lee Gray
WKLO jock in 1967-1968,
1970-1973 and 1973-1978. Previous on-air stints included gigs in Albany,
Milwaukee, Chicago and Cleveland. Also worked at WMCA in New York City and
WBBF in Rochester, New York. He
began his career in Germany in the early '60s while in the Army. Worked at
WAKY between his second and third stints at WKLO. Enjoyed flying. Became
Program Director during his last tour at WKLO. Left WKLO to begin a
Christian ministry at KGOL in Houston, Texas. Continued working in
Christian radio at in KSBJ in Humble, Texas for the last seven years of
his life. Passed away in 1996 in Kingswood, Texas. [Real name: Royce
Lee Darling]
Official Lee Gray Website
WKLO
Tim England
writes: "I was a deejay and program director in Bowling Green before
I came to Louisville. My girlfriend graduated from college and got a
job in the River City, so I put together a decent resume and tape
and headed there to look for a job. I called ahead, and the program
directors of WAVE (don't remember his name), WHAS (Jerry David
Malloy) and WAKY (Johnny Randolph) were all very gracious
and agreed to see me on the same day, but when I called Lee Gray
he was very gruff and said 'No, I don't want to see you. I don't
want to listen to your aircheck. Don't bother. Heck, I might like
you, and I have a full staff. If I liked you, I might have to fire
somebody, and I don't want to fire anybody right now.'
"Well, awrighty then. I'll skip that interview, thank you very much.
So, I went to Louisville in mid-May 1977 and saw Randolph and Malloy
and a couple of others. Then I was about ready to go home and was
walking down the street toward my car when, lo and behold, I found
myself in front of the storefront studios of WKLO. I thought, 'What
the hell, I've got this extra tape and resume. I'll just leave it at
the desk.'
"I went in and told
the receptionist what I wanted to do, and she said, 'Mr. Gray is
here. Do you want to see him?' I said, 'Oh no. I don't want to do
that.' And I turned around and left the station and left Louisville.
Would you believe he called me the next day and offered me a job? He
told me someone on his staff quit the day I showed up. I guess I was
at the right place at the right time on that particular day.
"I asked him once why
he used the 'stage' name, Lee Gray, and not his real name, Lee
Darling. He replied, 'We're in the South, son. You don't go on the
air and call yourself "Darling"!!'"
_________________________
Former WKLO and WAKY
newsman Reed Yadon, when asked if it was true if Lee Gray was
his flight instructor, replied: "Lee did check me out in several
different airplanes. I was already licensed, but he did serve as the
check-out pilot for retractable GA airplanes and did some work on me
on multi-engine aircraft.
"Lee and I used to take friends and fly to Florida for the weekend.
Once we went down to Florida and back in the same day just for the
heck of it. Lee had to get back to do a Coke Hi-Fi club remote that
night. We brought some sand back to prove our trip.
"We landed at O'Hare Airport in a single engine plane at 3 a.m.
once. We had left Louisville after our Friday evening shift to spend
the weekend in Chicago. On final approach we were spaced between
jets and we darn near had to maintain cruise airspeed to keep from
getting run over by the jet following us. Also the controller asked
if we had the runway in sight and I replied, 'Yes, the one with the
lights on' and he replied, 'Sir, we have 18 runways with lights on.'
"Lee was a very good plot and loved his flying. I learned a great
deal from him as flying is nothing more than a constant process of
learning. He was also helicopter rated.
"Lee was a great guy who died far too young."
WKLO
UPI Wire Report:
September 18, 1968
Would-be car
thieves might keep this one in mind. Louisville police this
afternoon spotted a 1966 blue Corvette Stingray with New York
license pates traveling at high speed downtown on Ninth Street.
Patrolman Alton Carr immediately telephoned the [police] station to
inquire if there was an stolen car report. There was none. But a
radio station newsman -- Reed Yadon of WKLO -- was monitoring the
police radio...and recognized the description as a car owned by a
fellow disc jockey (Lee Gray) then on the air.
It took a few minutes to convince the DJ his car had been taken from
his parking spot near the radio station, but Yadon contacted the
police. The stolen vehicle was stopped. One youngster ran outside
and eluded officers, but the other, a 17-year old Louisville boy,
was arrested. All the while the two youths had been listening to the
car radio -- tuned to the newsman's account of the theft. A lesson
might be: Make sure that car doesn't belong to a disc jockey. |
|
|
|
Jon Grey
WKLO late-morning jock
that joined WKLO in 1967. Native of Owensboro, Kentucky who previously
worked in Evansville, Indiana. Left WKLO to go to Pittsburgh. [Real name:
Jon Fantini]
WKLO
| Jon writes on
April 21, 2005:
"I go by the air name
Jon Summers and work in television now. I'm with WKBW-TV,
Channel 7 in Buffalo, New York.
"I joined WKLO early in the year of 1967; I don't remember whether
it was February or March. was only there about a year, but it was
one of the most memorable years in my some 47 years in the industry.
"Perhaps the most memorable, but not the most pleasant, was the day
one of the major ratings came in and apparently I kicked butt.
Mitch Michael, the PD, called me into his office and told me
about the ratings. However, instead of congratulating me and telling
me "good job," he looked at me and said he just didn't get it, but I
must be doing something right. Then he said he was busy and had to
get back to work.
"Other than that, I had
a great year." |
Barney Groven
WKLO PD 1959-1962 and in
1964. Barney went to WKLO in 1959 as program director when the station
changed format to fulltime Top 40. At the time he was married to Dottie
Knight (real name: Dottie Unwin) who did nights at WKLO. (They
divorced in 1964.) According to Dottie, "Barney once said he got his start
in radio by hanging around a station in his hometown of Piqua, Ohio until
they finally gave in let him go on the air. Before WKLO, Barney worked at
several radio and television stations including KEPO in El Paso, Texas.
After leaving WKLO in 1962, Barney worked in New York City in radio sales.
He also worked at KRIZ in Phoenix, Arizona, before his return to WKLO in
1964. Sometime in 1965, he worked briefly at WTOD in Toledo, Ohio. In 1965
he was hired to work at WLCY in Tampa, Florida as a newsman using the name
J. Paul Robinson. He remained there until sometime in the mid '70s.
While employed at WLCY, Barney also worked as a consultant to several
radio stations including WKKE in Asheville, North Carolina. After leaving
radio, Barney went into business with his second wife, Carlotta." Barney
passed away in October of 1998 at the age of 62 due to lung cancer.
Fleetwood Gruver III
(Yes, that was his real name and air name.) WKLO production director who
tried to fill the shoes of Mike Rivers. Fleetwood left Louisville
to go to Atlanta. Gary Major says Fleetwood was the "first radio
guy I knew that had a BMW." Today Fleetwood is in Orlando, Florida as
Operations Manager of Cox Broadcasting's
WHTQ and
WMMO. (He programs WMMO
directly.)
H
Jody Hein
WKLO newsperson in the
mid '70s. Now Jody Puckett, she is Acting Assistant County
Administrator for James City County, Virginia.
Bill Hennes
Was WKLO night jock Wild
Willy 1966-1967. Later returned to WKLO as Program Director (1971-1973).
Left WKLO to be PD of CLKW in Windsor-Detroit. Became a program consultant
in 1981. Bill now runs
AllAboutCountry.com from his home in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Bill Hennes Audio Interview
Bob "Bones" Henry
WKLO newsman and
"Director of Special Events" in the 1960s. Retired from WKLO in 1971 He
had worked at WKLO for 16 years, and previously at WINN and in Paducah.
Got his start in radio in the Army Air Corps in 1941. Became a Kentucky
State Representative for the 39th District (Downtown Louisville). [Real
Name: Robert Henry Eicher] Died in the Early '90s at the age of 67
in Portsmouth, Ohio.
Beverly Herald
The wife of Bill Love,
she did news for WKLO and WCSN for about a six-month period in the
mid-70s. She and Bill are still married and live in the Evansville,
Indiana area.
Montgomery Hogg
WKLO DJ around 1970. He
was the jock who flipped the Rugbys' 45 from "Stay With Me" to "You, I" and
it became a national hit. Based on that, he was offered a gig at SSS
International (Shelby Singleton) in Nashville where he produced the first
two "Bootleg Top 40" compilations. After that, he moved onto Elektra as
National Country Promotion Director signing folks like Eddie Rabbitt.
[Real Name: Mike Suttle]
Do you know where he is
today?
Joe Holcomb
WKLO morning drive DJ in
the early 1960s. He later DJ-ed at WSIX in Nashville and played Bozo the
Clown on WSIX-TV for several years, plus moonlighted as Santa Claus at
Harding Mall. Deceased.
Jim Holton
WKLO evening DJ for about
three months in the '70s. Tim England writes: "Jim and I worked in
radio together in Bowling Green (WBGN) and Louisville (WKLO). He then went
back to Bowling Green to work as a weatherman for WBKO-TV. After that, he
left broadcasting to work for the Bowling Green-Warren County Chamber of
Commerce in the late 1980s. Later he became economic development director
for neighboring Logan County." Today Jim is a consultant based in
Somerset, Kentucky.
Jack Hood
WKLO Morning DJ. He had
been Assistant PD of WJR (the Great Voice of the Great Lakes) in Detroit.
Gary Major says, "I hired him to come in and do mornings. He had
been on a station in Flint, Michigan when I was in Saginaw...and I always
liked his style. We paid him big bucks for the time. He was a good guy and
would have really done well here but he was coming in just before the
other shoe fell."
Jack also worked at WCEN in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and WTRX in Flint,
Michigan, among other stations. He passed away at the age of 60 in March,
2002.
"Daddy" Dee Humphries
WKLO nighttime DJ (6 p.m.-10
p.m.) hired by Lee Gray in the '70s. Dee had been PD at
Black-formatted WLOU. Gary Major reports that Dee used to arrive
about 6:15 as he had to walk down from the Greyhound bus station six
blocks away where he was customer service/counter help during the day.
Do you know where he is
today?
"Hitman Mac" Hunter
WKLO weekend and
overnight DJ 1976 through 1979. Currently a traffic reporter with
Metro Traffic in Louisville. He also owns a car shop where he builds and
sells sports cars. [Real Name: Lloyd McKinney Hunter]
Dave Hutcheson
WKLO's last morning man
("Hutch in the Morning"). Gary Major says Dave "had been doing PM
Drive. When Jack Hood decided that he was seeing the other shoe
fall...and got out of town...I knew I was in trouble as the PD when Jack
called me and said he had returned to Michigan (after working that
morning). This happened on my birthday. 'Happy Birthday Gary!'" Today
Dave is the morning man of
WBTM in Danville,
Virginia. (More from Hutch here.)
I
John Irwin
WKLO newsman in 1969 and
1970. Dave Carson writes: "He came to 'KLO from WERK in his
hometown of Muncie, IN. and was the evening news guy from the fall of '69
to fall of '70. In addition he deejayed the all-night show on Sunday
night. After WKLO he returned to WERK. The rest is a bit foggy but
eventually his career included stints as General Manager of WYNY (NBC's FM
in New York) around 1986 and later as GM at WBZ in Boston during the late
'80s. After that we we lost track of each other."
Do you know where he is
today?
Jim Ives
WKLO overnight jock in
1966. Also worked at WKLO using the name Jim Russell. Later taught
broadcasting at Jeffersonville High School. Deceased. [Real name: Jim
Reuff]
Quinn Ivy
WKLO PM drive DJ in 1961.
Allen Bryan writes: "There was a guy named Quinn Ivy who was a DJ and a
record producer that was associated with some of the recording that was
done in the studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama starting in the late '60s. I
have done a Google search and the majority of the hits are related to the
fact that he produced 'When a Man Loves a Woman' by Percy Sledge. I think
he is also credited as being one of the writers."
Do you know where he is
today?
J
David James
Worked in the WKLO
newsroom in 1978 and 1979. [Real name: David Smith]
WKLO
| David writes on
July 22, 2005:
"In my freshman year
of college I was an intern at WHAS-TV in the fall of 1977. Jess
Peterson was News Director at WKLO at the time, and was going to
start an internship program there in January 1978. I saw a posting
at school, applied and was his first intern! My father, Jim Smith,
was an anchor/reporter at WLKY-TV 32 from 1961-69, so I always had
an interest in TV and radio.
"After being at WKLO
a few weeks, Bernie Thompson allowed Jess to add me to the
payroll. I learned a lot back then from Jess and Dave Jacob
Straub and Barry Steiger...and became friends with Bo
Brady, Rusty Rodgers, Hitman Mac, Tim Hurst,
Don St. John, Scott Thompson and others.
"I have fond memories
of giving Bo Brady his morning 'wake-up; calls to make sure he'd
roll in for his 5am show, late nights downstairs listening to new
records, WKLO Pepsi Basketcases ballgames, backstage with Rusty and
John Denver at Freedom Hall, Hitman's first ride in his Porsche with
the headlights taped in place, Sunday night White Castle runs...the
list goes on! I was like a sponge back then, soaking up everything I
could from everyone willing to share and teach -- and I am to this
day, grateful for all who shared their time and knowledge with me.
"I then worked a
series of radio shows in smaller markets, and my last gig in radio
ended in 2001 as host of 'Morning Talk with Dave James' at WULF-FM,
a 50,000 FM station based in Radcliff, KY, when it was an all-talk
formatted station.
"Today, I am in real
estate property management and still own and operate a Mobile DJ
business (At Your Service DJ's ), begun with my first gig via WKLO
back in '78, thanks to Gary Major not wanting the gig! The mirror
ball and motor I still use today was purchased for that first paying
gig in '78 from the old Ayr-Way store at the former Bashford Manor
Mall!
"My wife, Donna and I
live in Crestwood, KY. She has three grown daughters and I have a
son who is the Sports Editor for a weekly newspaper and a daughter
attending EKU. We're going to become grandparents for the first time
in October 2006. My, how times flies!
"I'd love to hear
from anyone from that era and thank John Quincy for his creation and
dedication to this site!" |
Jack James
WKLO nighttime DJ in 1964.
Do you know where he is
today?
Michael Jennings
On-air personality in the
mid '50s. His son Marc writes: "After WKLO, he left radio for a time, then
returned to the air on WLIR in the Garden City Hotel, Garden City, Long
Island. (Another of the hotel's claims to fame is that Charles Lindbergh
stayed there before leaving for
France.) Dad's was a late-night talk show. I was on a few times. After
that, Dad left live on-air, but he did make another foray into radio via
tape. He created a company called Radio Upstarts. The key program was a
nostalgia/history-brought-to-life show called 'Time Was...' Alas, the time
wasn't right for it. He moved on to other endeavors, primarily writing and
advertising. He died in 1989."
Jim Jensen
Newsman in the late '70s.
Died October 18, 1999.
Rex Jones
WKLO afternoon drive DJ
in the early '60s.
Worked at KAKC in Tulsa,
Oklahoma as PD in the late 1950s. Left WKLO to go to KDEO in San Diego,
California and eventually became PD at KLIF in Dallas, Texas in 1963. Died in
Dallas in 1998.
K
Jackson Kane
WKLO newsperson who was
became News Director at one time. Came to Louisville from Memphis in April
1969 as a DJ at WAKY. He moved to WKLO in December 1969. Kane retired in
2002 after a long career in radio news. He produced a syndicated
commentary called "Kane's World" for a number of years. He served in the
United States Marine Corps, and fought in the Korean conflict. [Real name:
Carl Wigley] Died October 27, 2004.
Sherrie Kendall
Newsperson in 1977.
Also worked at WAKY.
Do you know where she is
today?
Tom Kennedy
WKLO jock 1972-1974. Left
WKLO to go to do PM drive at WCOL in Columbus, Ohio, also owned by WKLO's
parent company, Great Trails. Now works for ABC's
Adult Contemporary programming service in Dallas, Texas. [Real name:
James Barnes]
Dottie Knight (Groven)
Barney Groven's wife; did
9 p.m.-12 midnight from 1959-1961. Native of El Paso, Texas, where she
worked at KEPO. Barney and she divorced in 1964. Dottie worked in other
on-air radio gigs in Louisiana, Ohio, New York, and New Jersey. Worked
several years in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, as Lolita at WLCY
and Jackie Lae at WFSO. Retired from broadcasting in the early
'70s. Today she's remarried and living in Scottsdale, Arizona where she
works part-time as a respiratory therapist specializing in asthma
education. [Real name: Dorothy Unwin]
Dottie Knight (April 2007)
Ken Knight
WKLO newsman for eight
years in the 1960s, specializing in courts coverage. Ken was a native of
Austin, Minnesota and was in Louisville radio for nearly two decades,
working also at WINN and WKYW. He passed away in a Louisville hospital at
the age of 47 around 1974 after a long illness. He was unmarried. [Real name: Francis Ververka] Deceased.
Charlie Knox
WKLO overnight and
late-morning DJ in the mid '60s. Later worked in Denver, Houston, New York
and San Francisco using the airname Rick Shaw. Deceased. A May 1965
WKLO survey says of Charlie: "Youngest and tallest member of our Air
Force. Possessed with a great voice. Keeps things really swinging through
the wee hours of the morning."
L
Ron Lake and Dan Mason (November 2007)
Ron Lake
WKLO night jock in 1973
and 1974. Now lives in Nashville, Tennessee where he works as a software
trainer. [Real Name: Jim Hicks] From the "If You First You Don't
Succeed" Department: Ron's
WKLO Rejection Letter from PD Bill Hennes.
Robert E. Lee
WKLO part-time jock for
about 6 months in
1975. He programmed WXVW in Jeffersontown in 1972, then moved down to
Lexington to do afternoon drive at WVLK. Left WKLO to do nights at
WTMA in Charleston,
South Carolina, followed by afternoons at cross-town WCSC.
He later came back to Charleston and worked at WKQB. Today he's a
Web positioning
consultant based out of California. [Real name: Gerry Cunningham]
Shotgun Sam Lee
WKLO night jock in
1973/74; Gary Major says about Sam: "Mostly Native American...all crazy."
Now retired and living in Seattle, Washington.
Sam's Website
| Sam Lee writes on
March 3, 2008: "Think
I got hired by Robin Walker in mid Spring 1973, just before
the April ratings were underway. I came up to KLO from putting WCGQ
on the air in Columbus, GA. Robin hired me because I was a good bull
rider. (That's an in joke since both he and I also rode bucking
horses in rodeos from time to time.) I replaced the Rock and Roll
Pig, Ron Lake. Danny Mason was in his final few weeks
at KLO at the time. Big Bill Love was mornings, Gary Major
was trying to do middays, Bo Brady was PM drive then me.
After Ron Lake left, Robin hired Chuck Diamond from Cincy.
"Ty Meredith was news director. Mike Rivers was in
production. Was there through the summer of 1974 and left to return
as PD of KISN in Portland, Oregon. Following KISN I spent several
more years on-air and then migrated into sales in radio and TV for
about ten years, finally settling in Seattle, WA and owning a
broadcast advertising agency until I retired in 2002.
"Photos? Why heck no, I had to get rid of them when I got married.
But there are tons of great stories. Stories about Bob Cline.
One time I took three or four vacation days to visit Bob at his gig
in Paducah. When I arrived in town, he got fired! Or the night on
the air when Rusty Rodgers was trying to do a newscast and he was,
as usually, murdering every pronunciation in the book. For instance
he was talking about Dull-lou Airport in Washington DC. You and I
knew it as Dulles. Or he was talking about the Cincinnati Red
rooster. Most folks would have said ROSTER. Or the time Rusty got a
job in Anchorage. Got married, got a new four-by-four and drove for
a solid week to get to the new station. When they got there, the
station had been sold and, you guess it, the new owners knew nothing
about Rusty's hire. So we sent him gas money and home they came!
"There are a ton of them!" |
John Locke
WKLO DJ circa 1971.
Previously worked at WAKY.
Left radio in the early '70s to work in the construction of water
towers, which took his life in January of 1974 at the age of 35. Last
lived in New Albany, Indiana.
Jimmie Logsdon
WKLO country DJ in the
1950s.
Died in October of 2001.
WKLO
10/08/2001 - Jimmy L. Logsdon, 79,
Louisville, died Sunday at his daughter's residence. He was born
on April 1, 1922 in Panther, KY. The son of a Methodist minister,
he began singing in his father's church choir at the age of 12 and
first played clarinet at school before changing to guitar. Between
1944 and 1946, he served in the Air Force and on release opened a
record shop in LaGrange, KY. By 1948 he was performing locally and
received a break in 1950, when he won his own 15-minute country
radio show, first on WLOU but later on WINN Louisville. In October
1952, Decca Records heard him singing on his own show and signed
him to the label. He was also helped by his friendship with Hank
Williams, by whom he was greatly influenced. At times his style
was very similar and with whom he toured in 1952. In January 1953,
his double-sided tribute release "The Death of Hank Williams'' and
"Hank Williams Sings the Blues No More'' gained him considerable
acclaim, although it failed to make the national country charts.
Jimmy also had one of his songs "I've Got a Rocket in My Pocket''
used in the soundtrack of the movies "The Right Stuff'' and "The
Iron Giant.'' Soon afterwards together with his band, the Golden
Harvest Boys, he began his live Country & Western Show on WHAS-TV,
Louisville, with his sister Martha Jean called the Bargain Ranch,
as well as maintaining a country
radio show on WKLO. (Courier-Journal Obituary)
|
Big Joe London Today
Big Joe London
WKLO overnight DJ between
1969 and 1971. In 1971 he joined WRNC in
Raleigh, North Carolina as AM Drive DJ, reuniting with former WKLO PD
Carl Truman Wiglesworth who was PD there at the time. Joe later became
Program Director at WMOH in Hamilton, Ohio from 1973-1980 with WAKY PD
Johnny Randolph consulting the station. Joe is currently the Technical
Operations Manager at WXIX-TV, Fox 19 in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he's been
since 1981. He also does weekend airwork at
Oldies 1160 WDJO
in Cincinnati. Joe resides in Fairfield, Ohio. [Real Name: Joe Luebbe]
Joe was featured in the
Louisville's Midnight
Cowboys
article.
Lee London
WKLO DJ circa 1971.
Do you know where he is
today?
Bill Love
WKLO jock in the first
part of the '70s who sometimes went by the name "Brother Love."
He's also worked at WBKR in Owensboro, Kentucky; WPOP in Hartford/New
Haven; WHK in Cleveland, Ohio; WKGN in Knoxville, Tennessee; WDOD in
Chattanooga, Tennessee; WFBC in Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina;
WHOO in Orlando, Florida; WSLR in Akron, Ohio; and WLAP in Lexington,
Kentucky. He's
been the midday personality at country-formatted
WKDQ in Evansville,
Indiana since 1992. [Real name: Bill Herald.]
1975 Bill Love Article
WKLO
Bill writes on
March 30, 2005:
"Thanks for starting
this website. It's so nice to have some way to capture those
memories.
"I was at 'THE BIG
1080' from 1971 thru 1976. I started out doing 6-10 p.m., then 10
a.m-2 p.m. and then three years against 'The Duke' on morning
drive.
"As you remember the
studios during the '70s were right on Walnut Street and all us
single jocks would watch the pretty ladies walk down Walnut on
their way to work. I made up a sign that said 'ARE YOU MARRIED?'
One particularly attractive young lady nodded 'NO' and we ended up
having lunch that day (it was 1974). We'll have lunch again today
and also on August 7 when we celebrate our 30th wedding
anniversary!"
|
Bob Lyons
WKLO DJ; came to WKLO
from WINN. (May have gone back to WINN before going on to Cleveland.)
Do you know where he is
today?
Chuck Lyons
Airname of WKLO engineer
Pete Boyce who was pressed into service one night as an all-night
jock. Here's how Pete tells it: "I was at the WKLO transmitter late one
Friday night when Mitch Michael came in and asked if we still had
turntables and tape machines at the transmitter site. We did. Mitch had
been out doing the 'Coca-Cola Hi-fi Club of the Air' (live dance at local
high school). Mitch handed me a box of 45 records from the dance kit and
told me I was doing the all night show at midnight. I'm an engineer, not a
jock. But in the true spirit of one who does his best -- and since the
rest of the jocks were all home with the flu -- and Mitch was coming back
in at 6 a.m. to do the morning show...well, Chuck Lyons was born.
(My middle initials are C.L.) We had no jingles and no current hits in the
dance kit...so I had the 9 to 12 jock feed jingles, liners, the stab and
hits down the spare program line to me so I could record them on the
Magnacord reel-to-reel recorders at the transmitter. I did the show using
the Maggies as spot machines, rewinding and cuing each time I needed them.
My then boss, Bruce Clark, came in at 6 a.m. and wondered what was
going on. I happen to have an aircheck of that show, made by one of the
jocks who taped it at home. It happened a few more times, but not on a
regular basis."
M
Gary Major
Joined WKLO as a jock in
September, 1973. He was PD from January, 1978 until the station became
"The New KJ100" in late May of 1979. He still lives in Louisville, where
he recently celebrated 38 years in radio. He is the Operations Manager of
WJIE's international
shortwave station, which broadcasts Christian programming to over 150
countries.
Gary Major (2007)
Frank Malone
WKLO DJ circa 1963.
Do you know where he is
today?
Allen Martin
WKLO newsperson in the
early '70s.
Do you know where he is
today?
Dan Mason
WKLO weekend and
overnight jock in
1973 and 1974. Previously in WEKY in Richmond, Kentucky and WVLK in Lexington,
Kentucky. Left WKLO for WZGC in Atlanta. Later went to WPGC in the
Washington, DC market as Program Director. Eventually he got into General
Management, and retired as President of Infinity Radio in 2002. Now works
as a consultant. [Real Name: Danny Ray Masden]
Dan Mason Audio Interview
Dan Mason (2005)
Tom Maxedon
WKLO newsman in the
1960s. He left WKLO for WAKY. Now retired in Louisville.
Bob McDonald
WKLO newsperson.
Do you know where he is
today?
Ty Meredith
WKLO newsperson in the
early 1970s. He succeeded Allen Bryan as News Director. Ty was the one responsible for bring Lee Gray to the
Lord. He left WKLO to work at a station in Atlanta, and is believed to
have later worked in Louisville at WFIA. Do you know where he
is today?
Mitch Michael
WKLO PM drive jock and
Program Director between 1964 and 1968. Previously worked at WKDA
(Nashville), WOKY (Milwaukee) and WQXI (Atlanta). He
left WKLO in early 1968 to become National Program Director of Southern
Broadcasting Company. Later he programmed WMCA in New York where one of
his DJs was Lee Gray. Now retired in Van Buren,
Arkansas and studying for ordination in the Charismatic Episcopal Church.
[Real Name: Terrell L. Metheny, Jr.] A May 1965 WKLO survey says of
Mitch: "'Mighty Mitch' is recognized as one of the country's top DJs.
Serves as our Program Director. As energetic off the air as he is on.
Wife, Carolyn, was also quite active in radio."
Mitch Michael Audio Interview
Rex Miller
WKLO DJ in the early
'60s.
He worked in at least a dozen markets during the '60s. Rex left radio in
1971 to pursue a writing career, and operated a successful mail-order
business dealing in comic, stage, screen, radio, and superhero
collectibles. He had a number of horror stories and books published over
the years. [Real Name: Rex Miller Spangberg] He died in 2004 at the
age of 65.
Rick Morgan
WKLO DJ who shared the
Hi-fi club with Paul Cowley in the early '60s while Allen Bryan was in the Army.
Do you know where he is
today?
Julian Mouton
WKLO newsperson in the
early '70s.
Do you know where he is
today?
Pat Murphy
WKLO DJ that started on
the all-night show. Later went to WAVE and then on to Kansas City.
Deceased.
N
O
Jimmie Osborn
WKLO country DJ in the
1950s. A native of Winchester, Kentucky, he was a traditional country
singer, songwriter, guitarist and disc jockey famous for topical story
ballads. He started on radio at WLAP in Lexington, Kentucky in 1939 and
moved to KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1947. Osborn moved to Louisville
in 1952, opened a record shop, and hosted a radio show on WKLO. Many of
his songs dealt with death; he committed suicide on December 26, 1957.
P
Steve Parker
[Real name: Steve
Avery; he got the last part of his airname from Spiderman's
alter-ego.] Gary Major says Steve was "most noted for a punching
hole in the wall when our weather service refused to update the weather
forecast from 'mostly clear' even though we were under a National Weather
Service severe thunderstorm warning at the time." Deceased.
Owen Patrick
WKLO part-time
newsperson; the son of GM Ernie Gudridge; worked while in high
school. Today he is a tenured law professor at the University of Miami
(Florida). [Real name: Pat Gudridge]
Jess Peterson
WKLO newsperson in 1977.
Do you know where he is
today?
Q
R
Johnny Randolph
WKLO night jock and Music
Director from approximately 1965 to 1968. Later went to WAKY where he
enjoyed a successful run as Program Director through 1977. In the 1980s he
co-owned a station in Danville, Kentucky with the WKLO call letters. Now
lives in Danville, but during the week he works in Pikeville, Kentucky as
Director of Programming for Walter May's
East Kentucky
Broadcasting Group. [Real Name: John Randolph Aspenleiter]
Dale Reeves
Overnight jock in the
late '60s. He's now PD/afternoons at
Gulf Coast Community College outlet WKGC-AM (1480) in Panama City,
Florida, plus runs a
voiceover
business out of his home.
WKLO
Dale Reeves
writes:"I think it was
'66 when I started at WAKY (Jim Brand hired me) and '67 or
'68 when I was at WKLO (Terrell Metheny - Mighty Mitch
Michaels hired me.)
On WKLO, I worked overnight (12
a.m. to 5:30 a.m. Tuesday through Friday mornings and Sunday
evenings 7 p.m. to 12 midnight. I think Reed
Yadon did the overnight
shows starting at 12 midnight on Saturday and Sunday.
Bill Hennes (Wild
Willy) did 7 p.m. to 12
midnight. Bill Bailey
was mornings,
Carl Truman Wiglesworth
middays and Mighty Mitch did PM drive.
"I just took over as PD/afternoon drive host
of the local AM Standards station (WKGC).
"What follows is my favorite memory of
working at WKLO:
"While working overnight at WKLO, one of my duties was waking up
Bill Bailey with a phone call at 4:30 a.m. Bill would hang
up and promptly fall asleep and would usually arrive by 6 a.m.,
about 30 minutes late. If an hour or 90 minutes went by with no
sign of Bill, I would call Metheny and he would drive over to
Bill’s house to get him to the station by 7:00 or 7:30 a.m.
"One morning Bill’s phone was off the hook so when 5:30 rolled
around and he didn’t show up I decided to do my impression of
Bill’s voice. I was saying things like "Radio-WKLO Bill Bailey
show time: 5:45 in the mornin’. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not
the real Duke of Louisville. Just a poor underpaid imitation but
I’m sure the Duke will be gracing us with his magnificent presence
in mere moments. Stand by Louisville." I loved Bill’s use of
language and vocabulary so I was having fun improvising in his
style. By 6:10 I figured I’d better call Metheny to go roust Bill.
At 7:00 a.m., still no Bill or Metheny. So I call again and
Metheny answers from his bed again. I asked him about Bill and he
says, 'He’s on the air, isn’t he?'
"Metheny was on his way over to Bill’s house earlier when he
turned on the radio and heard me doing my bit. Thinking it was
Bailey he turned around and went home. By 7:30 Bailey shows up and
I am out of the chair and driving home. Bailey comes on after the
newscast and asks the newsman Ken Knight how old that kid
on the overnight show is. Ken says I think he’s 19 or 20 years
old. Bailey says: 'You think I should let him make it to 21? (Long
Pause) Well, he is a talented young punk so perhaps I should
overlook his impertinence. (Big Laugh) Well, good mornin’
Louisville, the Duke is here.' (Jingle to Record.)
"Bailey was pissed at me but never let it
show on the air. He did his usual brilliant show and was on time
for days afterward. "
|
Jim Reynolds
WKLO newsperson in 1964.
Do you know where he is
today?
Rip Rinehart
WKLO midday jock during
the late '70s. [Real name: William Rinehart]
WKLO
| Rip Rinehart
writes: "By
age 10, I knew that I wanted to be in radio. And since I grew up in
the Louisville area, that meant either WAKY or WKLO. In the late
'60s WKLO used to sponsor an annual event called 'Other 98 Day,' to
honor the '98% of kids you don't hear about' who stay out of
trouble. The lucky chosen ones got to be station employees for a
day, with the really lucky ones getting to go on the air. I applied
in 1968 (at age 13) and was elated when I was selected. Although I
didn't get to go on the air, I still got to tour the place and meet
my idols.
"After that I got REALLY obsessed with radio and made an utter pest
of myself by calling the DJs at all hours and peppering them with
questions. Although some of them were understandably annoyed, most
were very gracious, and a few went out of their way to be kind.
Johnny Randolph, Weird Beard, Carl Truman Wigglesworth,
and Ed Walker come to mind in the latter category as being
especially encouraging and helpful.
"My first paying job was at WIEL in Elizabethtown, KY. I did some
freeform FM on the side at WSAC-FM in Fort Knox before landing at
WAVE in Louisville. I was about to move from evenings to middays at
WAVE, but instead I got canned, for the first and last time ever. (I
guess everybody should go through it at least once.) Within a few
weeks I ended up at WKLO and a lifelong dream was finally fulfilled.
"By then the great Top 40 era was over. WAKY and WKLO were both
struggling to find new identities and FM was moving toward
dominance. WKLO was experimenting with an odd format that involved
doing call-out research on oldies and placing the ones that tested
well in hot rotation. Thus we ended up playing the Beatles'
'Yesterday,' among other well-worn titles, every three hours. And
this was in 1978, eight years after they broke up. Fortunately, that
experiment didn't last, and we evolved into a quite respectable full
service operation. It wasn't the awesome Top 40 powerhouse of the
60s and early 70s, but it seemed like the station had gracefully
eased itself into a successful middle age.
"I stayed busy in those days. In middays I was Rip Rinehart
on WKLO, and in the mornings I was Eric Henderson, downstairs
on sister station WCSN-FM, doing live drop-ins (and trying to stay
awake) on what was otherwise a fully automated 'beautiful music'
outlet. In between I did everything from production to winding carts
with fresh tape.
"Of course, this is radio we're talking about here, and nothing
lasts forever. By the following year WKLO/WCSN was a memory. The FM
became WKJJ (KJ-100), and the AM became little more than something
that had to be kept on the air. By then I was bored with reading
liners and weather forecasts and got more into production,
eventually becoming Production Director. KJ-100 did well on FM and
eventually what used to be WKLO-AM became WCII, 'Country 11.' Around
1981 WCII hired the legendary Bill Bailey away from WAKY and
I had the honor of working with him for several months before I left
for Phoenix.
"In Phoenix I worked at KDKB and did freelance voiceover work; went
back to school and got a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering;
have worked in engineering ever since in Phoenix, San Diego, Austin,
and now work from home here in Shelbyville, KY as a software
consultant for Avaya Communications." |
Al Risen
WKLO jock in the late
'60s. Also labored at Louisville's WAKY and WINN, as well as Lexington's
WLAP. Left Louisville in the mid-70s to work at WKDA in Nashville, and
later WSM, where he syndicated a country music show. He's believed to now
be in Central Florida working for the Post Office.
Do you know where he is today?
Jim Rivers
WKLO PM Drive jock in
1970 and 1971. Jim also worked at WIBG in Philadelphia, PA; WSAI in Cincinnati, WCOL in Columbus, OH; WBBF in Rochester, NY; WBLG in Lexington, KY
(where he hired your curator to do nights in 1977); and WLAN in Lancaster, PA.
In the late '70s he went to work for the
University of Kentucky where one of his jobs was recording agriculture
radio programs that aired across the state. In the mid-80s he got into the
field of academia, teaching at Illinois State University in Normal,
Illinois in the late '80s while working part-time at WJBC in Bloomington,
Illinois. Jim eve |
