Another newbie post: Chris Cross?...and other early/mid 80's radio names from Memphis

[buckeyeblogger]

This name has been stuck in my head since I don't know when. When I was very young (this would have been mid 80's) I remember my dad listening to a *lot* of talk radio in the car and when I would occasionally go to work with him during winter break, he had a radio at work that was always on and *only* talk radio.

He listened incessantly to Tiger Talk (or whatever form of call in show there was in the mid 80's to discuss everything about Tiger basketball) but I also remember him listening to some guy in the morning and if I'm not mistaken, though I could be, his name was Chris Cross? I think the show was on WHBQ in the AM.. I don't know if he was local or syndicated, my guess is local though since there weren't a ton of syndicated shows in those days.

Does anyone remember what shows would have been on in the am say 8 to 10 in those days in Memphis? I'm just trying to put to bed whether my memory is correct or not, on this topic.

For that matter, who hosted the Tiger call in show in the mid 80's

 

[radioznmyblood]

Re: Another newbie post: Chris Cross?...and other early/mid 80's radio names from Memphis

> This name has been stuck in my head since I don't know when.
> When I was very young (this would have been mid 80's) I
> remember my dad listening to a *lot* of talk radio in the
> car and when I would occasionally go to work with him during
> winter break, he had a radio at work that was always on and
> *only* talk radio.
>
> He listened incessantly to Tiger Talk (or whatever form of
> call in show there was in the mid 80's to discuss everything
> about Tiger basketball) but I also remember him listening to
> some guy in the morning and if I'm not mistaken, though I
> could be, his name was Chris Cross? I think the show was on
> WHBQ in the AM.. I don't know if he was local or syndicated,
> my guess is local though since there weren't a ton of
> syndicated shows in those days.
>
> Does anyone remember what shows would have been on in the am
> say 8 to 10 in those days in Memphis? I'm just trying to
> put to bed whether my memory is correct or not, on this
> topic.
>
> For that matter, who hosted the Tiger call in show in the
> mid 80's
>
Kris Cross was indeed on the am shift on WHBQ in the mid 80's. That was when RKO owned the station and they were newstalk. If I'm not mistaken, he was either before or after a doomed experiment to have Gene Barksdale, a former sheriff of Shelby County on the morning show. I liked Kris Cross....he was fast paced, quick witted, and perhaps alittle ahead of his time for Memphis in the talk radio genre. I'm guessing the Tiger call in show was hosted then by Big Jack Eaton on WMC......By the way, Big Jack is still on a show on WHBQ AM a couple of days a week. He is a true Memphis legend.

 

[buckeyeblogger]

Re: Another newbie post: Chris Cross?...and other early/mid 80's radio names from Memphis

> Kris Cross was indeed on the am shift on WHBQ in the mid
> 80's. That was when RKO owned the station and they were
> newstalk. If I'm not mistaken, he was either before or
> after a doomed experiment to have Gene Barksdale, a former
> sheriff of Shelby County on the morning show. I liked Kris
> Cross....he was fast paced, quick witted, and perhaps
> alittle ahead of his time for Memphis in the talk radio
> genre. I'm guessing the Tiger call in show was hosted then
> by Big Jack Eaton on WMC......By the way, Big Jack is still
> on a show on WHBQ AM a couple of days a week. He is a true
> Memphis legend.

Thanks for the note. It has bugged me for *years* about Kris Cross, glad to have that cleared up. My dad absolutely loved his show. Now that you mentioned Barksdale's name, I remember his show as well. I remember (early 80's) Barksdale signs in neighbors yards, etc. These names have escaped me for so long that it's kind of a rush to finally remember them.

I do for sure remember Eaton, very well. Eaton was on Channel 5 all those years doing WMC 5 sports, great local sports guy and you knew he loved the Tigers very much. I haven't listened to WHBQ in quite awhile. The last time I was home I stopped for a few minutes on 600 WREC, used to listen to REC during my late teens and early 20's (before I moved).

I miss hearing Dave Woloshin's call in show, too. According to another person on this board, Wolo should pop up on the dial soon, maybe I'll be able to stream it on the net when he does.