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Do you remember the Big Ron O'Brien morning show on KWK

J

Jigawatts

Big Ron passed away earlier this year.

http://airchexx.com/the-big-ron-obrien-archives

Big Ron O’Brien was only 56 when he passed away from complications of pneumonia on April 27, 2008. O’Brien left an indelible mark on the radio world, with a career that spanned both coasts, at some of the top radio stations in the nation.

Anyone know whatever became of the rest of his show? Kathy Fox his newsgal? All the voices of his radio soap "Sins of St. Louis?"
 
I think Kathy Fox was the live-in of the then-current PD.
He has moved back to the DC area. She has not been heard since.
 
I remember Big Ron's show. I also remember his short-lived syndicated show, "On the Radio With Big Ron".

Talented guy, and a perfect fit for 1980s CHR.

Another old KWK jock, Bruce Vidal, died 4 or 5 years ago in his 50s.

There's a Hot Hits station in Heaven, and those guys are doing AM and PM drive...
 
What are the timelines on AM Top 40 in St. Louis. Were KXOK, WIL, and KWK going head -to-head? Was there any other stations doing Top 40 on AM beside those?
 
Yes, KXOK, KWK and WIL went head-to-head in a three-way Top 40 war in the early 60's. KWK was the first to leave the format and switch to an easy listening presentation. Towards the end of its Top 40 era, KWK ran a "treasure hunt" contest that was deemed fraudulent by the FCC, and resulted in the loss of the station's license. As a result, KWK was off the air for a couple of years before returning with a very good-sounding black format.

WIL fought hard at 1430 but was ultimately toppled by the rather massive 630 signal belonging to KXOK--WIL was particularly hard to hear over much of the area after sunset. One of the last big moves at WIL was the hiring of a fine jock, Ron Elz (still active today at KMOX), who had been the first of two Johnny Rabbitts at KXOK. If memory serves, the plan was for Ron to be Johnny Rabbitt at WIL, but a legal determination was made that KXOK owned the Rabbitt name (at least in St. Louis). So Ron went on WIL as Johnny B. Goode--an airname he would use again beginning in 1967 when he flipped KSHE to what was initially a very creative mix of Top 40 and early progressive rock. It was a year or two later that KSHE would morph into the early stages of the all-rock format that it still does today.

Hope this helps. I'm writing from the New York area, where I still do radio, but resurrecting all this reminds me not only of what a fine town St. Louis is, but what a great place it was for radio in the 60's--KMOX, KXOK and KSHE--three of America's pace-setting radio stations were all in one market.

And by the way, Ron O'Brien was one of the greatest Top 40 jocks ever--simply born to do it--and on top of that, a fine and warm human being.
 
There are at least 3 hot hits stations in Heaven. They all have seven shifts a day and there is no voice tracking. I have never been to St.Louis, so I don't know those guys. I bet Robert W. and the Real Don Steele are rocking away on one and Jim Stagg and Jim Runyon on another.
 
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