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Jerry Kaye

P

psradiofan

Guest
Just got an email from Pat O'Day advising that former KOL and KJR jock Jerry Kaye passed away yesterday in Seaside, OR. Jerry had been out of touch with his old friends the past few years due to failing health.
 
Thanks for forwarding the message,

Jerry was an incredible talent.


> Just got an email from Pat O'Day advising that former KOL
> and KJR jock Jerry Kaye passed away yesterday in Seaside,
> OR. Jerry had been out of touch with his old friends the
> past few years due to failing health.
>
 
> Just got an email from Pat O'Day advising that former KOL
> and KJR jock Jerry Kaye passed away yesterday in Seaside,
> OR. Jerry had been out of touch with his old friends the
> past few years due to failing health.

I met Jerry Kaye in 1990 and found him to be a genuine, cool and friendly guy. Jerry was also with KHIT and KSPL in the '80s. He will be missed.
<P ID="signature">______________
Horse Sense: What a horse has that keeps it from betting on people.

[email protected]


</P>
 
Jerry KING (KAY)

kjrtop40a.jpg

<font size="4">
His real name was Jerry KING - (unknown to many) - believe he reached about 65 -
-and it was always 'KAY', not 'KAYE'- (as in Danny).
============================================
KING Radio was very much a powerhouse in the market when he got to
Seattle's KOL in 1960 - that using his own name was NOT an option....

When doing the all-nighter (which he did on more than one occasion
at KJR), he referred himself on-the-air as "The Late, Great Jerry Kay"...

"The NICE Man on the Radio" as LockJock always introduced him
on KJR in the early 90's..

During the 1988 '68 KJR Reunion, Jerry and Burl Barer did a classic show
together - and at the '95 KJR-FM Reunion Dinner, Norm Gregory
made a special anouncement for Jerry.
<font size="5">
>>> R.I.P. Big Daddy JK <<<
 
Re: Jerry Kaye/Pat's E-mail

> Just got an email from Pat O'Day advising that former KOL
> and KJR jock Jerry Kaye passed away yesterday in Seaside,
> OR. Jerry had been out of touch with his old friends the
> past few years due to failing health.
>
Here's the email from Pat (With Kaye spelled both ways)

To all.

Sad, Sad, Sad, news this morning. Jerry Kay has died! His daughter
Erica sent an email stating he passed away yesterday at his home in
Seaside, Oregon.

Jerry exited his relationships over the past couple of years and
made himself impossible to reach. We might feel guilty over not visiting him
or contacting him but hat seemed to be his choice. His health clearly
deteriorated but how were we to know.

Now then, lets talk about the live Jerry.

I hired him in Yakima the year he graduated from High School. Super
smooth voice, rye sense of humor, and truly a potent talent. Later he
came to Seattle, first to KOL and then we brought him over to KJR. It was
during the years of 1961 and 1963 that he achived total greatness. He was
inspired by Garry Owens and embraced many of Garry's little takes and expressions.

Later, he was the PD at KNEW Spokane, eventually did Chicago thanks to
Lujack and others. Much later, he worked for a period at KJR again doing
the all night show and always, always, his talent was underestimated and he
always underestimated himself.

So many happy happy hours I spent in his company. From the golf course
to liars poker at The Blew Eagle. From totally enoyable lunches to
hilarious phone calls, I have missed him in recent years. Jerry inherited marginal
genes where health was concerned. His sister died at a young age and
Jerry's weight was never to his advantage. Jerry Kaye was truly, one of
the most enjoyable aspects of my life. Damn, I'm so sorry I didn't get to tell him
how great he was and tell him goodbye!!!

Pat O'Day
 
Thank you all for remembering Jerry fondly.

Jerry was one of my closest and dearest friends, although, as Pat mentioned, it was damn difficult to get him to talk to anyone in recent months. Our last chat was April when he called me in a panic because he knew I was going to see a mutual friend who would "spill some dirt" and wanted to make sure I was armed with both sides of the story first. That conversation was so upbeat -- and I remember it vividly because I was sitting at SeaTac on my way to Dr. Don Rose's memorial and was stunned to see Jerry show up on caller ID after months of dodging calls and email from all his closest friends.

Every phone call, visit, encounter that we had was incredibly funny -- and that is attributable to nothing less than his outstanding outlook and sense of humor. Very dark and dry -- but dammit what a great equalizer to so much other stuff that we have to deal with. His on-air work involved an incredible wit that usually let everyone in on just a part of his warm and genuine personality -- but often on his unique, funny outlook on something bizarre.

In my media room is a vintage radio that was part of his late mother's living room in Yakima. Jerry gave me that as a way to remember the fun times we had in the biz together ... and to always remember some of the better days in the business. In my archives are most of his airchecks -- he wasn't all that enthusiastic about hanging on to them and, mercifully, knew just how much I appreciated his work --- ALMOST as much as I appreciate his friendship.

Godspeed, buddy.
 
> Just got an email from Pat O'Day advising that former KOL
> and KJR jock Jerry Kaye passed away yesterday in Seaside,
> OR. Jerry had been out of touch with his old friends the
> past few years due to failing health.
>

We will all miss Jerry. Although a year ahead of me, we had radio production class together at Yakima Senior High School. There are lots of wonderful stories we could all tell about our friendship with Jerry. He will always be in our hearts.
 
O.K., so like I've been out of broadcasting for a while and actually have a new thing going. I occasionally check the board to see what's going on(or not going on) Reading about Jerry's passing brought back memories of some of the good things about the biz. I only knew him casually, but while cutting my radio teeth in Yakima from '77-'80, he was my morning guy's landlord. Radio was something he did, he was proud of, but didn't carry it with him. He could be a regular guy and that's important if you want to play radio AND have a life.
Those of you who knew or met him, consider yourself lucky.
 
Message to Tim Hunter

>>>> I've been out of broadcasting for a while....

WHY is that??
 
Re: Message to Tim Hunter

> >>>> I've been out of broadcasting for a while....
>
> WHY is that??
>
Inquiring minds want to know.<P ID="signature">______________
"Always on the move." Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge Of the Sith</P>
 
> ...I only knew him casually, but while
> cutting my radio teeth in Yakima from '77-'80, he was my
> morning guy's landlord. Radio was something he did, he was
> proud of, but didn't carry it with him. He could be a
> regular guy and that's important if you want to play radio
> AND have a life.
> Those of you who knew or met him, consider yourself lucky.


Hey, Tim ... Jerry spoke highly of you. As you may know, there was a window in mid-90's when Jerry went back to Yakima to help some friends out there and did morning drive at 'double d. I went over one weekend to check out one of their big appearance events and just to hang out and see where he grew up, etc.

During his morning shift, as I recall, he was giving away a VHS of "Thelma and Louise". Told the winner ... this even includes the bonus alernate ending where they go 3500 miles across the country and then have to turn back because they remembered they left the iron on. Caller ... "uh .... ok ....uh thanks". Always drove me nuts that he'd come up with these random gems ... drop 'em out there and they'd land squarely on someone with IQ of barely two digits. In some ways, though, that actually made those bits that much funnier!
 
Re: Message to Tim Hunter

> > >>>> I've been out of broadcasting for a while....
> >
> > WHY is that??
> >
> Inquiring minds want to know.
>

Since it's not necessary to drag everyone else through this, shoot me an e-mail and I'd be glad to tell you.
www.wackyweek.com
 
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