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Old KULF Staff

S

Shannon

I was looking at some old pictures I had from my days at KULF 790 back in the early 70's. Wondering if anybody knows what happened some of the staff. I know that Jim Tate, Ron Morgan and David Fowler have passed. I ended up in St. Louis. My newsman, Hal Eisner has been on LA television news for over 30 years. Jeff McClain is running a LPFM in Cleveland, TX.

Anyone know about Jim Wilson, Bob Knowlton, Larry Don Johnson and Bill Grant or Larry Hoffman?

Just wondering.

Jim Shannon
 
Until this year, Jim Wilson aka Jim Guidry was owner and publisher of the online Guidry News Service in Galveston. He died in January. His wife and staff are keeping the news service going. http://guidrynews.com/

Bob Knowlton passed away in 2009 at the age of 61 after a long career in corporate communications and public relations.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?pid=134924575

Larry Johnson is now Director of Development at KTSU-FM at Texas Southern University. http://ktsu.info/?p=634

Don't know about Bill Grant and Gary Hoffman.
 
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Thanks for the info. Often wondered about these guys. Looks like they all achieved some success. Glad for that.

Jim Shannon
 
Last time I traded emails with Hoffman he was in Beeville.

Also...no one mentioned Hal McLain/McClane from same KULF era who has also passed (aviation accident).
 
It could be the same person. Gary worked for awhile in St. Louis, along with Ron Morgan and myself. He would be in his 70's now.

Jim Shannon
 
This was surreal: Was listening to KULF composites online a few months ago. At the same time, was browsing a photo gallery of the abandoned and derelict office floor in the bank building. The two stimuli together were VERY weird ... gave me impression I was listening to a ghosted snapshot in time. Such a well-programmed station and very unique in its presentation. I was a huge fan of the station in the early 70's.
 
I saw those pic's too. In the early 70's, those were the nicest studio's! Great view, nice equipment. Sad to see what became of it.

Jim Shannon
 
That's probably true Jim Shannon. The problem in trying to find anything about him on the Internet is that there are and have been several radio guys named Gary Hoffman. One is on the west coast and he's a fairly young guy who works at KFI, but the one you and I are talking about worked in Houston radio for a time in the 70s and 80s.

I knew him when he worked for a short time in Lufkin in 1982, and I do mean a short time. He and his wife blew into town when he got a job at the old KSPL AM/FM, and it became apparent very quickly that both were serious alcoholics. He was a great DJ when he was sober, but he didn't last long and they moved on after only a few months and I never heard anything about him after that. I suspect that he is the one who passed away some time ago. It happens to alcoholics.

You might enjoy this Rewind I found on YouTube. It's a 40 minute clip of short bits from the old Jim Tate show on KULF from 1972 and 73.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqBI5siKfco

You may recognize some of the voices. I was astonished at how hard those guys worked at being really creative in those days.
 
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My source told me he was back in Houston at KQUE (?) around 2012 and became ill. That's all he had. Yes Gary had a soft spot for "substances."

Yes I've listened to that tape from '72. Bob Green was the PD. This was when personality was king! Jim Tate recommended me for the job at WIL, St. Louis where I ended up doing morning drive for 8 yrs. Ron Morgan arrived in St. Louis just before me to do morning drive at KSD. He died about ten years ago.

What I remember most of my time at KULF is the object of gong to work was to have FUN! David Fowler, who could be a jerk sometimes, was no doubt an original, and very good at what he did. Joe Bauer was the most creative jock I ever knew, and he did it every day.

Going to work to have fun...how many folks in radio today can say that?

Thanks for the info Jim.

Jim Shannon
 
Just heard from Jeff (Mac) McClain that Bill Grant is the GM of a news/sports station in Waco, TX. And it appears that George Thomas passed away several years ago. He was in his 50's back then and were talking about 46 years ago!

Looks like of the original KULF jocks, only Bill Grant, Jeff McClain and myself are left. Well it has been 46 years!

Jim Shannon
 
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