Tx. Radio Hall of Fame

[Holstead]

Me & Col. St. James had a chat the other day about who we'd like to see make it into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame this year. Here were a few of the names we kicked around:

Maurice "Crash" Collins Z-107
Bill Moffett 97 Rock
Redbeard Q-102/Dallas
Hal McClain KENR
Wash Allen KCOH
Joe Ladd KIKK
Pam Ivey KIKK/KAUM/KKBQ/KILT
Dayna Steele KLOL
Dave Ward KNUZ
Dan Gallo KILT/KENR/KTHT/KLOL
John Lander KKBQ


I also suggested some largely overlooked news folks-

Bill Grady KLIF/WBAP
Mark Watkins KPLX/KRLD
Chuck Schramek KFMK/KLOL
Scott Hodges KLIF/KNUS
Bill Howell WBAP/WFAA
Mitch Carr KRLD/KVIL/KLUV

Visit www.trhof.com to join and to VOTE!

 

[ColonelStJames]

Don't everybody all jump in at once!

 

[ChuckTiller]

News

Jack Pieper KAYC-KAYD/KNUZ-KQUE/KLVI/KSET
Milton Alan Graves KILT/KIKK/KNUZ-KQUE (deceased)
Jim Bell KIKK/KTRH/KUHF
Thom Beck KILT/KTRH (deceased)
Dick Eason KQUE (deceased)
Robert B McIntire KILT
Jim Carola KILT

DJs

Mat "Quinn" Guinn 'The Mighty Quinn' KILT/KRBE
Royce Edward Guinn 'The Mighty Guinn' KILT/KRBE/KNRO-KIKR, KNUZ-KQUE, KFMK (Mat's older brother) (deceased)
Jim Wood KILT/KONO (deceased)
Johnny Goyen KPRC/KRBE/KYOK/KNUZ/KFMK/KIKK
Larry Vance KLIF/KNUZ (deceased)
Buddy "Clark" Cantu KENR/KIKK/KTEK
Bob Presley KILT/KPRC
Donna MacKenzie KZFX/KLOL/KKRW/KHJS-KJOJ/KHJZ/KHJK
Harvey Thompson KTLW/KIKK (deceased)
Tim & Bob KPRC (Tim Nolan & Bob Byron)
Biff Collie KNUZ

Just to name a few....

 

[radiopropd]

I am going to throw out two names - not necessarily all that well known, but Josh knows both of them relatively well: Steve Everett GM at KSAM/KHVL Huntsville. Steve is a former owner, having owned a station in Brady many years ago, as well as worked as a GM in San Angelo. Steve is truly one of the nicest people I've ever known as well as had the pleasure of working for.

The second name would be Brooke Addams, also of KSAM/KHVL. Brooke is a true radio professional, and I've always believed she had some of the best pipes ever. But more importantly, Brooke is a true believer of giving back to the communities in which her station serves. For years she has given of herself to several causes, including the Relay for Life.

I realize that these stations and broadcast professionals aren't from the area, but still thought they, at the very least, need to have some recognition.

 

[ChuckTiller]

RadioPro! It's the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. Huntsville radio people need recognition, too.

 

[mrbeasley]

I'm certainly with Chuck on folks like Biff Collie and Royce Guinn. I know they've gone on to receive the ultimate honors; but, it would still be nice to recognize the contributions they made to the profession.

 

[EclecticInTexas]

The folks at KSAM are top notch.

 

[ChuckTiller]

I do want to add another. Joseph Koening was known as Joey Jay, "Jay Jay the DeeJay." Joey, now deceased, was the PD at 920 KTLW in Texas City. He hired me in 1972, which was my starting point in radio. My shift was Sundays 6AM-1PM. Noon til 1PM was music with the preceding, mainly programs of worship. I lived for that hour every week. When Monday came along, I was counting the time to get back to Texas City, climb that long flight of stairs on the side of the Showboat Theater to get to the KTLW controlroom.

It's hard to believe that 38 years have passed.

 

[Smittian]

I know this is the Houston board but it's hard to believe "Cousin" Jerry King is not in the Texas Radio HOF. Been at KKYX-San Antonio since 1974. Member of the Country Radio DJ Hall of Fame class of 2004. First DJ ever to play a George Strait record

 

[poops]

I do want to add another. Joseph Koening was known as Joey Jay, "Jay Jay the DeeJay." Joey, now deceased, was the PD at 920 KTLW in Texas City. He hired me in 1972, which was my starting point in radio. My shift was Sundays 6AM-1PM. Noon til 1PM was music with the preceding, mainly programs of worship. I lived for that hour every week. When Monday came along, I was counting the time to get back to Texas City, climb that long flight of stairs on the side of the Showboat Theater to get to the KTLW controlroom.

It's hard to believe that 38 years have passed.

Chuck.... you just brought back a blast from the past. I listened to KTLW a good bit back then and I do remember "Jay Jay the DeeJay". You are right.... it is hard to believe that it has been that long ago.

 

[poops]

For your consideration...

Rick Candea "Capt. Jack" KILT

Steve Coffmann (Deceased) KTXN Victoria

And I know that KBRZ wasn't on everyone's number one list, but Tommy Ward "The Mouth of the Brazos" spent most of his adult life on the air there, keeping a lot of the locals entertained every morning.

poops

 

[ChuckTiller]

I do want to add another. Joseph Koening was known as Joey Jay, "Jay Jay the DeeJay." Joey, now deceased, was the PD at 920 KTLW in Texas City. He hired me in 1972, which was my starting point in radio. My shift was Sundays 6AM-1PM. Noon til 1PM was music with the preceding, mainly programs of worship. I lived for that hour every week. When Monday came along, I was counting the time to get back to Texas City, climb that long flight of stairs on the side of the Showboat Theater to get to the KTLW controlroom.

It's hard to believe that 38 years have passed.

Chuck.... you just brought back a blast from the past. I listened to KTLW a good bit back then and I do remember "Jay Jay the DeeJay". You are right.... it is hard to believe that it has been that long ago.

When I arrived at KTLW in 1972, Jim Young, also deceased, was on the air in the morning. Joey Jay was on middays and Larry Byers was on in the afternoon until sign-off.

Previous to that time, "Tater" Pete Hunter was on the air in morning drive. Before KENR signed on in 1967, KTLW & KIKK, both daytimers, were the only 'country' game in town.

 

[poops]

I do want to add another. Joseph Koening was known as Joey Jay, "Jay Jay the DeeJay." Joey, now deceased, was the PD at 920 KTLW in Texas City. He hired me in 1972, which was my starting point in radio. My shift was Sundays 6AM-1PM. Noon til 1PM was music with the preceding, mainly programs of worship. I lived for that hour every week. When Monday came along, I was counting the time to get back to Texas City, climb that long flight of stairs on the side of the Showboat Theater to get to the KTLW controlroom.

It's hard to believe that 38 years have passed.

Chuck.... you just brought back a blast from the past. I listened to KTLW a good bit back then and I do remember "Jay Jay the DeeJay". You are right.... it is hard to believe that it has been that long ago.

When I arrived at KTLW in 1972, Jim Young, also deceased, was on the air in the morning. Joey Jay was on middays and Larry Byers was on in the afternoon until sign-off.

Previous to that time, "Tater" Pete Hunter was on the air in morning drive. Before KENR signed on in 1967, KTLW & KIKK, both daytimers, were the only 'country' game in town.

If memory serves me correctly, that's back in the day when Bill Bailey was working at KIKK, Arch Yancy, Bruce Nelson, and Jacky Ward were at KENR. I vaguely remember that on either Saturday or Sunday late afternoon KTLW used to have a cajun music time slot that I'd listen too. Pretty good stuff back then.

 

[poops]

Just thought of another name for consideration.... Lee Jolley KILT/KFMK/KLDE/KLOL. He and Chuck Schramek had one hell of a morning show at KFMK, and if I remember correctly, Lee was one half of the Hudson and Harrigan dynasty for a while.

poops

 

[ChuckTiller]

At that time, Arch was at KIKK. Eddie Kilroy and Chuck Kelley were on KENR along with Jacky Ward. Bruce Nelson would follow later when 1070 KENR went 24hrs in 1972.

 

[FilioScotia]

Here's a name I don't think anybody has mentioned yet, but I think if anybody deserves to be in the TRHoF he does.

Phil Parr. A living legend in southeast and east Texas radio. He worked at KTLW and some stations in east Texas for a long time, and he's one of the best DJ's and production experts I've ever known, despite the fact that he's blind.

I had the privilege of working with Phil at a Lufkin station back in the early 80s, and I can tell you there is nothing he can't do. He's a self taught engineer who can literally build you a radio station with all the necessary electronics. He can also fix anything that's not working.

At his home in Lufkin, he turned his garage into a recording studio where he voices and produces commercials, promos and image liners for radio stations all over east Texas.

He's also a fine singer/songwriter/musician, and one of the funniest and most upbeat people I've ever met, and I'm asking any member of the Hall of Fame who knows him to nominate him. Chuck?

 

[ChuckTiller]

Thank you. YES! By all means, Phil Parr. I met Phil one time when came by to visit Joey Jay while I was at KTLW for the 2nd time in 1975. Phil flipped everyone out one day when he read a newscast on the air. Joey slowly read the news to Phil in his head set. Phil repeated it, embellishing occasionally. Several calls had to station were like, "I thought you were blind." Phil was/is amazing.

Even more amazing when Joey and Phil went to the Western Club on Telephone road one night to do an appearance. Joey got drunk; Phil told him, "Let me drive." Joey let him drive while navigating for him all the way back to Texas City. I had a chance to ask Phil about that, which he confirmed. Phil later went to KIKK and eventually to KSPL in Diboll.

 

[FilioScotia]

More Phil Parr stuff

Back in the 80s, when Phil and I worked together at KSPL -- which later became KIPR and even later KAFX -- he would have me come to his home recording studio to record voice tracks for commercials he was producing. When he had his "script" recorded on one track, he would play it back in his headphones while he voiced and recorded the commercial himself on another track, repeating what he was hearing in his headset.

Then he'd booger it up with some equalization, sound effects and a music bed, and voila ! You have a commercial that sounds like it came from a big agency, but it was actually done in Phil's garage.

He can turn out a spot like that in about 15 minutes, and then email it in an mp3 to whomever is paying him for it. A couple of months ago, I visited him while he was producing some promos for that FM rocker in Cleveland Texas. He voiced, produced and emailed four 30 sec promos in about 20 minutes, and told me he just made 400 dollars. His spots are as slick and professional sounding as any big agency can do, but they cost his clients a helluva lot less than the agencies charge.

You may be interested to know that Phil is "retired" from working for a living. He's married to a Lufkin attorney, LuAnn Tatum, and he does radio "stuff" now just to keep his foot in the door.

 

[radiopropd]

For your consideration...

Rick Candea "Capt. Jack" KILT

Steve Coffmann (Deceased) KTXN Victoria

And I know that KBRZ wasn't on everyone's number one list, but Tommy Ward "The Mouth of the Brazos" spent most of his adult life on the air there, keeping a lot of the locals entertained every morning.

poops

I second Steve Coffman for entry - a true radio professional. I had the opprotunityabout 10 years ago to work for him, but we couldn't come to terms - there are times that I regret that - butnonetheless, he was truly committed to radio and to texas music.

 

[20ozwilliehoppe]

I'm amazed at Chuck Tiller's knowledge of this radio market. Keep it going, Chuck. And you mentioned some radio newsmen for the Hall of Fame including Robert B. McIntyre and Jim Carola. I checked the orginizations website and McIntyre was inducted the very first year in 2002 and Jim Carola in 2004. I'm still amazed at the destruction of KILT. An agency rep who calls on our station said Hudson and Harrigan were down to a .03 in mornings, which I think is about 22 or 23 in the market. My reaction was that it can't be true but she insists it is. Anyone got any legit book information. BTW, I see signs of the "things" that chopped away at radio now happening at our station and all other TV outlets. How about some well known TV faces working as contract labor. Anybody got a Way Back machine for sale?