What Talent-Shows do you miss in Seattle? What talnet should come to Seattle?

[Traffic Queen]

Got to agree with "70radio". Channel 95 was the best till it started falling apart after Ackerly took it over in mid 80's.

Remember that they had a heck of a newsroom too. Les Parsons, Greg Hersholt, Bill Rice et al. And of course everybody's traffic reporting sweetheart "Debbie Deutsch" before the days of Metro Traffic.
And contests! Remember the Stewart Street Mysteries?
A lot of creativity came out of that little dump on the Duwamish.

Why Thank you kindly Tower Lamp! Debbie Deutsch is alive and well and still living in the Greater Seattle area and here I am! You folks sure bring back a lot of memories! This has been a most interesting thread! Little Boy Blue, who are you???

 

[chaajoad]

I'll take a chance someone will see this ...

I think KJR has one of the most outstanding histories of any CHR in America. The staff I worked with there was about as good as radio gets. To this day, my time there is a hugely cool bunch of memories. I remember everything perfectly - the building, the staff, the contests, the appearances, the outrageous stuff. As mentioned before, the station had a killer news staff. I remember the news breaks as being intro'd along the lines of "KJR Instant Information, listening time 54 seconds - don't miss a word of it!" The time of each cast would vary and the newcasts themselves were flexible, making them hard to counter program against. Today counter programming is an alien concept but back in the day - it was a big thing.

TrafficQueen - if you are Debbie Duetsch, I thought you did an excellent job and had an unreal chemistry with Gary Lockwood. I think it was a mistake to hire you away from Triple A and make you part of the staff (do you agree or ... ?); there was a kind of tension when you weren't physically in the KJR building. At any rate, you did a top-notch job.

Anyone recall Daisy? Bev? I had three outstanding phone ops there. One is Darryl Rogers who has worked for CC for years. A terrific guy. I can't recall the names of the two girl phone jammers I had but I sure recall their faces. I remember Duane the janitor - I made him part of the show and one night he dropped a few cuss words live on the air. We did a motorcycle ride together up Mt. Rainier. Well, as far as the road goes

Anyone know what happened to Sunshine? We all had a crush on her and what a great concept that promotion was. I truly liked the Channel 95 jingle packe, too. I've seen Tom Huytler (sp?) at Safeco a few times. I saw JJ (all-night) when I first moved back to Seattle; actually saw him walking in the street. He said he would call, but ...

Sky Walker? Still around? I know Candi Chamberlin is still on the air. Bob Case has done well. Same with Ich. I know Lockwood is long retired. His son worked where I do (Jones Radio) until they closed down his whole dept - I still miss the ops guys. I think Tracy Mitchell is still in radio, east of the mountains. Edie Hilliard was at Jones when I started, now on to other projects. I've heard that Shannon Sweat is doing well.

I was there such a brief time but it was INNNNN-tense. So many stories. KJR - as a CHR station - was unbeatable at its peak. I will always think fondly of those days.

 

[Kelly]

Dan, Sky Walker is doing middays on the Jones Classic Hits format out of Denver.

Eric, Having been involved with KJR for many years post Top-40, I don't believe trying to carry-over the format to KLTX would have worked. Besides, in spite of the gradual exodus to FM for music listening, for several years KJR-AM remained the cash cow of the two stations, plus was the Sonics flagship. Why do you think it was purchased in the first place?

Indeed, "K-LITE" also cash-flowed well, and was tops with females 25-54. Unfortunately down the road, a rookie GM didn't care for the AC format on K-LITE, and started goofing around with it by adding "Smooth Jazz" at nights, which gave KWRM a window of opportunity to slide in.

When Bob and crew attempted to bring back the KJR sound with a few folks like Jerry Kay, (RIP), Norm Gregory, and former weekender Kacie Summers on 95.7, it just didn't get off the ground. Much of the lack of sucess was attributed to the turn-over of population in the Seattle-Tacoma market, who didn't understand the whole historical aspects of KJR and it's sucess with Top 40. Honestly, the station was mediocre at best, and unable to recapture the magic with really a different audience.

 

[I Know The Future]

Re: What Talent-Shows do you miss in Seattle? What talnet should come to Seattl

KVI had some good weekend shows. I liked listening to Republican Radio, The Cigar and Wine show they had on Saturday Evening was very entertaining.

 

[Itchisakimoto]

Amen on the Crow & West they are for sure a team that could bring some fun to the airwaves around here for sure... Would be nice if Gary Crow could call in a favor or two with his old partner and get him in the Studio for a week and give us a bit of a walk down memory lane.

Seattle radio has always been a mecca for true personality radio. Crow and West were the best hands down.
No one had their one on one magic, Robin and Maynard were a close second.

 

[TeeTaw]

Seattle radio has never been the same since Robin and Maynard went off the air and it never will be.

I say bring them back to KZOK!!!

 

[eskmo910]

Re: What Talent-Shows do you miss in Seattle? What talnet should come to Seattl

Loved J Michael, Dory and Steve Kelly Saturdays on KING, and of course Bossjock Burl Baer!!!!! KOL!!!!!

 

[Marv-L.A.]

Would that have been 'World Famous' Tom Murphy who worked @ KJR with Lujack, O'Day, and the rest of that stupendous lineup?

I listened to him here in LA (KRLA/Pasadena) when I was in high school; KRLA's airstaff included Bob (Newlywed Game) Eubanks, Dick Biondi, Charlie O'Donnell (he's been the announcer on 'Wheel Of Fortune' since day one), and the beyond legendary Casey Kasem.

Gary Bryan is still as hilarious and topical as ever doing mornings @ KRTH.

 

[Janet Wilson]

This is the first time I have ever posted on this board, but I have read the topics and threads from time to time over the years.

I came to Seattle in 1984 after working in San Francisco radio for 4 years. In my 24 years here I have had the incredible good fortune to work with some of the most talented personalities in the biz, and Gary Lockwood tops that list! He is who I would most like to hear again.

I started out at KMPS with fun and creative people like Ichabod. After a KMPS PD change in the summer of 1985, I went over to KJR first on weekends, and eventually to the 8-12mid shift following Pat O'Day. This is when Pat came back to KJR for a brief time, and he always cracked me up.

Police Blotter was hilarious, and I was honored when Gary mentioned me and another air staff member in a police blotter bit. He was very kind in that particular bit. At that time Gary was doing Police Blotter with Joe "Copper" Cooper. I also was very honored to be asked to fill-in for Gary for a few mornings once in 1986, when he took vacation, and had great fun working with Les Parsons those few days. I also worked with Tracy Mitchell, Matt Riedy, Tony Marcus, Bob Brooks, and Marty Riemer at KJR. I went on to work with Bob Brooks at KLSY then KIXI. Those KJR days were some of the best and most fun of my radio career. Gary Lockwood was very nice off-air too and funny at staff meetings. I too remember the wonderful chemistry between Debbie Deutsch and Gary. At KJR we were encouraged to be personalities, and I had been influenced by the legendary personalities of KSFO, San Francisco while growing up, so I was in Heaven.

I remember when KJR gave away 2 944 Porsches, and our PD at the time Tom Watson, gave us the keys and let everyone take the cars out on the road for a test drive. Only Joe Cooper was brave enough to drive with me. I also remember Tracy Mitchell had a great time taking one of the cars out for a spin on the freeway. I also enjoyed the Stewart Street mysteries. Our building was so remote that only the pizza delivery guys could find us, but I loved that building with its mismatched carpet. As I recall, (and this was 22 years ago), my evening show was the last one to be broadcast from that location before KJR moved their studios. They were literally dismantling cart machines as I was on-the-air that night. I stayed with KJR from 1985 through 1987 when I was relieved of my duties, as often happens in the wonderfully stable world of radio, but I have survived. KJR and KIXI were truly my favorite radio experiences in a long career as a DJ.

Thank you to all on the board who said kind words about me when I joined the Music of Your Life airstaff last September. It was wonderful to hear from so many KIXI listeners again, and from listeners across the country. I left Music of Your Life back in April to concentrate on my job at METRO, and doing traffic on KIRO evenings. I again am honored to be working for such a legendary Northwest station. KIRO, KJR, KIXI, KMPS and KLSY, wow in such a tough business, I have truly been fortunate to be part of so many great Seattle stations.

 

[chaajoad]

Janet -

Very cool post.

When I started at KJR, I was told not to take it personally if Lockwood didn't talk to me for the first few weeks - WEEKS! And they were right. Even after the weeks turned into months, he was never friendly to me. I guess I couldn't blame him because we were so different. But it worked. The ratings were through the roof. Beau Phillips of KISW told me they felt like celebrating when I was - how did you put it? - "relieved of my duties"

But I'll say this - few CHR jocks made me laugh right out loud and Lockwood did that. Police Blotter was one of the very best bits ever in contemporary radio. Probably would not have worked with anyone other than Chet. More than once I'd be on my way to 95, stuck in afternoon traffic, and I'd notice other drivers laughing at Lockwood and Rogers. The very best.

Sky is with Jones in Denver? How crazy is that? I'm with Jones here in Seattle. I'll try to say "hey" to him.

Ich might recall this but the day he was fired from KJR, he came into a staff meeting (we were being told the news) to say goodbye. His eyes were red and he was emotional but it was one of the classiest things I've ever seen.

That old building was a trip. I hurt my back really bad taping a spot for the Seahawks and for awhile I really had trouble getting up all those steps to the control room. And the musty, funky smell - whew! Whenever it rained (and it was often, of course) the parking lot became a monsoon. A few times I just couldn't get close enough to the building without literally taking off shoes and socks to get in. If anyone has photos of the old place - especially the interior - I would very much like to see them.

I also thought Stewart Street was one of the coolest radio contests ever. Reminded me a bit of the Last Contest from KCBQ. Total theater of the mind.

I went to the Ron Bailie School and of course I listened to a ton of KJR. The thought of me working there was a million miles away. A boss at a part-time gig while I was going to RB told me the same thing: never gonna make it and I recall one teacher also telling me I'd never make it. He actually wrote me when I was hired at KCBQ, asking for any Q logo gear. I sent him a T-shirt. I'm not sure if he ever knew I made it to KJR. It was a one-of-a kind station and the battles between KJR-KOL-KING were epic. I am very grateful for my brief but intense and big-time fun ride at Channel 95.

BTW - I'd like to hear a lot more personality on the air but I gotta say that IMO KJR-FM still sounds good.

 

[Janet Wilson]

Danny I am sorry I never met you, but I certainly know who you are. Gary was shy off-air, as you know, and it took him awhile to warm up to me, but he did, though he was never a big talker off-air. Still he was gracious towards me, and complimented me on my airwork after I was at KJR for awhile. That really meant a lot to me coming from such a talented jock. Working for KJR was a DJ's dream come true. I do have a bunch of photos from inside the old building that I took when KJR was going to be moved out of that location. Can I get a message to you at Jones, Seattle? I would love to show them to you. I think I know where that old photo album is. I still stay in touch with Bob Brooks and Tony Marcus from those days, and occasionally email Marty Riemer - all were very supportive of my career and so kind, and again fun to work with. I hear Gary moved to Florida quite some time ago, and Matt Riedy is getting some plum acting roles in L.A. I've seen him on "Ugly Betty," and also on the now cancelled show "Las Vegas" acting with James Caan, lucky guy!

 

[dunno]

If we're talking Dancin Danny, then his stint at KNBQ rocked. I loved his quick wit and use of the phones. I remember a feature that had something to do with a 60's time warp. Very funny. I most remember his Bear character. I didn't know Danny grew up in Seattle. Thought he was from the South. Also enjoyed hearing you at KYTE Portland if Chaajoad is the same person.

Janet, hope you're doing well. Always enjoy your personality!

Wheres Magical Matt these days??

BTW, enjoyed every minute of my time at the mighty 95!!

 

[dunno]

Just didn't have time to read the whole thread. Danny, didn't you appear on a TV show, like That's Incredible and take the worlds fastest mouth from Jack Armstrong(rip)?
I'm sure the first station I heard you on was KYTE, Portland. Ron Lennard, was there too? I've heard some crazy stories about him! I know Greg Hersholt spent some time in Portland around that time too.

Great memories, thanks.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

That was a show that, I think, was NBC ... called "Games People Play". One episode featured very talented jocks competing and one exercise was doing talk-ups to the same song. It was mixed blessing seeing Danny win ... loved rooting for the "local guy" but at the same time he defeated my friend who was also in that competition (Don Rose from SFO's KFRC). Still trying to see if I saved the video from that competition....am in the process of digitizing all those "history" bits...

Which reminds me...Janet, if you feel like sharing the pic's from your scrapbook, shoot me an email or private message & I'll add them to the history site I've been compiling.

 

[dannyw]

Hi Kids -

Funny what time does to memories - both the rememberer and the remembering.

"Games People Play" was an NBC summer replacement for a show called "Real People" and I was on a total of five times. I taped two shows but there were reruns. I don't remember Don Rose on it (I'll have to go to the tape but Larry Lujack was one of the DJs in the competition. A real piece of work. He worked at KJR back in the day and the KJR guys were all pumped that I was going to be on the show with him. We were in a limo together from LAX to the hotel and he said maybe 2 words to me and spent most of the time looking out the window. He could not care less about this yapping, excited CHR jock in a KJR sweater or anything about the station. In fact, as the show began taping and he was getting soundly beat in the competitions, he wanted out of the show. I have very vivid memories of a producer taking Lujack aside and strongly reminding him that they paid for the trip, the hotel and he agreed to it. If it were possible, he then became more surly.

I have the first two episodes on tape - one on VHS and one on beta. It would probably depress me to see a goofy guy in his early 30's acting a fool on the show. But I did win. I got a cool trophy and bragging rights. I received mail and calls from around the world, including one big market female jock who said it was love at first sight and we had to hook up. We spoke a few times, never hooked up and I regret that (at least as friends) because I think she was a pretty sharp woman. I wrote her a poem watching 4th of July fireworks in Tacoma and still have it. I was asked a few times to try out for this new think called MTV. Not only would KJR NOT let me have the time off I needed to do it (originally MTV was centered in NYC, I believe - I needed 3-4 days for the audition) during a book, I thought the $$ was low and I didn't want to move. Those who might know about this say they don't recall it but I got a call from WNBC programming about a possible gig there. Tracy Mitchell, the KJR PD, took the message from my box at KJR and hid it. He told me about it much later.

I was also going through a painful divorce (about the only kind, really) and was totally broke after a judge nailed me. I was living in a tiny Lynnwood apt. with almost nothing. Sleeping on the floor with blankets, etc. And 7-mid I was Dancing Danny!!! One day in the mail a residual check from NBC showed up after they re-ran the show - a $3,000 gift from the media gods. Within a few days I was sleeping in a big boy bed, had a small dining table and livin' large. Good times.

Don Ohlmeyer was producer of "Games" and at one point an asst. came over to tell me Don really liked me because I was colorful, funny, etc. and he would contact me when the show was over about doing something else. You know the rest. No call. Sigh ...

Tracy might not recall this but he offered me $50 for every time I worked in "KJR"; I got it in a bunch of times but never got a cent. In fact, before I left for LA he told me "I hope you're not thinking this will get you extra time off or better treatment." Wow. I thought I was doing a good thing for KJR. I think they were stunned at my quick rise in Seattle and scared I was going to be a diva. It's not in my character. I will die mowing the lawn, dusting, filing paper work. I spend way too much on mundane responsibility than to huff and puff around a radio station. Besides, that stuff is what really makes life good and things work, not some goofy joke over a Journey intro.

But it was all good. Great radio stories and terrific memories and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

Dunno - I was never at KYTE. I was at Magic107 (KMJK) for a year. Ron was at KYTE, I believe, before joining the staff at Magic. A real unique guy and a heckofva CHR jock. We got along well and I really enjoyed what he did. A year at KJMK. A year at KJR. And a year and KNBQ. Then gone. I often think I should have stayed. But then I think of all the other lawsuits, divorces and miserable gigs I would have missed, ya know? Sunshine and Bear with the Psychedelic Relic was a goofy thing I did at 95 and KNBQ. I loved doing it altho today it would probably seem juvenile. I like the characters but the real reason I liked doing it was an excuse to play a cool song from the 60's. I always thought Magical Matt was a cool name and concept for a CHR jock. He had an LA gig for quite awhile and then slipped beneath the waves. I have no idea what happened to him. It might be better that way. Awhile back I was wondering to a buddy who had a hit in the 80's and we would hang together every so often. One night he might have saved my life but that's another story. Anyway, I was nosing around online and found out he'd died awhile ago from alcohol and substance abuse. It's not like we were close buds but it was still a kick in the stomach. The lesson? Some things ARE better left as memories. And don't wait to tell someone you love them, like them, enjoy their work - do it right now.

I know this is long. I just got going and couldn't stop. Until now.

PS - Janet, I replied to you email to me w/o thinking. It kicked back to me. If you have an email address you'd trust me with, I'll send it to you.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Hey, Danny .... don't take it too personally!! Lujak like that to everyone and hard to tell how much of it is an act and how much is real. Always found it ironic how much Gary Lockwood was like Lujack ON THE AIR ... but OFF AIR was completely the opposite (unless, of course, you ever offered a golf "put down" --- then all bets were off!).

Lar' just admitted to NAB hall of fame (this past April) and his "acceptance" speech was also cynical and disdainful ... again, hard to tell if it is an act because he did, after all, SHOW UP for it!! John Rook has the video on his website.

 

[dannyw]

Re: What Talent-Shows do you miss in Seattle? What talnet should come to Seattl

LBB - Maybe so but I've never been a fan of two basic things:

1) That caustic, nasty on-air personna that strikes me as just negative and I don't have patience for it. It takes a different sense of humor than mine to appreciate it, I guess.

2) Phonies. Talents who are nasty on the air but great guys in "real" life and vice versa. Just read in USA Today about a fellow comedian referencing George Carlin as being increasingly nasty on stage but a warm guy off-stage. If true, that's a phony. I've seen it with musical performers as well. They're all "I love you" on stage and back stage they're mean, stoned, whatever.

I never saw a friendly side of Gary. After a year of working with him, attending staff meetings - all I saw was a guy who really wasn't part of a team and not interested in it, actually. I'm not putting him down. As I've said, he's one of the few CHR guys who actually made me laugh out loud and I think my year with him and the others was maybe the best staff I've ever worked with. BTW - As you most likely know, Lockwood loved country music. He talked about it constantly, wore boots and a cowboy hat, the whole deal. I'm surprised he never ended up at KMPS. BTW #2 - when Urban Cowboy hit, the KJR air staff was taken out to get boots and hats. I still have the boots and they're still comfortable. Incredible -


You mentioned Lockwood was different off the air but I didn't

 

[dunno]

Thanks Danny for talkin bout your life during an exciting time in radio. I hate to use this cliche, but today's radio doesn't come close!

I knew Lockwood as more inward, hard to get know, but the opposite when the mic was cracked. Speaking of Country Music, I remember Gary playing the Rodeo song at JR, a very edited version.

About Lujack, what you hear is what you get.

Danny, I also thought your time in this market was too short! But again, I expected you to hit it big in LA or NYC.

Anyone know what became of Crazy Steve after KNBQ.

 

[dannyw]

Dunno - I do recall Lockwood playing that edited Rodeo song a lot. He did one thing that never failed to get me laughing - remember that "Oceans of Beautiful Music" bit? I was just fine with Lockwood. If you have the talent to back it up - and he did - you can get away with a lot, IMO.

Funny, I never felt driven to make it big in LA or NYC ala Seacrest. First, I hated the the thought of living in LA or NYC. Still do. When the CMA show was iN NYC a few years back I spent my first week there and could not wait to get out of there. When I worked in San Diego, I'd run up to LA every so often and really didn't care for it. Plus, I was never a pretty boy, never an ass-kisser, never a scene maker kind of guy.

Like I said, I think I had a shot at NYC after Games People Play but never pursued it. One regret happened while I was in Sacramento at KROY. Sacto was always in San Francisco's shadow and KROY was always outdone by KFRC. I was working one Sat. afternoon and was ready to leave for a rare one week vacation that night. Might have even been 2 weeks as I recall. So I was cooking on the air but too scattered to do much else, including answering the request lines. John Mack Flannigan from KFRC was going through Sacto on his way home from someplace and I guess he liked what he heard and went back raving to Les Garland, KFRC PD. And I guess there was an upcoming opening so he called Monday. This was pre-cell phones and I didn't hear about his call until I returned 2 weeks later. Of course he never returned my call. I guess (another one) that you didn't ignore Les Garland. I ran into him awhile later in a men's room at some radio thing we were both at and thought about asking him but - it's a little inconvenient plus, what if he said he had no idea what I was babbling about? And there was the MTV thing that I really didn't fight that hard for anyway. It's a self-worth thing ...

But I did ok and still am. I had a very successful run in Cleveland and the last six years in Seattle I've built the syndicated show up pretty good. I think Dial Global buying Jones will be good for me; at least that's what it feels like.

Gary Bryan fired me to get his friend Crazy Steve back on KNBQ. Gary's ok but the way I was canned there was zero class. A story for another time - unless you were there, dunno

I'm not a real "good ol' days" guy but one thing I miss from back then is the competitive spirit. Most markets today have one dominant station in each format and even when two stations go head to head it's pretty tame. I have lots of stories about two stations going at each other but ... I'll save it for the Retired DJs Home.

 

[dunno]

Danny,

I passed thru the Q and know exactly what you mean about Gary B. I thought you did a great job there!

Love your story about KFRC. You would have been a perfect fit. I've met Les a few times, you should have asked him.

You're spot on about todays radio battles, nothin like some of the ones we've both been through. Todays radio is watered down by internet, automation, syndication,
XM, Sirus. cable, ect...

I love hearing the radio stories. You probably have enough for a book that most of us would enjoy. Some of my best include fellow jocks and I interacting with the female species in our audience, but I probably won't be going there on this site!! lol

To many including over indulging, but I leave it for private BS sessions.