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Where's Lee Baby Simms?

C

collinsradio

Guest
I would put him on the air in about 10
seconds. He would be terrific on KFRC,
if he could just be Lee Baby. Then again
he may not want to bother.
 
> I would put him on the air in about 10
> seconds. He would be terrific on KFRC,
> if he could just be Lee Baby. Then again
> he may not want to bother.
>


Wow ... Good question! I lost track of Lee Baby after 98.1 KISS-FM (KISQ) in 2002 or so. Has he retired (officially or unofficially)?

Trivial tidbit: his real name is Lamar Simms.

DJ<P ID="signature">______________
<center>
Bay Area Radio Museum | Bay Area Radio Digest
</center></P>
 
> > I would put him on the air in about 10
> > seconds. He would be terrific on KFRC,
> > if he could just be Lee Baby. Then again
> > he may not want to bother.
> >
>
>
> Wow ... Good question! I lost track of Lee Baby after 98.1
> KISS-FM (KISQ) in 2002 or so. Has he retired (officially or
> unofficially)?
>
> Trivial tidbit: his real name is Lamar Simms.
>
> DJ
>
DJ-

Hate to tell you, but only partially correct. His license reads Gilmore L. Simms.
 
It would be great to have him back on the air, glad he was brought up.
 
> It would be great to have him back on the air, glad he was
> brought up.
>
Lee has the ability to touch listeners. Unfortunately a far too rare commodity on the air today. From his blowing out midrange drivers from running the music way loud, dancing around the studio, and drinking diet soda out of a champagne glass...truly one of a kind off and on the air!
 
Small tidbit....

He was going to be part time on KFRC a few years back, but bailed the last minute. Haven't heard from him since.


> > It would be great to have him back on the air, glad he was
>
> > brought up.
> >
> Lee has the ability to touch listeners. Unfortunately a far
> too rare commodity on the air today. From his blowing out
> midrange drivers from running the music way loud, dancing
> around the studio, and drinking diet soda out of a champagne
> glass...truly one of a kind off and on the air!
>
 
Why does the industry not treat the true talents with the respect they deserve? Argh...he would be great on KFRC and they could really use him now. I suppose we all have our laundry lists of the voices we miss. To think that so many of them are still here and either not on the air at all, or running some late/early shift somewhere out in the sticks just makes you nuts.
 
The real idiosyncratic talents also know the usual tricks played by today's younger managers, who resent these veterans for both reasons.

> Why does the industry not treat the true talents with the
> respect they deserve? Argh...he would be great on KFRC and
> they could really use him now. I suppose we all have our
> laundry lists of the voices we miss. To think that so many
> of them are still here and either not on the air at all, or
> running some late/early shift somewhere out in the sticks
> just makes you nuts.
>
 
> I would put him on the air in about 10
> seconds. He would be terrific on KFRC,
> if he could just be Lee Baby. Then again
> he may not want to bother.
>
I'm surprised the moderators haven't deleted the responses yet, since the majority of the replies have nothing to do with the thread.
Lee Baby's said to be retired from radio near San Francisco...as of 6/05.
Speculation...
He's probably in his house blaring the music so he can get just the right segue. Class act!
 
> It would be great to hear him again. A little history - he started on the radio on the East Coast in the early 60s and was fired more than once for breaking the top 40 format and saying some controversial things. I first heard him on KCBQ San Diego in Summer 1970 when I spent a month or so there surfing and kicking back. I believe he was afternoon drive. His competition was Bobby Ocean on KGB - the Bill Drake Boss Radio station. KCBQ was very well programmed, and one of the few Top 40 stations in ANY market to regularly beat the Drake station in the ratings. I remember that the whold town was nuts for the long version of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly, which both stations (and the FM rockers) played constantly. It didn't get anywhere near that much airplay (or respect) in Los Angeles. Simms was later on KMET in LA, and did the "free form" FM circuit. He also did a short stint in disguise as "Doc Frail"...on KRLA, I think. His 2 year (or so) stint on Kiss-FM lasted longer than I would have thought, given that Lee is 60ish, and white.

The real idiosyncratic talents also know the usual tricks
> played by today's younger managers, who resent these
> veterans for both reasons.
>
> > Why does the industry not treat the true talents with the
> > respect they deserve? Argh...he would be great on KFRC and
>
> > they could really use him now. I suppose we all have our
> > laundry lists of the voices we miss. To think that so many
>
> > of them are still here and either not on the air at all,
> or
> > running some late/early shift somewhere out in the sticks
> > just makes you nuts.
> >
>
 
Lee Baby Simms retired

I happened onto a website that said he retired from radio in June of this year.
6/2/05 to be exact.<P ID="signature">______________

Member of the Los Angeles, Phoenix Radio, and California TV moderation team</P>
 
Harp,

I am guessing I know you. That being said, Lee Baby messed the KFRC thing up on his own. He never showed up. He was given a great oppertunity but pulled the all too common Diva thing. Or is that Divo...Anyway, he was supposed to be on, but he bailed. KFRC didn't tell him to NOT show up. It was his choice. Oh well. Lost opportunity on his part.

And the comment on Christopher Lance, he quit, he was NOT fired. He quit before they got rid of Ron Leonard and modified the format. Maybe he would have stayed had he not resigned. I guess we will never know.


> Why does the industry not treat the true talents with the
> respect they deserve? Argh...he would be great on KFRC and
> they could really use him now. I suppose we all have our
> laundry lists of the voices we miss. To think that so many
> of them are still here and either not on the air at all, or
> running some late/early shift somewhere out in the sticks
> just makes you nuts.
>
 
Lew is right, Lee Baby is one of the most talented personalities
I've heard in my life. He could stop down and talk for 20 minutes,
and be entertaining & compelling. Lee likely turned down more jobs
than he accepted, that may be a clue to his last minute bail out
on KFRC. He was fighting the format cops back in the 60's, I
can imagine what he thinks about liner-radio. If you doubt what I say. &
get a chance, listen to what is considered "the world's greatest aircheck"
Lee Simms on KCBQ 1970. You can check it out at reelradio.com.
 
> Lew is right, Lee Baby is one of the most talented
> personalities
> I've heard in my life. He could stop down and talk for 20
> minutes,
> and be entertaining & compelling. Lee likely turned down
> more jobs
> than he accepted, that may be a clue to his last minute bail
> out
> on KFRC. He was fighting the format cops back in the 60's, I
>
> can imagine what he thinks about liner-radio. If you doubt
> what I say. &
> get a chance, listen to what is considered "the world's
> greatest aircheck"
> Lee Simms on KCBQ 1970. You can check it out at
> reelradio.com.
>


Dear boys, My friend Tony Sandoval at KISQ dropped me a line yesterday to tell me about Radio-Info. Lots of opinions, and no one seems to be shy about expressing them, so allow me to express mine, Thank you for kind words about my humble efforts to entertain you when I was on the air..
The 411 is, Yes, I am really retired. I realized this for real a year and a half ago when KFRC called me and I declined the offer. Of course I was very pleased and honored to be welcomed into the fold of such a heritage station.
I went into the City, had a nice chat with the GM. and the PD., got to see the worlds greatest engineer, George Zema(sp.) I love George. Also, Osh was in the house, he I and go back as you may know, we caught up, hadn`t seen him in 12 years.
All in all a lovely afternoon. I said to myself, alrighty then this sounds pretty good. Then I said it to them, told them that I would come in on Sunday to learn the the board. Then I came home. This was on a Tuesday, on Friday I called them to a say no. They understood.
Now, here is why I said no, For forty years when I was on the Radio it was like being in love with a woman, that real and that overwhelming and that almost all encompassing. On Thursday evening after a few wee drams of good single malt, the truth struck home. I am no longer in love and if love can no longer play a hand then why play the game??????
As for the 1970 KCBQ aircheck being "the worlds greatest aircheck" I don`t know about that, I`m sure that there are one or two out there that are better, altho right at the moment I can`t think of one. Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Again thank you for your kind words, you are very kind.

Lee Baby
 
Re: Reply to Lee Baby

> > Lee Baby,

You truly gave us some great radio, and we'll miss you on the air. I think I mentioned earlier in this thread that I first heard you on KCBQ in the summer of 1970 - and those are great memories, in part because it was one of the best summers of my life - no cares, great weather, great music, lots of surfing. So I was pleased a couple of years later to hear you in my hometown (LA) on KRLA and KMET - then many years later on Kiss-FM in my new hometown of San Francisco. By the way, your friend Tony Sandoval is proof that you can still be a great disc jockey on modern "corporate" radio. Have a great retirement.
>
>
> Dear boys, My friend Tony Sandoval at KISQ dropped me a
> line yesterday to tell me about Radio-Info. Lots of
> opinions, and no one seems to be shy about expressing them,
> so allow me to express mine, Thank you for kind words about
> my humble efforts to entertain you when I was on the air..
> The 411 is, Yes, I am really retired. I realized this for
> real a year and a half ago when KFRC called me and I
> declined the offer. Of course I was very pleased and honored
> to be welcomed into the fold of such a heritage station.
> I went into the City, had a nice chat with the GM. and
> the PD., got to see the worlds greatest engineer, George
> Zema(sp.) I love George. Also, Osh was in the house, he I
> and go back as you may know, we caught up, hadn`t seen him
> in 12 years.
> All in all a lovely afternoon. I said to myself, alrighty
> then this sounds pretty good. Then I said it to them, told
> them that I would come in on Sunday to learn the the board.
> Then I came home. This was on a Tuesday, on Friday I called
> them to a say no. They understood.
> Now, here is why I said no, For forty years when I was on
> the Radio it was like being in love with a woman, that real
> and that overwhelming and that almost all encompassing. On
> Thursday evening after a few wee drams of good single malt,
> the truth struck home. I am no longer in love and if love
> can no longer play a hand then why play the game??????
> As for the 1970 KCBQ aircheck being "the worlds greatest
> aircheck" I don`t know about that, I`m sure that there are
> one or two out there that are better, altho right at the
> moment I can`t think of one. Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> Again thank you for your kind words, you are very kind.
>
> Lee Baby
>
 
Wow! I think that's the first time I have ever been knocked back in my seat here on friendly Radio-Info.com. A real live radio legend sighting!

Thanks for stopping by, Lee Baby, and thanks for so many years of great radio.

DJ<P ID="signature">______________
<center>
Bay Area Radio Museum | Bay Area Radio Digest
</center></P>
 
Lee,I'm glad your enjoying yourself in retirement.
Elvis may have left the building, but the bits and
the incredible talent you have. Quitting KCBQ to
do an updated version of Highway Patrol, knocking
the HFC spot, getting dragged off air and drafted.
This was all very interesting to a 12 year old punk
with a transistor radio, I had to go into the biz.
Thanks, for all you have contributed to the art
of radio!.
>
>
> Dear boys, My friend Tony Sandoval at KISQ dropped me a
> line yesterday to tell me about Radio-Info. Lots of
> opinions, and no one seems to be shy about expressing them,
> so allow me to express mine, Thank you for kind words about
> my humble efforts to entertain you when I was on the air..
> The 411 is, Yes, I am really retired. I realized this for
> real a year and a half ago when KFRC called me and I
> declined the offer. Of course I was very pleased and honored
> to be welcomed into the fold of such a heritage station.
> I went into the City, had a nice chat with the GM. and
> the PD., got to see the worlds greatest engineer, George
> Zema(sp.) I love George. Also, Osh was in the house, he I
> and go back as you may know, we caught up, hadn`t seen him
> in 12 years.
> All in all a lovely afternoon. I said to myself, alrighty
> then this sounds pretty good. Then I said it to them, told
> them that I would come in on Sunday to learn the the board.
> Then I came home. This was on a Tuesday, on Friday I called
> them to a say no. They understood.
> Now, here is why I said no, For forty years when I was on
> the Radio it was like being in love with a woman, that real
> and that overwhelming and that almost all encompassing. On
> Thursday evening after a few wee drams of good single malt,
> the truth struck home. I am no longer in love and if love
> can no longer play a hand then why play the game??????
> As for the 1970 KCBQ aircheck being "the worlds greatest
> aircheck" I don`t know about that, I`m sure that there are
> one or two out there that are better, altho right at the
> moment I can`t think of one. Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> Again thank you for your kind words, you are very kind.
>
> Lee Baby
>
 
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