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Who would you put in a MS Radio Hall of Fame?

Well, heck if all those people who did little in Mississippi before success elsewhere get considered, put me in, too. 30 years in St. Louis, after all. And I worked more in Mississippi than Harry,Bob, and Jerry. (Yes, this is tongue in cheek. My point is those guys were not serious contributors to MISSISSIPPI radio.)

Walt belongs there, Bob Rall (who I wish was here to give the older perspective on these things), and I can come up with a few more, but the reality is to create an honest hall you have to look not just way back to 1980, but back to the days of the early stations in the mid-1920s. And it shouldn't be Jackson-centric. There has been some fine broadcasting along the coast (not with Bob Lima's stations, but the old WROA and WLOX), Vicksburg, the Delta, Starkville...

Most folks here do not have the depth of knowledge of Mississippi broadcasting to truly think of who should be there.

Watt- you're thinking the same way I am- C. Birney Imes would definitely belong there, along with the guy from Meridian (I forget his name at the moment) who ran New South for so long. It shouldn't be about jocks that we remember from ZZQ or 13RBC. There were great broadcasters on WJQS and WJXN, on WACR and WCBI, and many many more in places I wasn't familiar with, such as the Delta.

As to little Grayson, he was lost in the swamps until I got them to hire him at JDX. (Gotta give you a hard time for SOMETHING, Rob!!!)
 
Right you are, sir!
 
Farmer Jim, Bill Tanner, Robin Mathis, Jack Christal, Ken Rainey, Butch Luke, Howard Lett, Wayne Harris, Joe Phillips, Bob Pittman, Dave Adcock, Sergio Fernandez, Harland L. Knight, Bob Rall, Cramer Haas, Bruce Owen, George Florence... and probably several others I can't remember!

Mark Shands, formerly WJDX/WZZQ/WKOR/WQNZ back in the 60s-70s
 
From beachguy3b- Walt belongs there, Bob Rall (who I wish was here to give the older perspective on these things), and I can come up with a few more, but the reality is to create an honest hall you have to look not just way back to 1980, but back to the days of the early stations in the mid-1920s.
Most folks here do not have the depth of knowledge of Mississippi broadcasting to truly think of who should be there.
[/quote]

If you want to go waaaay back to the 20's, Eudora Welty was the copywriter at WJDX. Was it Don Partridge at New South in Meridian that you were thinking about earlier?

Of course, I'd want there to be a special "dj/sales" category, for selfish reasons. (Hey, I'm still in it,aren't I?)
 
Seems to me thus far there are more presenters than award winners in this topic.

From the country ranks the HOF should include: Bill Wilbourne of Forest and T. Tommy Cutrer (coo-trair) from McComb.

Also to be considered are the entertainers/singers who segued to radio (The Paul Otts of the world) and radio folks who transitioned to tv (Assaf, Swan and the like).
 
Don't forget Hoyt Wooten, started out in Coldwater. IIRC, there was some ambiguity at to if that was the first radio station or was it WCOC which started in Columbus but was purchased and moved to Meridian by Withers Gavin.
 
Without a doubt, Marie Perkins, mom of David and Alan Perkins and owner/operator of WQNZ/WNAT in Natchez.
 
beachguy, I think Eddie Holladay is the New South/Meridian guy whose name you could not recall. New South had WOKK/WALT there, plus WVMI/WQID Biloxi, WNSL Laurel, and at one time 1590 Jackson. I think Partridge was associated with WJDQ Meridian.
 
J Alex Bowab said:
beachguy, I think Eddie Holladay is the New South/Meridian guy whose name you could not recall. New South had WOKK/WALT there, plus WVMI/WQID Biloxi, WNSL Laurel, and at one time 1590 Jackson. I think Partridge was associated with WJDQ Meridian.
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Sorry,my bad,I was thinking Meridian, not New South, when I thought of Partridge.

Here's a thought,after reading some of the suggestions. Maybe we should give the reason for nominating someone,and not just because they gave you a job, btw.
 
I agree with that! And for the record, none of the aforementioned ever hired me. In fact I've mentioned one possible selectee who detested me and was an embittered competitor. But, I recognize that the particular broadcaster made a mark in Mississippi radio history.
 
Sorry, I've been away for a few days.....

J Alex, you were (of course) correct on WXTN's location in Lexington, my bad.

Flytrap, J. B. Skelton was a fine person & engineer & fiddle player. I helped him a time or two when we had to do the yearly proof on WSAO (remember tones in the middle of the night?). I also believe you are correct about Marvin Mathis; I seem to recall that it was a car/train accident.


Dr. Bob
 
we used to see J.B Skelton at family reunions. We always listened to WCPC on the way to Mantee to visit our Aunt and Uncle Skelton. I remember them saying once that they were distantly related to Red Skelton. Not sure if its true, but I don't see why not.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned him yet because he may not be widely know outside of Jackson, but long time personality John Friskello. He worked at several stations throughout the area such as WJQS in Jackson. I mainly remember him in later years when he announced for a couple of stations around Jackson that played adult standards such as WYHT 1590. I think he may have also worked at 1180 in Jackson when it was Standards WKKE correct me if I'm wrong. The last station I remember him on was WVIV 93.9 standards, before it went rock several years ago.

A couple of years ago some low life trash went into the trailor he was living in and beat him to a pulp. He died a short time later. he was confined to a wheel chair at the time. What kind of animal beats up an old man in a wheel chair? That crime still makes me sick.
 
You are right. John was a long time friend of mine...even from the early days at WJQS...when it was in the King Edward Hotel...we are talking about 1965. Very intelligent and a great sense of humor. I miss him...JBI
 
J Alex Bowab said:
beachguy, I think Eddie Holladay is the New South/Meridian guy whose name you could not recall. New South had WOKK/WALT there, plus WVMI/WQID Biloxi, WNSL Laurel, and at one time 1590 Jackson. I think Partridge was associated with WJDQ Meridian.
Click to expand...

BINGO! Worked for Holladay mote than once. This, and the Marie Perkins reference, is in line with what a hall of fame should be.

I see SO many names popped in here because they were simply involved at JDX or ZZQ, or a personal fave. Again, I'll say it- what did they do to advance MISSISSIPPI broadcasting? Bob Lima, Bill Tanner- yes, THEY contributed. Cramer Haas? WTF? Even Sergio- a GREAT guy, but did these people REALLY impact the industry in the state?
 
jboyd said:
You are right. John was a long time friend of mine...even from the early days at WJQS...when it was in the King Edward Hotel...we are talking about 1965. Very intelligent and a great sense of humor. I miss him...JBI
Click to expand...

Howdy, J. Boyd.

Yes, Friskillo is another name. And as much as I loathe Bob Burton, serious consideration there as well. A wretched human being, but a significant contributor.

I'm finding it interesting that WOKJ, WKXI, and WJMI seem to have had no black members who contributed significantly by what I see here. **cough**

Howard Lett- great name brought up. Very talented, and no doubt could have make the "big time" had he chosen. It's been a very long time since I heard him, yet I remember his voice very clearly.
 
I just realized that Bill Tanner sent me an Email back in November. I just responded. We met in Vicksburg when we were both very young.

The Mississippi Radio Hall of Fame? Yes, the MBA should do this. Let's get them off their asses. Whoever they are. I'm looking forward to our first convention.

I'm sending this as an Email to Roger Ownby, son of the original owner of WJXN. He's the man who got me into radio. And I don't hold him responsible for it at all. He's still in Jackson, working at a furniture store.

(Ya'll need a new couch? He's got 'em.)

And (I assume) the late Herb Guthire. Or maybe that's not exactly the right name. He was the original manager of rock ' roll WRBC. OOOhh, those days of competition between WRBC and WJXN. You should of been there. Roger can tell you those stories.
 
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