The Comish

Happy Birthday wishes yesterday to Bob Thomas!

Bob is now a Knox commissioner but is best known as a long time fixture on the radio in Knoxville. 

If memory serves me Bob worked at WBIR, WKGN, 15Q, of course decades as midday DJ on WIVK, and finally as cohost in the morning on the Ed and Bob or was it Bob and Ed on WNOX FM 100.

The 101 Audio Vault dusts Bob off from his early years as a weekend DJ on WIVK~

Every now and then a dial position would attempt to do battle for the country audience with WIVK, and back in 1978 it was WBIR-FM (which became WIMZ).

James Freeman was morning drive with Bill Page middays, afternoons were anchored by Mark Mabry...Celeste, The Mulls, and Mike Johnson were also on the air.

The 101 Audio Vault features the big pipes of Mark Mabry~

101 will spend some time back in late 1978...over at WNOX 990 the DJ lineup included~

530-10 Dr Dave Dunaway

10-2 Phil Williams

2-6 CC McCartney

6-10 Scott Majors

10-2 Bill Beason

2-530 James Maurice

PD was Bob Savage, weekends Mick St John, news Win Maxwell and Julie Lemaster!

The 101 Audio Vault features Bill Beason-

With today's snow and freeze we heat up the 101 Audio Vault~ Dick Winstead on WNOX 990...

Back in the day it was fun to listen to the local stations whenever I beach vacationed...and back in '79 101 air checked WPFM in Panama City, Florida. The DJ is Stan Powers. 

Speaking of Panama City, Ktown great Jimmy Vineyard was GM of a group of stations there for several years including good sounding country WPAP.

The 101 Audio Vault features WPFM~

Page 3...

John E Douglas of WNOX fame has an updated link, check it out to the right...and send 101 your link!

In honor of Your Dave, 101 went silent for a time...but we are back and are dusting off the old cassettes searching for classic air checks via the 101 Audio Vault~

101 continues to remember Your Dave Young...this is special to me, from '78 the 101 Audio Vault features the WIVK station ID via YDY followed by yours truly on WIVK...

Page 3...

We have some great audio over on our Knoxville Radio History 101 Facebook page...Your Dave's WKGN debut from 1974!

This is a never before seen photo that I took at the August 1978 WIVK Shindig...Your Dave Young and Suitcase Simpson (Bill Miller).

Bob Thomas remembers Your Dave~

As many of you already know, my friend of 39 years Your Dave Young has "signed off" from this Earthly life. A broadcasting legend in East Tennessee. A man behind the scenes of many successful people. Cancer. Damn. Way to soon YDY. I first met him on the radio when I used to listen to him while I was in high school. I met him in person a few years later when I started hanging around WNOX. Then to my great fortune I got to work with him at WKGN. Then we both ended up at the mothership, WIVK. What a ride man! It was in the mid 70s when Dave told me that in years past the Knoxville Christmas Parade had died from a lack of leaders and money. He said we needed to change that for the sake of the kids. We did. And it is still going strong today. He's the one that realized that W-I-V-K said phonetically sounds like a frog. On his show he made a sounder of a frog saying "wivvik, wivvik." Ahh...the birth of "WIVIK the Frog!" Dave knew so many people in East Tennessee. He was a true communicator. He will be missed.
 

...more Your Dave memories~

He was a great one RIP. (Alan Sneed)

A friend since '73, from Oneida. RIP Dave Young (Buster Sutton)

In '74 this incoming UT freshman drove into Knoxville by himself for the first time. I was scared to death. The first voice I heard was Your Dave on WKGN doing mornings. He did the 7a ID and rolled into "I Fought The Law" by The Bobby Fuller Four! And I thought there could be no bigger time radio on God's Earth. I never met him, but I knew him, like so many others did. RIP Dave. Radio was better because it had you. (Steve Howard)

Oh, so sad...Dave was one of a kind, strong in mind and spirit. It was a blessing to to have worked with him at WIVK and WNOX. Rest in peace dear friend. (Randy Bishop)

God Bless Your Dave. RIP (Gary Adkins)

In Memory~ YDY

You're spelling it wrong...Dave said he got the Your Dave Young from people saying you're Dave Young! They couldn't believe he was like he was in person compared to the radio...I was lucky enough to work as afternoon news anchor with Dave, and before that with Bobby Denton when he was the afternoon deejay...wow, was was I blessed to know both of them, and Claude, and don't forget Big Music Ken Russell as well, WIVK is still great, but back then...'nuff said! (Dan Bell)

Just wanted to reach out and say how sorry I am in losing Dave Young. I had the occasion to be in Knoxville back in November and visit Dave for what I knew would be the final time, Gary Beach and I went over to his house and they all gave he and I about an hour and a half to talk over old times and say our goodbyes. I am sure glad I was able to see him and have that time to remember. (Mike Beach)

Didn't know if radio folks remember that Your Dave worked in my area. He and Steve Armistead did the morning show on WIKQ-FM in Greeneville. They did mornings from 530-9a in '94-'95! I remember each year at the TVA&I Fair in Knoxville when Dave worked at WKGN he would be riding the ferris wheel for charity, etc. Such a giving person and dearly loved by everyone. The world was definitely a BETTER place for him being here. RIP Dave, you have fans everywhere! (Roger Epperson)

Remembering Your Dave~

Dave Young was so good to us. When we took over for Claude in 1991, he was the first to welcome us and tell us the history of Knoxville radio. He shared countless, hilarious stories of him and Bobby Denton, The Cat and all the wonderful characters that made Ktown such a wonderful radio market. We were truly blessed to have earned his friendship. We love you and will miss you Dave! (Wilhite and Wall)

Dave was truly one of the kindest hearted genuine people I have ever known. Every time we'd get together we'd tell old Knoxville radio war stories. If in your lifetime you have merely one friend like Dave Young, you've had a good life. Rest in Peace my friend. You had a great air shift. Tell Bobby, Claude and Jim hello from all of us still to join you. (Jeff Jarnigan)

I had put this on Facebook on Jan. 8:Spent about an hour with the Legendary Your Dave Young today. As many of you know Dave has lost his voice to a serious tumor and is having it tough right now. But today we had a blast. We listened to some air checks. Including one that I couldn’t have ever identified as YDY. Many that I could. Since he can’t speak anymore he writes you notes on a pad. Thru that and me having the floor with no interruptions we had a great time! Ha! Love Dave Young. We talked about some of you. Those great folks we’ve gotten to work with and get to know over the years in Radio. About Radio now Dave wrote...Radio Sux. I agreed that while many of the companies do there are still great people still working in the industry. It’s great to sit with such a legendary figure of our industry. There was only one YOUR DAVE YOUNG!!!!

When you listened...You knew he was indeed “OUR DAVE YOUNG”  as George Said.

(Paul Lyle)

...more memories of Dave all this week! KtownRadio@gmail.com!

Remembering Your Dave...

Dave Young passed away today, he fought the good fight...and will be greatly missed.

Known as "Your Dave", Dave was my radio mentor, helping me secure a weekend DJ position at WIVK when I was an 18 year old starting at UT, and remaining life long friends!

Dave was a great DJ...from WNOX to WKGN to WIVK! I loved The Dave Young Morning Show on WKGN back in the mid 70's, never knew I would soon be working with Dave at WIVK.

Dave replaced the legendary Bobby Denton as afternoon drive DJ at WIVK...and the ratings didn't skip a beat!

Dave you will be missed, and you will always be "Our Dave Young"~ go rest high on that mountain!

Send your memories to 101 at-

KtownRadio@gmail.com!