The staff and management (love that line) of 101 wishes each of you a fun and safe labor day weekend! Enjoy all the football!

When one reflects on Knoxville Radio History 101, Johnny Pirkle must be placed at or near the top of the list for his tremendous impact for decades...WNOX, W-149, WOKI, etc. Today we hear from Johnny~

To set the record straight, the shooting at WNOX was not into the control room window, but into the massive, 2-story windows in the front lobby. I was the PD at the time, and got a call from the overnight deejay, telling me that the giant sheet of glass had fallen into the lobby, acting like a guillotine, slicing the sofa in half.

He had no clue as to why the glass fell into the lobby, but I guessed, correctly as it turned out, that a bullet had caused it, and instructed him to stay out of the lobby, remain in the control room down the hall, and, if nature called, to duck and RUN to and from the restroom. I think that advice came a little too late, particularly when I shared my gunshot theory with him.

To confirm my suspicions, the bullet was actually found in the rubble, either that night or after daylight.

I think I know who Suitcase suspects, and since he admits to a friendship with the guy, I would say he is correct. As Confucius said, "A man who has only 2 friends stands out in a crowd."

To let the "jock/engineer" off the hook, no listeners were that mad at him. The suspected shooter had quit or been fired the day before, as I recall. I think I am still his only other friend, BTW.

Johnny Pirkle
WNOX 1964-71

One of the fun things about our 101 blog is that occasionally we hear from former Ktown radio greats, today, Possum Riley~

"Possum Riley (WKGN 1969-70) is the Scoutmaster of a Boy Scout Troop in Ashland City, Tenn. His alter ego, Randall Dickerson, is a writer for The Associated Press, working out of the Nashville bureau. I know. I'm both of them."

queue 'em tight and rock on,
Possum

101 welcomes Jean Ash. Most remember Jean as a long time news anchor at WIVK, but before the frog, Jean spent time at WKGN!

Here are a couple of on air snippets, WKGN first! 101 searched our archive library and found this tidbit~

Next, here are Jean and Claude Tomlinson at their funniest on WIVK's Great Day~

And now here's Jean's story about WKGN~

Boy, do I ever remember the shooting incident at ‘KGN. It had reverberating consequences for me, even if I didn’t realize it at the time. Talk about looking back and identifying major forks in the road….

I was doing news, in my first-ever radio job while at UT, and ‘KGN had recently been sold by George Mooney, a tremendous boss, to another outfit that installed a first class jerk as GM – those who were there at the time will remember who I’m talking about and probably agree with the characterization. It was early March of 1975 when a shotgun blast hit the studios on Alcoa Highway, which were on the second floor of the First Tennessee Bank. I remember the ladies’ room window had been shot out, too, and there was still glass all over the floor a day or two later. Never knew exactly who the shooter or the target were but there were lots of rumors at the time. (No pun intended relating to the name of the GM.)

A couple of days later I was leaving the office late, it was dark, and I saw a suspicious white pickup truck circling around the parking lot and back. I retreated into the doorway for a few minutes until it left, then walked out to my car and went home. I recall it was a Friday night. By Monday morning, I had forgotten all about the pickup until about 3 in the afternoon when something jogged my memory. I went in to the GM’s office to mention it, as I didn’t know what the status of any investigation into the shooting was and thought maybe this truck could have been involved, or at least would be a concern to a responsible manager.

I must say the GM and I hadn’t gotten along ever since he took over. For one thing, he wanted me to do commercials, which a credible news person never does. He noted that I “wasn’t Walter Cronkite and this isn’t New York,” but I stood my ground. Then he decreed that we would no longer do “lost pet” announcements on the air, as that was too bush-league. One day a woman called in about a lost dog and I asked him what to tell her. He said to just take the information and then throw it away. I was not good at hiding my negative feelings in those days (hah!) so he knew what I thought of his hypocrisy. Probably other incidents, too, that I have forgotten about.

Anyway, we get to Monday afternoon when I go into his office (the door is open) and start telling him about the suspicious truck. He loses patience with me and yells that it’s not HIS problem, that the bank owns the building and if I’m all so hot about a [expletive deleted] truck I should take it up with the bank manager downstairs. To me, this is so preposterous that I impulsively shout, “***, you just don’t give a [expletive deleted]!!

I storm out, go to the newsroom, deliver the 4:00 ‘cast and when I reemerge, there’s ***. He tells me to get my two weeks’ severance pay check, which has already been cut, clear out my desk and get out.

Off I go, crushed and certain that I’ll never get another radio job (not realizing at the time that EVERYBODY in radio has been fired at least once). But wait! Before I was even eligible for my first unemployment check, Mike Hammond hired me as part time reporter at WIVK, and the rest is history. *** actually did me the greatest favor ever by forcing me to look elsewhere and I landed what I still think is the best news post in East Tennessee.

I’m less impetuous now but hope I still have the same idealism I did back then. Enjoy the Web site! Thanks for letting me add to the conversation, Jean Ash (jeanash@comcast.net)

101 kicks off the new week with Your Dave Young debuting on WKGN in '74. Dave had been a mainstay at WNOX for years and his move was similar to Johnny Damon exiting the Red Sox for the Yankees. Here's Dave's first show!



Tomorrow...the one and only Jean Ash. Jean tells 101 about her early days at WKGN!

101 returns to the audio vault to WRJZ and two of the station's original jocks, Rick Kirk and JJ Scott~

Let's do it again...it's Ditto time!

Great to see this blog...it's bringing back things that I thought the courts had ordered sealed. My name's Ed Ditto; I was Phil Williams' intern at WIMZ and then an overnight jock there in 1992 and 1993. I was in MBA school at UT at the time, and I was supposed to find a summer internship. So I'd won a pair of hockey tickets or something, and I walked into the Stoner office to pick them and asked the receptionist--a stunner, as I recall--if I could speak to the program director. Turned out to be Blake Watson, a guy I recognized from his stint at WSKZ in Chattanooga. He pretty much hired me (for way below minimum wage, you understand) on the spot, and I worked my first overnight shift not long thereafter. Got hired on for real about three months later. Which would have to go down in history as the best internship anybody at the UT MBA school ever had--I may not have gotten paid as much as some of the other students (who went to Martin Marietta and so forth), but I was hanging out in bars and backstage while they were slaving away in cubicle hell, so I felt like it was a good trade. Phil was a great guy to work for--I was 22, I think--and he taught me some important lessons about professionalism and, er, tolerance. Stuff that served me in good stead later on. The crew at WIMZ at that time was cool...Ted Hall was Phil's sidekick (this was before his 15 minutes of Margot Kidder fame), Billy Kidd was there, and Jeff Payne. Shane Cox. Commander Dave. And other people,too...there was sort of a revolving door on the control room but I remember them all fondly...even the ones who ragged on the intern. After all, we all had mullets together. And this is going way out on a limb, but a friend named Greg Aldridge and I ran the morning show at WUTK during that same time. We called the show "Wake and Bake" and our format was essentially going on the air and playing whatever we wanted and saying whatever came into our heads. We thought it worked. But I remember going into a low-rent grocery store in Knoxville one afternoon back then, and the cashier recognized my name from the check I handed her. She went all starry-eyed, as if I was Somebody, and I enjoyed it just long enough to realize that the check I'd written her was doomed to bounce like a pogo stick. And the Parable of the Bouncing Check is why I got out of radio after I graduated from UT. Because for every Phil Williams making money, there were a hundred guys like me with stars in their eyes and vacuum in their bellies--working for five bucks an hour and rubbing elbows with rock stars. I figured cubicle hell beat starving. But what did I know? I was 22. Gratefully--Ed

Happy Hump Day from Ktown 101!!! Don't you love the oldie photos. Above is long time midday DJ at WKGN Frank Erwin. Send your photos to 101!

Remember Wilhite and Wall? They were the morning duo that took over Great Day when superstar Claude Tomlinson retired at WIVK. You can find W and W at WDAF Kansas City.

101 has added a fun blog called Three Strikes and Out to our link list...happy reading!


Today 101 welcomes back contributor Chad Austin~

Was just reading about the Mike Beach Shotgun incident. I was wondering if you or anyone else knows anything about an incident that happened over at WNOX-AM sometime back in the 70's (I believe it was). The way I understood the story, someone driving down Whittle Springs Road fired a gunshot through the window of the control room. It's been 20 years since I heard that story, and I don't remember much details. I don't know if they even caught the person who did it. It does seem like I had also heard that the individual who fired the gunshot had gotten p#@%*d off at the DJ who was on the air at that time, or something along those lines. Didn't know if you or anyone else knew about the story or not. Another incident I heard that happened at WNOX was some homeless guy who was drunk broke into the building one night and came downstairs into the control room while James Maurice was on the air. Once again I can't remember the details. I just remember hearing a story like that years ago.


Anyone remember these incidents...or other great Rock of Knox stories?

Before Ktown had a croaking frog, WKGN rode donkeys! That's right, these are classic photos from the early 70's of the WKGN DJ's playing "Donkey Ball"! From top...News Director Joe Anderson, PD Wayne Bernard aka Charlie Chase, Frank Erwin, and Your Dave Young!

Photos above were provided by Brandon Campbell. Brandon asked Frank Erwin who the unknown person was in the WKGN reunion photo 101 posted a few days ago...Here's Frank~

Far left in the staff photo is Joe Sullivan. Joe left WKGN long ago, before I even arrived, moved to Nashville, became Charlie Daniels' manager, founded a company called "Sound 70 Productions" which put together all the concerts in Tennessee and other areas during the 1970s.

101 interrupts your Sunday to bring you this special report~ From maybe somewhere in "Egypt" or having something to do with "Egyptian #@*", here's Mike Beach...(PS~ the following is MB's answer to Chip Emerson's earlier comment)~

Ok, alright..."The famous shotgun incident". I was working the PM Drive shift at 'KGN and someone rang the buzzer for the back door. Most times it was delivery men, or someone dropping off a tape to one of the salespeople. That particular night, the buzzer rang and I took off down the back steps to take care of business. Well...I was confronted by a man...asking if I was Mike Beach.....of course I told him I was.....

For some reason, he apparently thought I was fooling around with his girlfriend or his wife...I am still to this day not really sure whom or what he was talking about. I was/am not guilty! That is MY story and I am stickin' to it. Hey Emerson, was there really a shotgun involved?!!? Somehow I must have conveniently forgotten about that....it must have been the Egyptian...(inside joke)

When you think about Knoxville radio history, Dave Young always comes to mind! He is one of the best! Here's a fun and classic moment with Your Dave hosting Great Day on WIVK and poking a little innocent fun at program director Bobby Denton~

From the mail bag...

It was great hearing Mike Beach sign on at 'KGN. I did a college internship there in 1975, working with the Beachman in the afternoon. A lot of goodtimes, and a lot of stuff learned. He's one of the great ones! Mike Clark~Praise 96.3

Is the unknown jock -- Jerry Dee? Also, Tell Beach maybe he is old --- had some great times with the Beach man -- ask him about...the guy who shot out the back door at 'KGN with a shot gun. Chip Emerson~R2R Media

Today 101 is cleaning out our "inbox"...

First we hear from Mike Beach. Mike sent a note to 101 after he was featured on Wednesday's post~

"You guys are making me feel old!! LOL!" MB

Another 101 reader commented on our Monday post about "The River"~

"THANKS FOR THE RIVER MEMORIES! That was a great station, especially with the combo of talent : Phil Williams and David Henley. THOSE TWO ARE GREAT TOGETHER, many people wish it could happen again. THE RIVER WAS THE LAST GREAT STATION IN KNOXVILLE TN."

Finally, 101 heard from B 97.5 midday personality Jennifer~

"Hi! Thank you so much for sending this to me! I had no idea this blog existed. This is such a great way to learn about the history of radio here in Knoxville and I'm so glad you put this together. ;) "

Thanks Jennifer! Keep the photographs and memories coming!!! Here's Jennifer's link!

Happy Hump Day!

101 is sticking with the WKGN theme today by featuring Mike Beach's debut on the Famous 1340 (June '74)...Recorded by 101 via old time transistor radio and cassette recorder~



BTW...The DJ's in the WkGN reunion photo (previous post) are from left to right, unknown, Chris Hampton, Bob Baron, owner George Mooney, Wayne Bernard, Dr. Al Adams, and Frank Erwin.

Coming soon~ Jocks riding donkeys!!!

101 welcomes Brandon Campbell as a contributor. Brandon has alot of WKGN archived, air checks and photos. Today 101 features a classic photo from a WKGN reunion! Can you name these DJ's?

101 kicks off the week by remembering the final day of "The River" from 2003~

Happy Weekend! 101 received this photo from WJ. It's of CP and Walker in the U-102 control room in the late 80's!

101 wants to hear from you too...send photographs and memories to KtownRadio@gmail.com.

PS~ Check out the stop light in the top center of the photo!

8-8-08 It's time for the 2008 Olympics from China. The number 8 is the lucky number in China and many couples are marrying today!!!

101 continues with the Iron Man. We heard from two more Ktown greats regarding Jim~

Hey guys, I spent several nights watching "Iron Man" Jim do his marathon. It WAS in a motor home...live from the parking lot at Suburban Center in West Knoxville. As I recall, he got to sleep 10 minutes an hour. I love the guy, but after that (I think it was 6 days plus with little sleep)....he was never the same. Here's to you Jim...wherever you are. (Mike Beach)

Look for the Iron Man at Jimmy's Sports Bar, Tazewell Pike. (Your Dave Young)

Here's the Iron Man setting the record...



Coming soon~ Brandon Campbell contributes some great WKGN memories!

101 heard from a couple of folks regarding Jim Humphries. Thanks to Walker Johnson for the photo. Walker's blog MEDIA REPORT is a great daily read!!!

This was a three shot of me...Jim and Joe but I edited us out so you could have it of him for your story. I was there in late '73 or early '74. Jim was middays and I replaced Beach in the afternoon. He was working for the RR unless he has retired? WJ

I was also a witness to Jim Humphries record - I sat with him one night watching him using a little 2 turntable remote system - I believe it was in a camper - I just loved hanging around stuff like that and watching - he was very nice to a young teenage boy that was thrilled to watch how everything worked - I aspired to be a star someday in my hometown, but it never happened - BTW, where is Jim today? Chris Campbell

Jim Humphries was a mainstay at WETE before the station morphed into WRJZ. In the early 70's Jim became radio's "Iron Man" by staying on the air for over 208 hours. Jim's feat was accomplished via a remote broadcast location, the parking lot at Suburban Center on Kingston Pike in West Knoxville. Here's the promo the station was running during the marathon. 101 was there to watch Jim break the record!

101 kicks off the new week with Smokey Burns. Thanks to Smokey for sharing these wonderful memories. 101 wants to hear from you too~

I was drafted out of the minors (WTBC, Tuscaloosa) by Bob Baron in August of 1973. In the five days I had before I started on WKGN, I had to graduate, get the old Austin Healey ready for the trip, and get married. (I still have the degree and the Healey) I knew of Bob from his time at WHHY in Montgomery, and knew that WKGN was making some noise in the radio industry and with the people of Knoxville, starting to cut into the numbers of WNOX. The station was staffed with great talent. After my show, Bob did a couple of hours, followed by Frank Erwin, Wayne Bernard, Jack Diamond, and a guy named Jerry Steele on overnights. Joe Anderson was my newsman and Wayne was teamed up with Walker Johnson. When Jack left, Dick Winstead did nights until we hired Dave Young. Dave was a big name at that time and it was a coup to persuade him to leave WNOX and join our station. WKGN had a very high energy sound, a very short playlist (I swear “My Maria” came up in rotation about every seven minutes” and songs that were sped up so much that Cher sounded like a Munchkin. Bob was an audio engineering genius, and the station had so much compression that if you said the word “coal” into the microphone. It came out as “diamond” on the air. Good Promotion: We tied into UT football with the ‘KGN Pep Rallies, featuring lots of beer and the “ KGN 50 bazillion watt Sound System” that Bob had built out of a bunch of huge output power amps fed into giant speaker stacks. Though Bob was an audio engineering genius, he was also tone deaf, and when the sound system was cranked to “eleven”. It was not unusual to see people grab their ears as blood trickled out. I think the reverberations from 1973 are still setting off car alarms to this day. Knoxville R and B legend Clifford Curry (he of great talent and a bad wig) would frequently make an appearance and sing his latest release, “Big Orange Country” Splendid time was had by all. Not So Good Promotion: Every Halloween, WKGN invited local pranksters to forego tossing toilet paper in their neighbor’s yard, and TP our building instead. Somehow in 1973 the instructions got misunderstood somewhere along the chain, and along with tossing TP, listeners also trenched the yard, trashed the outdoor landscaping, and spray painted graffiti on the stone building, the first floor of which was occupied by some bank. WKGN was threatened with eviction, blame was passed all around, owner George Mooney made a personal appearance, and somehow it all eventually settled down. I wasn’t there for the next Halloween, so I don’t know if they continued this hallowed tradition or not. Fun Promotion: When the great Streaking Epidemic (mentioned liberally among previous posts) hit Knoxville, I was deputized into the WKGN News department, meaning Joe Anderson gave me a tape recorder and told me to go down to Cumberland Avenue and interview naked people. After about an hour of looking at guy’s junk, I found myself next to a nice naked female student who had just finished her run. I asked her how it made her feel and she replied “It makes me feel like doing it again” then promptly spun around and the last view I had of her was a southern view as she headed north. It was the first time I had interviewed a naked woman on the radio. But it was not to be the last. In March of 1974, Bob Baron called me into his office and told me that Scott Shannon wanted to bring me to Mooney’s flagship station, WMAK in Nashville. I know that Bob was very competitive with Scott and that he didn’t want me to go, and as much as I enjoyed working for him and being in Knoxville, we both knew it was the best move for me, and certainly one that I do not regret. I packed up the Healey and headed west, leaving behind the name Smokey Burns (which Bob later foisted on other DJs) and started as “Murphy in the Morning” in Nashville. All in all, I had a great time and learned a lot in my short tenure at WKGN. I made some great friends, most of whom I have regrettably lost touch with. If anyone is looking for me, my contact is DaMurphster@aol.com.

101 wants to wish a very Happy Birthday today to~

Mike Beach...

The Beachman is legendary in Ktown...Got any Beach memories?

Here's Your Dave regarding WIVK AM signing off at sunset and those old AM only radios that people listened to~

"Back then we sold converters for something like $19.95. Thus you would have a whole radio."

101 heard from MRW...Please send out this notice to all your readers~
A local writer, Martha Rose Woodward, is seeking original photographs taken during the 1982 Worlds Fair to use in her upcoming book about the Fair. The photos need to be "regular people doing regular things". She can not accept digital via internet. She needs the actual photos and will give you attribution and your name will be in her book. Let me know! Sunspherebook@aol.com or 865-951-0319