"George...Through this site I re-fired an old friendship with the great Frank Erwin in Nashville. We talked for an hour or so and shared some great old stories and celebrated many of those who came before us in K-Town. As with Your Dave, we discussed a reunion...with anyone and everyone who has worked on the air in Knoxville to be invited. The only way I can conceive this working is to go ahead and book a weekend at one of the local hotels and let folks make their own reservations. Thanks to you and your site...it will easy to get the word out! Dave and I are working on the location...(of course best DJ rate) and the best date available. We are looking at a weekend late this Summer and will post the information when we get it..

Erwin had a wonderful comment about us old guys...he said..."we haven't talked in 25 years and it's like we just pick up where we left off. It is very comfortable". Personally I look forward to seeing all of you. We will keep you posted on the dates and how to make your hotel reservations. More to come..."

Beach

And from the 101 Audio Vault, here's Mike on WKGN~

Rumors that 101 is replacing Colin Cowherd on ESPN's "SportsNation" is simply not true, but I did get my photo taken with co-host Michelle Beadle!

Our blog is all about the good old days...remember when the Harlem Globetrotters use to visit Ktown way back when...Meadowlark and Curly! The Globetrotters were in Orlando this week, they are still a great show!

Today we hear from our ace 101 Atlanta correspondent and the guy who gave me a media job way back when I really needed one...Chip Emerson, re- the recent Sam McGee story we featured by Terry Ruth~

"I happen to have a map of downtown Knoxville 1921 on the wall in my office. (How weird is that?) It sounds like they are saying the Windsor Hotel. I cannot find anything downtown with Windsor -- St James, Stratford and Farragut are the only hotels on the map. I know WNOX was in the Andrew Johnson Hotel for years. Also, the Windsor, if that is correct, could have been more in North Knoxville and not on this map. Interesting to hear the recording though." (Chip Emerson)

WRJZ produced many mega-stars including Adele Arakawa and Mark Thompson.

Adele jumped into TV at WTVK Channel 26 in Ktown and then made it big as an anchor in Denver, she's still there!

Mark ventured to Birmingham and in 1986 was teamed up with Brian Phelps to form the morning duo Mark and Brian, they are still on the air and are nationally syndicated.

And yes, 101 was in B'ham to record Mark and Brian signing off for their final time on the station that teamed them up, I-95 WAPI...I'll search the 101 Audio Vault and feature that aircheck one day.

Happy Hump Day!

Blogger (website host) has had upload gremlins so the 101 stories have been slower than molasses appearing here in cyberville!

Let's travel back to "The Famous 1340" and enjoy David Todd~



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Check out Dave Jeffries website!

George...When you get a chance please go to YouTube and pull up Sam McGee Knoxville Blues 1926. It is a live radio broadcast from...and this is where you come in....listen to venue mentioned in the intro...I can not make out the name of the hotel they are broadcasting from...As you know Knoxville was one of the 1st 10 cities in the US to have a radio station...I don't know if this is WNAV...or...WNOX. I know from the intro sound it is not the St. James Hotel that WNOX did alot of recording from in 1929-1930...this was recorded in 1926...I wanted to run down for my dad...name and local of hotel...he is an 85 year old North Knoxville boy (he is last one left ) who grew up w/6 brother and sisters on Lawson and Cicile Street off Broadway. CHET ATKINS lived a few houses down...and his two old brothers were Roy Acuffs unofficial " body guards" when he start play in Knoxville. That's another story...Ruth brothers were people you told bad folks they were your friend. My dad and his brothers got around alot and they made most these radio dances. My aunt Nancy was the florist for most of Opry stars in Nashville...she told stories of being up all night handling most all the flowers ordered for Patsy Cline's funeral and then making the funeral. She dated Marty Robbins for a long time...carried two Derringers in her purse...only drove Cadillacs...and was married 5 times...dad and aunts and uncles had lots of stories...so...it you can help please do....also listen to whole recording it starts slow then they talk about streetcars amd then it TAKES OFF....Thank you for your time, (Terry Ruth) Kansas City MO.

George...This Photo ran in the San Diego Union Tribune, this morning. The headline reads "PRICELESS LINEUP OF FAN PHOTOS" by Peter Rowe. You can get the story by logging on to SIGNONSANDIEGO.COM.

Harry Leon "Suitcase" Simpson played for the minor league San Diego Padres, back in 1949. Bill Miller AKA Suitcase Simpson on Knoxville Radio might get a kick out of seeing this. (Tony Igar)

George...This is an easy one for me. WKGN. Those are my own personal headphones. I still have them, although they are VERY old! (Frank Erwin) in foto BTW!

That looks like the one we had at WKGN. I don’t recognize the studio but it could be the Alcoa Hwy location. We had the same board at the Sutherland Ave location. I did two stints their once in the early 80’s (the news/talk days) and again in the late 80’s (the 13Q days). The home made start buttons along the bottom gave it away. (Bob Poland)

How could you miss...The famous 1340! (Your Dave Young)

I'd recognize that board anywhere. It's the Famous 1340 WKGN. (Kerry Lambert)

That is WKGN, but not sure what year. The microphone was different when I was in there…and it was a “stand up” style board. (Keith Duckett)

Happy Monday!

Do you recognize this Gateway? 101 wants to hear from you~ KtownRadio@gmail.com

"Would you add my email in your list on the site when you have a chance. I don't participate a lot but I do enjoy what you're doing here. I've been able to touch base with a lot of people that have scattered all over the world. You and I pretty much cut the same trail concerning our start in Radio. I, too, started at WBLC but I was under Ray Stockard. I got a wild hair one day and went to WIVK and submitted my tape. No one was more surprised than me when they hired me. There was a kid who came to WBLC and wanted to get into radio. I was a "pro" of about a year and started working with him. He finally got a job and did pretty good. Yeah, I'm responsible for Mike Beach. I came in one Sunday in the middle of the preachers. They were at a fever pitch about the sins of smoking and Mike was in the studio running the board, looking through the glass, eye to eye with them smoking a big cigar! Did they still have that Dr Pepper machine when you worked there? That was all they had when I was there and I still can't drink those things. LOL" (Jerry Howell) email~ mskywatch@aol.com

Thanks for the memories Jerry!!! Seems alot of us got our baptism at WBLC!

Don't shoot me I'm only the piano player...

Blogger is having issues allowing audio/video to play.

101 will be right back, after this commercial break!!!

And Happy Birthday wishes to Ben McWhorter!!!

Foto is of Chuck "Boo Boo" Baron! From the 101 inbox...

"DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH CHUCK "BOO BOO" BARON?...I KNOW HE LIVES IN ATHENS GA BUT I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER OR EMAIL...ANY INFO EMAIL ME~ " (Eddie Beacon) clayhuskisson@att.net

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Blogger is having issues with audio/video uploads, so if the airchecks won't play, hopefully Blogger is working to correct!

101 read that fellow blogater LawVol has closed the doors at his insegrevious UT sports site called Gate 21. It was one of our favorite cyber stops...but fear not, LawVol has joined and can be found at VolNation...

Yesterday 101 featured a nice note from Frank Erwin, today 101 returns to the 101 Audio Vault and Frank on WKGN~

Hello George, I appreciate your service!!! I have really enjoyed hearing about old friends that I worked with or met during my days in Knoxville radio in the early and mid '70s at WKGN. After all this time I still feel connected to so many people who I will never forget. Your blog has brought me many great memories. So I send a very special "HELLO" to all my old friends. As for me, after a short time at WSIX radio in Nashville, I moved ahead with what I really wanted to do. I have spent the last 33 years creating jingles and doing voice overs at my own studio in Nashville. It's a great life! (email: ferwinaudio@comcast.net) I have attached an old promotional picture I found on a WKGN album. I have more shots of others from the same album I could send if you like. You may have already received the same pictures from some other source. Please let me know. Once again, George, I can't thank you enough for what you do. It brings back pages of our lives that would otherwise be lost. Many Thanks!! (Frank Erwin)

"George~ Happy Birthday! Here's to a great year for you and your family. I just want to introduce myself. My wife is Becky Lynn from the old WIVK and WIMZ days. Becky and I met when we both worked at WIVK back in '82. I think you may have been gone by then. I certainly remember listening to you before I joined as a part timer. I went by the name of "Bill Stewart."

Hammond hired me and I stayed there for about 4 years before I moved over to WTVK where I was eventually a reporter and weekend weather guy. I used to share an apartment with Jamey Kerr. Man, those were great days.

In '89, I dragged Becky out to Phoenix when I got a TV job. Today, we're still in AZ and I'm still in TV and Becky's working the morning show with Tim and Willy on KMLE.

All that just to let you know how much I enjoy your radio blog. It brings back great memories for me. Thanks for putting it all together and keeping it going. Take care and enjoy coaching your son's team this season."

Bill "Stewart" Ottinger
aka "Mr Becky Lynn"

Oh, and since it's my "burfday" I thought I would pull out a little vintage me on the air at WIVK, circa~ 1979...

Happy Groundhog's Day!

101 recently featured Sir Bernard J. Quayle, here's an aircheck from his website~

Happy February...time sure flies and radio history happens everyday!

Ed Brantley being heard on the radio may now be in our rear view mirrors but Ed is still at WIVK all these decades later!

When I first went on the air at WIVK as an 18 year old UT freshman, Ed was hosting the 1-4p slot and WIVK simulcast their FM 107.7 and AM 850 signals.

Back in '76 the line up featured 6-10a Claude Tomlinson, 10-1p Jimmy Vineyard, 1-4p Ed, 4-7p Bobby Dentom, 7-12a Tony Eubanks (and happy birthday to Tony on Tuesday), and Terry Womack overnight...Mike Hammond, Jean Ash, Dan Bell, Dave Young and Bob Kesling were all there too.

When Booby gave up drive time, Your Dave took over afternoons and then Ed hosted that slot for many years.

Here's Ed on WIVK back in 1987~