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

"When Carson Hutchison (King in the Morning) was at WOKI radio when it first went on the air in 1974, Bill Johnson brought in a new account. Snuffy's Discount Store actually had two locations--Jamestown and Ducktown. Carson and I spent a lot of nights sitting around the radio station listening to old records. One of our favorites was the Saturday Morning Radio Show featuring Lester "Roadhog" Moran and his Cadillac Cowboys (aka the Statler Brothers). Carson did a take-off voice of the ole Roadhog for the new account that started out "This here's Me fer Snuffy's" and ended with "....and I'll see ya next time." When Carson left WOKI a couple of months later, I picked up the account and continued the commercials using the same voice character until Snuffy quit advertising on the radio in 1983. There was actually a Snuffy (I don't remember his real name) who owned the store. When people started driving to Jamestown from all over to get a Big Orange Dope, Snuffy put Orange Crush soft drinks in his machine outside the store and put a homemade "Big Orange Dope" label on the button. I wrote all the copy for all the commercials, which generally told some crazy story about Me and Ole Snuff sittin' around sellin' stuff. Oh, some wonderful memories of those days at "The Only One". Mike Beverly and Cliff Hudson have some stories to tell, too." (Dave Lambert aka Da Kid)

Classic "Claude the Cat"...

Today we open the 101 InBox~

"When I was in College I was determined to get a job in Knoxville radio. I had worked in my home town of Kingsport for George Devault (big voice on the Vol Network bumpers now) at WKPT and had worked at my high school TV station at Dobyns-Bennett. Problem was I didn’t have a car. You weren’t allowed to have one as a freshman then and my dad had told me to buy one whenever I wanted. Ha! So I hitchhiked out about every couple weeks to a different radio station trying to get a job. I used to go see Don Patrick at WETE, Joe Anderson at WKGN, Mike Hammond at WIVK, Dave Foulk at WTVK Channel 26. Finally after about 9 months of doing this Mike Hammond gave me an opportunity to work election coverage at WIVK. It was for free and I told him I would if I could work with he or Asst. News Director Bill Williams. He agreed and sent me with Bill to Election Headquarters. Bill had to come pick me up because I still didn’t have a car. That night I busted it and convinced Bill to go back the next day and talk Mike in to hiring me. He did and I ended up working there until I graduated about 3 years later. By then our owner Jim Dick had bought WKDA and WKDF in Nashville and Mike had transferred there. He then hired me to come to Nashville. I ended up working for Dick Broadcasting for 27 years until they sold to Citadel and I worked for them for 4 years. The last 20 of those great years was as General Sales Manager for the Nashville Stations. All because Mike Hammond took on a hitchhiker in Knoxville. Pretty cool. I’m also glad my dad let me (with my own money of course) buy that car for $1300 when I got the job!" (Paul Lyle)

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WNOX is streaming live video...click here

Today we hear from 2 more radio personalities...

"Hey George. A fun exercise, but it only makes me feel older when I think about it! WUTK (Then "Album 90") 1986-1987, Overnights/Music Director 95.3 WTNZ March-September 1988, Overnights and Morning Co-Host (First with Julie London then Michael Henry Martin) 93 KISS FM (WCKS) 1989-1991, Morning Co-Host with Dave Dunaway (then briefly with T.K. Townsend) WEZK 97.5 1991-1993, WIVK/WNOX/WNML 1993-Present. Have a great day!" (John Wilkerson WNML)

"George, trying to remember here, so here it goes. Started at WJNC in Jacksonville NC, WIVK, a small AM in Madisonville, can’t remember the call letters, WATO/Q94, WKGN, WNOX. With all these memories coming back, it kinda makes me want to get back into it!" (Jeff Hawkins)

Special birthday wishes to Jean Ash...

"Moved to Knoxville in 1973 and loved listening to WROL especially the night of the Strip Streak-a-thon. I got my foot in the door at WKGN in 1974 and surprised the guys when I passed the test for my FCC Third Class license. Joe Anderson gave me a shot as a reporter when Chris Moser moved on to Atlanta. Got fired in 1975, a month after George Mooney sold the station. Was offered jobs as overnight “babysitter” at the old Muzak station (forget the calls) and in news at WNOX but took the offer at WIVK. Worked police beat, City Council, etc. while in grad school and then with Ed Brantley in midday, Booby and then Dave Young in afternoons and eventually Claude in morning drive for many years. Loved dancing with Schultz and Lester and co-anchoring with Channing Smith. My last six months were spent starting up the news-talk format (that became WNOX before the latest developments) with Jim Donovan in the summer of ‘92, and then it was off to China in 1993. Does the brief incarnation of ‘IVK as WHIG count?" (Jean Ash)

"Hey George…It’s interesting to see the track records of some of the folks who have responded. I started out as an intern at WKGN in 75 (unpaid, but it’s how I got my foot in the door). WEZK from 76-79; WATO from 79-81; U-102 from 81-95; WDLY/WSEV from 96-98; and WJBZ Praise 96.3 from 98-present. That’s it for me!" (Mike Clark)

It's time for the "101 Audio Vault Montage!"...

Today we travel to 1981 and~

Bernard Addison on WKGN
Curtis Parham on WRJZ
Rick Hudson on WETQ

You worked there? So did I!!! 101 wants to hear from you...tell us what Ktown radio stations you received a paycheck from!

"So, I worked at WIVK 76-91, 91 at WNOX, 92-01 at WSEV, WDLY, 02-04 at WOKI, also part time at Citadel, including WNML, WIVK." (Dan Bell)

"WUTK, former 94.3 The Planet, the now defunct Sports Radio 1240, then WNOX turned WNML (990AM, 99.1 and 99.3 FM), now 100.3 WNOX and various others in a small role." (Dave Hooker)

"George, I don't know if even "I" can count...let's see: WIVK, WETE, WKGN (4 times), WNOX (twice), W-149, then later 15Q...WIMZ (twice) I have to admit my memory is a little foggy LOL! Maybe a somewhat more interesting question would be from how many stations have you been FIRED? I think Beacon may have me on the total number of stations worked...stations fired...I am not sure! Curtis...chime in." (Mike Beach)

Go Vols!

101 wants to hear from you~ "What Ktown radio stations did you work at?"

First up 101 heard from the insegrevious one, Eddie Beacon the swingin' deacon~

"Ok daddy here are a few I worked at sum I worked at more than once, if I think of more I'll send to you this is fun...WROL, WNOX 4 times, WKGN 2 times, WJBE, WBMK, WATO 2 times, WRJZ, WQBB, WKTI, WKNF, 15Q, W149, WDLY, WSEV,....tha yeeee go!" (Swang)

The 101 Audio Vault features Rusty Black...



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The new WNOX 100.3 news talk is now streaming online! click here

Happy Friday! Today we open the 101 InBox!

"Have you considered ranking the Knox air personalities by "largest number of full time on-air jobs in Knoxville radio?" This would take some time and effort, but should be lots of fun, not to mention educational. Who has worked at the largest number of stations? I suggest full timers only, no part-timers or interns, "jocks" pulling regular, daily shifts. Beach, Beacon, Parham> Who can pick the winner?" (Johnny Pirkle) Send # of stations you worked at to 101

"Thanks for the memory-jogger photo of WETE circa ’75. That’s the year I was a UT practicum student there, which turned into a real live paying GIG! I remember Betsy and Judy and a guy named Mike, but not Tony Yoken or Ben Clifton. My dad sort of forced to me to quit when my grades started showing I was much more into playing radio newsman than playing college student. It showed, oh heck yeah! Love this site!" (Scott Shelton)

"George: I was reading the blog from Tim Berry and it brought back memories of working at WLIL. I took a job that Glen McNish offered me , it was only supposed to last about 3 months through the summer as Al Breazeale was going out to have hip replacement surgery but due to health complications he never got to come back and I had the job permanently though I only stayed for 7 months . That was my first paying radio job right out of high school, summer of 1980." (Bob Poland)

Happy Birthday to Don Lindsey and Mike Howard!!!

Back in 1975 WETE Radio 62 was a MOR/soft rock programmed station and was a true institution in Ktown!

5-9 Curtis Parham
9-2 Jim Humphries
2-6 Walker Johnson
6-10 Joe Crotty
10-5 Ernie the Bartender

News- Tony Yoken, Betsy Gray, Judy Jenkins
Part time- Ben Clifton

From the 101 Audio Vault, here's Joe Crotty~

Happy Birthday wishes to WIVK (Citadel's) Mike Hammond!!!

From the 101 InBox~

"George, thanks for the work on your blog. It is a daily read for me. In reference to Chris Stubblefield's question about WLIL, the person in question was Allan Breazeale. He was WLIL's Chief Engineer and also the host of the 7 to midnight show. It was called "Al's Blabber Party." I was a pre-teen when I discovered Al's show. He would occasionally put callers on the air, but most of the time it was just him. He had a large and loyal following. He signed WLIL off the air at midnight when his show was over, the old fashioned way with the National Anthem and the statement of WLIL's technical facilities. We became fast friends, and he mentored me through my introduction to ham radio, two-way radio, and broadcast radio. I guess you could say it stuck...I am now the Chief Engineer of Citadel Knoxville's stations (WIVK, WNML, WOKI, WNRX). Al passed away in the early 1980's. Before he passed away, I listed him as a reference for my very first radio job. When they called him to check on me, he said..."If the boy can't fix it, then he can bring it to me and I will do it for him." They did hire me...and I was hooked. The last conversation I had with Al was through one of the ham radio repeaters I had built, where he told me he was very proud of me. He was a great man, and I miss him a lot....since 1986 I have been associated with the Vol network, and have been it's Chief Engineer since 1998. I remember listening to the football and basketball games on WLIL when I was young...over a dry, non-equalized phone line. Now I put the broadcasts on the air using bonded ISDN codecs. I am very blessed to be doing a job that I love. Al had a lot to do with that." (Tim Berry)

Welcome to a new feature loosely called the "101 Monday Montage". Today we travel back in time to 1975 and...

Mike Beach on WETE
Justin Time on WATO
Bob Thomas on WKGN
Dick Winstead on WNOX

Thanks to Terry for writing to 101...

"Just found this website last night and am blown away by the names, places and faces I'm seeing. I did a stint at Rock 104 from April 81-Nov 82 working many time slots including opposite Mike Beach in the am, doing 10-1 and engineering Mike's "Noon Flashback" which he broadcast from his house. I also babysat Max our big automated system for our sister station while doing Sun mornings 6-10. Clayton Creekmore where are you? Ha! A few cataclysmic political events marked my time at WIMZ. My interview for a position concluded mins before Reagan was shot and during my am slot when I first started doing news I sadly had to deliver the report of Anwar Sadat's assassination. Radio is political too as many of you well know. The lessons I learned in Ktown's radio scene have stood me in good stead throughout my career which has been fairly dormant since the demise of WZLS in Asheville in 2002. I miss it of course and may return to it one day but I just wanted to give a shout out to all the great individuals I knew back in the day! Love you all!" (Terry Darakjy)

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101 has added two new links for Carson Cooper!

9-11-01

101 received a birthday reminder from Your Dave Young...the greatest of all time, Claude Tomlinson! The CAT's b'day is September 3. May his memory be eternal!

Thanks to Mike Beach for sending these classic photos to 101! On top is morning DJ Dr. Dave Dunaway and below is PD Scott "Scooter" McLeod...from WNOX 990, circa late 70's!

Today we open the 101 InBox...

"Good to see my old friend, Ed Brantley doing well these days at WNOX. We worked together at WIVK in the old days from 1968 until 1972. He is still one of my friends and will remain so. Plus Ed Brantley is a great radio man. Thanks Ed." (Ron Campbell, Nashville)

"Hey George...I kid you NOT. That is the same board 'KGN had when I worked there in 1980 with Jeff Winters. The large pots and the whole nine yards. It was just awesome keying the mike where legends of radio had done in the past. Hope you had a good Labor Day weekend, my friend!" (Roger Epperson)

"Do you know much about the history of WLIL am and fm in Lenoir City? I recall the owner being one of the dj's at night in the late 70's and would take phone calls but one would only hear one side of the conversation. (his). He was a ham radio op too" (Chris Stubblefield)

"Happy "late" birthday 101! I agree with Johnny Pirkle. You're putting more into Knoxville radio today than most did during their "heydays". You sure have brought back some great memories for me as a Knoxville radio listener. I love this site! Thanks!" (Terry West)

Happy Birthday to former WIVK news anchor Mark Thomas!

Speaking of birthdays, it was an honoring hearing from Johnny Pirkle, thanks so much! Also from our InBox some others wrote to 101...

"Happy Birthday from the Ed and Bob Show" (Ed Brantley)

"George...Congrats on turning 3! Keep up the great work...and thanks for the site. It makes us old guys feel grounded! Regards" (Mike Beach)

"Happy 101 Birthday, George -Really enjoy reminiscing with your blog! Do you have any Colvin Idol airchecks? We listened to his news reports each morning in the North Carrick Hall lobby while we (UT Track distance runners) stretched before our daily 6 a.m. practices. Those were the days that WKGN disc jockeys were playing disco -Good memories! Thanks George" (Gary Loe)

Most recognize Jean Ash as the long time WIVK personality, but before WIVK Jean's mic was stationed at WKGN. The 101 Audio Vault features Jean and DJ Rick Davis~

"Happy birthday, 101. On behalf of all the radio old-timers you have written about, I want to commend you for putting more honest work into Knoxville radio than the people featured. At least, it does not seem like work to me, even after 52 years (and counting) in the business.

Your efforts have made Knoxville radio even more special, and I hope everyone who reads 101 realizes the amount of committment and time you are giving to its history. Keep on keeping on."

Johnny Pirkle

101 is 3 years old!!!

On September 7, 2007 I created the Knoxville Radio History 101 site...and 3 years and almost 63,000 visitors later we're having a ton of fun strolling down memory lane on an almost daily basis. Thanks to everyone who reads our blog and especially to the hundreds of contributors!

...and 101 wants to hear from you~send your photographs, memories, and air checks!!!

As we kick off another year, the 101 Audio Vault travels to "WKGN The Famous 1340" and "The Dave Young Morning Show"...

Happy Labor Day!

Joe Anderson is a broadcast legend in Knoxville! My early recollection of Joe was as News Director at WKGN 1340 in the 70's!

On this occasion the morning DJ, Your Dave Young, was running late so Joe put on his DJ cap! (The photo is of the WKGN board from that time period)

Here's Joe via the 101 Audio Vault~

Every morning DJ has an executive producer (spouse). Happy Birthday to Linda Brantley aka Ed's wife! This photo is from a WIVK ratings party, circa '78...that's Linda, Ed, and me (101)!

From the 101 InBox here's Jerry Howell~

"I smiled at this picture because I remember it well. Look closely...you can see one of only two table top cart machines to Bobby's right that played everything that went on the air at WIVK. We would do a break and while a two minute song was playing, frantically re cue all the spots and get ready for the next set. The 45 rpm record bins at eye level held the current songs...pick what you want and play it. There was a wall of albums behind Bobby and they emphatically wanted album cuts played from midnight to six because, and I quote here, "everyone was tired of hearing those same songs all day long and they want something different at night". Wouldn't it be great (and loads of fun) to be on the air and be told that today? Keep digging these pictures up George..."

"Please pay these prices and please pay no more"...It's football time in Tennessee as the Vols host UT Martin and the Derek Dooley era begins!

Photo is a classic of Bobby Denton, Vols PA announcer for more than 40 seasons and the former super jock on WIVK!

How about a little Robert Michael Beach as we crank up the Labor Day weekend, from the 101 Audio Vault, circa '76~

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Jean Ash has a new link

It's a small world! The other day I read a post on Facebook from my cyber friend Octavius Maxx of WIMZ 103.5. He wrote that he was on the air, so I replied I would listen...and I decided to do a little air checking~

Octavius is J.D. Howard and here's his bio!

"South Knoxville, TN. Born and raised. Radio runs in my family. My father and several relatives have been in radio for over 45 years. They're all "Old School" with that deep booming voice like James Earl Jones. I started out in radio at WMYU U-102 ("Jay") back in 1990-91. Learned news, board ops and was taught how to do production by a genius of the business, Lewis L. Lowentritt. (Thanks Tripper) In mid 1991 I was hired by WWZZ FM Z-93 as "JD," doing 7-12 weeknights. That was during the "Hair Band" era. Most of those bands don't even exist anymore, but we immortalize them now, digitally! What a wild ride Z-93 was! Then back to U-102 for 1992-93, overnights and weekends. So here I am. Back in the saddle again after 16 years. The whole world of radio has changed but I am ready for the challenge. Listen to my station and wish me luck and keep on rockin'!"

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Congrats to WIVK-FM, CMA announced Andy and Alison (and Jimmy) are nominated for "Personality of the Year" and the station is nominated for "Medium Market Station of the Year"!

62 WRJZ was the right station at the right time! Many super jocks were heard on their airwaves. The afternoon DJs thru the years included Tim Edwards, Mark McCain, and Fred Story.

From the 101 Audio Vault here's Fred~



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Back in the 80's Shotgun Stevens was a great sounding 7p-12 DJ on WOKI FM 100. For the past 20+ years Shotgun, now called Doc Holliday, has been on the air in Orlando. Doc worked mornings at XL1067 for 17 years and for the past 3 was morning DJ at country K92FM...he left the station last week.