101 remembers growing up in Ktown before FM became king...dial twisting on the AM band~ 620, 850, 990, 1240, 1340, 1430, and 1490!

WBIR 1240 was a MOR format (middle of the road), ie- my Dad's station. Doc Johnston hosted the morning show for 25 years plus..."Date with Doc"!

Digging thru the 101 Audio Vault I found this short clip from WBIR...do you know who this DJ is? Send to 101!!!

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

101 is now a regular (small pnut) on Eddie Beacon's racing show "Bumper 2 Bumper"~ Eddie's show is on Sunday morning from 11a- noon on WNOX-FM 100.3!

got Ernie?

Ernie Baker was one of those guys that everyone seemed to get along with. His story is well documented as he began his broadcast career as "Ernie the Bartender" on WETE 620.

I worked with Ernie in 1982...if you've got a fun Ernie story send it to 101!

From 1979 the 101 Audio Vault features Ernie and Rick Kirk on WRJZ~

From the 101 InBox~

"I haven’t had a chance to check on your blog in awhile – so I was just catching up on your posts today and I noticed an error that needs to be corrected. Tony Igar says he was “never on the air.” Not true! The world famous Tony Igar worked on Christmas Day every year he and I were both employed by WIVK. Sometimes that only involved giving the time and temperature once an hour, but he was definitely on the air.Being a low-on-the-totem-pole DJ in my early years, I worked holidays because it was expected of me. He worked holidays because it was his “gift” to his non-Jewish coworkers. He (of course) was always loaded up with stories to tell on Christmas Day…like how would sit in the hot tub at Christmastime with icicles in his hair and drink wine. That’s our Tony…it’s the kind of stuff that made him world famous". (Tonya Stoutt-Brown)

It's the summer of '79...where were you?

WNOX 990 was rockin' with Dr. Dave Dunaway in the morning, Phil Williams middays, and Scott Majors in the afternoon.

The 101 Audio Vault features Dr. Dave~



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Check out Eddie Beacon's new vrooming show called "Bumper 2 Bumper" Sunday mornings at 11a on WNOX 100.3...I'll be stopping by each week to talk NASCAR, as for me it's all about the 3 R's...Racing, Radio, and Restaurants!

Let's travel back to '74...and the big trade! Well sort of! Mike Beach was working afternoons at MOR WETE 620 and Walker Johnson was a news anchor at WKGN 1340.

Poof...Mike took over nights at WKGN and Walker put on his DJ headphones and became afternoon drive at WETE.

And as Walker mentioned on his blog recently...had Mike not left WETE and Walker replaced him then the now famous CP and Walker would have never hatched!

101 captured Mike's first moments on 1340~

Knoxville radio history is vrooming at warp speed and it's great to learn that Eddie Beacon and Jimmy Vineyard are back on the air.

101 is a huge radio and racing fan and we heard from "Swang"~

"CHECK OUT...BUMPER 2 BUMPER...SUNDAY AT 11AM ON 100.3 WNOX...OUR GUEST WILL BE NASCAR LEGEND AND NASCAR HALL OF FAME MEMBER...BOBBY ALLISON...DON'T MISS IT PLUS WE WILL GIVE AWAY 2 OF BOBBY'S NEWEST BOOKS!" (Eddie Beacon)

Do you remember these faces, I mean voices?

Thanks to Phil Jarnigan for sending 101 this reunion photo!

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The Academy of Country Music has announced that WIVK is the medium market station of the year and that Andy and Alison (and Jimmy) are the medium market DJs of the year. The frog keeps croakin'!!!

"You haven't changed abit"!!!

Many of you will be gathering for a radio reunion today at Shoney's (Kingston Pike at Walker Springs)...first gun fight will commence at high noon!!!

Snap a thousand photos and send memories to 101 at KtownRadio@gmail.com

Happy Valentine's Day from 101!!!

"Here is a picture of Blake Watson and Phil Williams in the WIMZ control room during the early 90's. Blake was the PD for WIMZ at that time." (Jody Ritchie)

Do you recognize this morning man?

Hello Smokey Burns, WKGN morning man back in 1974!

Right out of school at the University of Alabama, Smokey landed his first big gig at The Famous 1340 working AM drive with news director Joe Anderson.

It didn't take long for Mooney Broadcasting (WKGN owner) to promote him to sister station WMAK in Nashville and he became "Murphy in the Morning".

From NashVegas it was stops at WOKY Milwaukee, 610 BIG WAYS in Charlotte, Q101, WLS-FM, and WXXY in Chicago and 2 stints in sunny Palm Beach Florida. Murph retired from behind the mic in 2002 and currently resides in Chicago....one of our all time favorite Ktown personalities~ "Smokey Burns"!

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Happy Birthday to Ben McWhorter!

PS~ Remember the DJ reunion is Tuesday at noon at Shoney's in West Knoxville (Kingston Pike at Walker Springs Road).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOBBY DENTON!

As an 18 year old with only a few air shifts under my belt at WBLC 1360 in Lenoir City, Bobby Denton gave me my "big break" back in '76 and brought me into the WIVK family. I worked weekends thru college at UT and then opted out...from platters to platters I entered the restaurant biz for my chosen career at Grady's Goodtimes from it's first day of selling Tater Twirls, Soon to be Famous Chili, and the yummy Chocolate Bar Cake!!!

If one is going to have a short broadcast career...working at WIVK at that time was the hot spot~ Your Dave Young (my DJ mentor), Claude Tomlinson, Jimmy Vineyard, Ed Brantley, Bob Thomas, Jamey Kerr, Ed Rupp, Dan Bell, Jean Ash, Bob Kesling, Terry Womack, Jeff Winters, Randy Miller, Joe Grant, Tony Igar, David Henderlight, Thelma Randby, Ken Russell, Linda Walker, Tony Eubanks, Dandy Don Meltabarger, Arch Bishop...and the list goes on and on! Oh what a treat it was and a dream come true DJing "The Music of America" at the #1 rated station in the USA!

Thanks again "Booby" for making some many DJs radio dreams come true!!!

101 always enjoys hearing from "The World Famous Tony Igar"~

"George...I can't be at the radio reunion at Shoney's...(2/15 at high noon). My spirit, however, will be there. Perhaps someone will put this reminder on one of the seats. While I was never actually ON the radio, like an air shift, I was IN Knoxville radio from 1974 through 1993. Starting with the legendary WKGN under the Vic Rumore days, moving to Pete Dreyer's WNOX, then back to DISCO 13 WKGN until Bobby Denton rescued me and brought me to WIVK."

James A. Dick, founder and former owner of WIVK and many other radio stations passed away on Sunday February 6. From a small beginning at 860 AM located on Gay Street in Knoxville on March 20, 1953, Jim Dick built WIVK into a country music powerhouse.

Names such as Jim Hess, Claude Tomlinson, Bobby Denton, Kenny Dearstone, Ken Russell, Dave Young, Ed Brantley, Tony Igar, Bob Thomas, Bob Catron, Terry Womack, Paul Lyle, Bob Kesling, Jean Ash, Dan Bell, Mike Hammond, Hallerin Hilton Hill, Dave Foulk...and the list goes on and on of Ktown household names, voices, and personalities that have made up the WIVK family over the decades.

"James A. Dick was a wonderful man who loved his people (employees) protected his radio stations and his integrity. We were always to be the best and we could all get better! Most of all he truly loved his “family” which were all his employees. When they sold the company they gave $6,000,000 (yes million) to be divided amongst the staffs of the various stations. I’ve never heard of any company ever doing that..much less a radio or media company. James and Marilyn Dick were special people to a whole lot of folks! He gave a ton of us opportunities in the broadcast business." (Paul Lyle)

Send your memories to 101!!!

101 has learned that WIVK founder and Ktown media legend Jim Dick has passed away.

Thanks to Bob Thomas for the info.

May his memory be eternal.

Send your comments to 101!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!!

101 reads our InBox today...it's always great to capture verbiage from Ktown radio, circa- 1960's! If you have answers to Bruce's questions, please email 101!

"I’ve never lived in Knoxville and not sure of how long people’s memories are. I know Rex Miller worked at WNOX. I really enjoyed his show when he worked here in Baltimore way back in 1960.. It was nice to hear Rex Miller on the Rex Miller Tribute Site but I feel the airchecks were ruined by the short interruptions during the airchecks. I was also wondering if anybody would remember John Patton or Jack Sorbi who both worked at WKGN around 1965 to early January 1966. They both worked at the station Rex Miller worked at in Baltimore, WITH." (Bruce Bonner)

Back in '82 WRJZ 620 went country and had a slick format/moniker called "My Kind of Country". The station was programmed by Steve Bridgewater who doubled as morning DJ Dr. Don West. Local legend Eddie Beacon anchored middays and a new Ktown voice was heard in the afternoon drive...Jessica James (foto)!

David Henley rode shotgun in the mornings with Dr. Don...and David is back!

"Hope what I heard on WIMZ in Ktown is correct.. that David Henley is doing the news. I always thought he was a great news guy handling the local and world news in such an authoritative and professional manner. I enjoyed the banter with Phil Williams when he was on 100.3 The River, a station sadly, gone. Your fan, SS!"

"Hey George-Your blog's great - especially the recent Scott Sams aircheck (first met him when he reported sports at WATE-TV back in the early 1980's)!" (Gary Loe)

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101 had a great birthday on 2/3, thanks for the wishes...and HBD to Tony Eubanks on 2/2!

"George...Thanks for sharing the post from Amos “The Rock and Roll” Pigg. Brought back some interesting, to say the least, memories. He mentioned Tom Dooley in his post and I didn’t know if anyone has mentioned that Tom had passed away on Nov. 10, 2010 from a brain tumor. Tom was a good friend to both Scott Sams and I as he also lived here in the Dallas area for about 20 yrs. Tom had quite a career early on in big boss radio and then about a 20 yr run in his radio ministry. Tom was the voice of God and narrator of numerous books for Billy Graham. Check out one of his most famous breaks on the air at KHJ Los Angeles in 1974. As I understand, he read the prepared remarks, pointed to the engineer to hit the jingle, took off the headphones, and walked out of the building-which was good, because he was indeed terminated immediately." (Allen Free)