From the 101 InBox, here's Scott Black~

"Nuts to hear about Mike Hammond. Big business is a chess game. Makes you sick sometimes. Bad move.

Here's a photo of me about 1982? WIMZ. Scanned it this weekend.

Hope you are well. Thanks for keeping Knoxville Radio 101 going! I do a hobby site myself just for fun (non-commercial) called www.IndyHobbies.com. Its intended just to help hobbyists around the state. I do other sites on the side as I have time.

I'm now working for Siemens in sales and marketing for energy-efficiency retrofits for old buildings. My how times have changed!"

Before his CP and Walker fame, Curtis Parham was the morning DJ at WETE 620, working 5-9a. In late '76 the dial position became WRJZ.

The 101 Audio Vault travels to the summer of '76~

Very special birthday wishes to Ed Rupp! (I snapped this photo, circa- 1980 in the WIVK studios on Bearden Hill)!

I worked 6p-12a for several years on Saturday and Sunday nights on WIVK, a few years into it Ed joined our team and followed me on the air. We even hooked up at 11:45p and did a bit called "Scoreboard Wrap Up"!!!

Hmm..."The Greek and The Rupper in the Morning"~ what could have been!

Happy Happy Ed!!!

Remembering Swag~

"I had not been in contact with Mike in several years but was deeply saddened to read of his passing. Swag and I worked and partied many late nights away at the old Uncle Sam's on Alcoa Highway. He was one of the best club spinners in the business and always wore that positive smile on his face. The best of times...were always on tap when Mike Swaggerty was around...I will miss him." (Mike Beach)

It appears Cumulus has thrown the baby out with the bath water as long time night DJ Jack Ryan (Ryan Hammond) has been released at WIVK.

Jack is the son of now former WIVK leader Mike Hammond who also exited recently.

I fondly remember Jack (Ryan) as a toddler crawling around the control room when I was a DJ there many, many moons ago.

I don't know much, but when business forgets the importance of the human element (personality) then business is usually setting itself up to fail.

We wish Jack the best!!!

PS~ Jack is being replaced by syndicated programming...

I still call him Suitcase!

Bill Miller played country at WIVK and even danced to disco on WKGN, he used his real name at times...but I still call him Suitcase Simpson, what a great radio moniker!

Happy Birthday to you Suitcase!!!

Before his TV days, Scott Sams made his rounds on the radio in Knoxville...WBLC, WETE, WKGN, WNOX and WKVQ. While at 15Q he called himself "Jamie Rivers"...

Today the 101 Audio Vault returns to 15Q in 1976~

Back in the summer of '76 15Q came on the air, the original DJ lineup featured~

6-10 Steve West

10-2 Ron Baptist

2-6 Shotgun Kelly

6-10 Mick Rizzo

10-2 Kid Curry

2-6 Barry Hodge

Page 3...

Ace Miller has passed away!

Breaking News...

101 has learned that Mike Hammond is out at WIVK after nearly 40 years!!!

Greetings from 101...Blogger is not allowing audio to populate, ie- no airchecks. Hopefully all will be back to normal soon.

In the meantime~ send your photographs and memories to 101!

Today 101 features 15Q!

Before orchestrating the origin of WRJZ, Bob Kaghan was on the air at WKVQ.

The 101 Audio Vault features Bob from the summer of '76~

Happy Monday!

15Q began 1976 as W-149 and ended the year as 1490 'KVQ...squeezed in between was one heck of a radio station.

It was late February and the wheels were churning, a QQQQQ drop started being heard on W-149 and then some new names and voices showed up.

Interestingly many of the new jocks arrived while the station was still W-149. Steve West, Kid Curry, Mick Rizzo, Bob "Shotgun" Kelly, The Trashman Barry Hodge, Bob Kagan, etc. many "big time" sounding DJs had invaded Ktown.

And that's not where the story ends...some locals made the jump to the Q~ Bob Thomas, Suitcase Simpson, Eddie Beacon, Scott Sams, Mike Beach...and the list goes on.

The line up was a revolving door and other booming voices were heard~ Charlie Fox, The Birdman, Chuck Baron, George Patrick Dooley, etc.

Oh, and "The Brothers" made their debut on the Q (and were W-149 holdovers)

Wow~ what a dial position...and 101 has all the air checks and will feature them soon!

Did 15Q make you rich?

We round out our photographs from Darren Wilhite, former morning DJ at WIVK with a photo of Mike Keith...Mike was the sports guy there for years and now handles Tennessee Titans broadcasts.

"Here's a pic of back in '93. Les (Acree) came in the WIVK studios and handed me a cd and said, "Here play this in cue!" It was dance music. Before I could say "This isn't country!" in walks a young lady and proceeds to give me a birthday dance. Les made sure she kept it PG with her clothes on. Giggity!" (Darren Wilhite)

Happy Birthday Bob!

I first heard Bob Thomas on the radio when he was working the all night shift at WKGN 1340...his moniker was "BJ All East Tennessee Truckin' Thomas"~ those were the days.

Fast forward a couple of years to circa- '77 and Bob joined our WIVK staff which I was part of. Bob went on to star in the midday slot for decades.

Bob has been part of Hollywood but these days he's found on the radio in East Tennessee at 100.3 WNOX as part of the "Ed and Bob" morning show.

Photo is of Bob and his bride Kim Simmons...Kim was a long time TV news anchor in Ktown! HBD Bob!!!

And...

Happy Birthday to Chip Emerson~ I met Chip back in the 70's at WIVK and when I graduated from college and was sending all those reumes out, Chip gave me the opportunity to shadow him at his media company...he's one of the good guys!