Rockin' Ron...

Wild and Crazy

Ktown has featured many upbeat zany DJs throughout the decades...Brother John St John on WOKI, John Boy on WRJZ, Jack Diamond on WKGN and the list goes on!

A big part of the legend of 15Q was Chuck Boo Baron, via the 101 Audio Vault~

I came across a role of 35mm B/W photos I took of a 1967 Four Tops concert that was co-sponsored by Corey Enterprises and WKGN. 

After the show, George Mooney arranged for the quartet, their back up band, and roadies to go to Deane Hill Country Club for post-concert meal. There was no other decent place open at that hour for the performers to eat. At DHCC, they had to eat in the downstairs lounge, as DHCC was still segregated. In those days, they were lucky to get served there. But Mooney has strong feelings that the performers were not going to get "shuffled off to some dive on Lides Alley or over in the projects.".

My job, in addition to photos, was to serve as a driver. An off duty Knoxville police officer, Johnny Cochran, was another driver and handled security. When we left the coliseum, Cochran told me we were going to drive up to the Country Club's main circular entrance. That took some nerve. The normal option in those days would have been for everyone to enter through the lower levels 19th hole entrance.

When the Tops and their band started jamming, the white patrons upstairs very quickly began migrating to the basement to enjoy the music. The DHCC house orchestra also moved downstairs where the real party was. Knoxville's race relations took a real step forward that night.

Art Miller

In the late 60's AM radio was king...stations featured big personalities, live and local~ awh, the good old days. 

I recall WKGN hosting pool parties and the DJs visited our club, Deane Hill, one sunny summer afternoon. I was mesmerized!

At that time Dr. Al Adams, Eddie Beacon, John Foley, and Don Smith were The Boss Jocks!

The Legend of Q!

As spring 1976 arrived, so did a band of merry (big time) DJs at W149 aka WROL aka 15Q aka WKVQ. 

The original morning DJ was Steve West...he returned 6 years later to be PD and morning drive at 62 WRJZ My Kind Of Country (Dr Don West). PS- he hired me as part of the air staff!

As the summer of '76 was winding down, Steve exited and Charlie Fox arrived to handle mornings at 15Q. Charlie teamed up with news man Dave Elrod.

The 101 Audio Vault features Charlie and Dave...

Page 3...

Happy Birthday on Friday to Walker Johnson!

1972

It's early 1972 at WKGN 1340...

6 Bobby Rivers

9 Bob Baron

12 Sonny Knight

3 Wayne Bernard

7 Brother John

12 Frank Erwin

@ WNOX 990...

6 Jay Worthington Smith

9 Eddy Roy

12 Ken Mynatt

3 Dave Young

7 Carson King

12 Pat Thompson

...later in January the WNOX disc jockeys went on strike!

Alan Dennis becomes morning drive at WKGN!

Smith and King flip spots at WNOX, creating the wildly popular King in the Morning show!

In late March Chris Hampton is added to the WKGN roster.

By mid May Alan Dennis is moved from Mooney's Ktown station to sister WMAK Nashville...Eddie Beacon makes the move (back) to WKGN in the 7p-12a slot.

News at WKGN that summer featured Joe Anderson, Jim Goodman, and Walker Johnson.

6 Bobby Rivers

9 Bob Baron

11 Chris Hampton

3 Wayne Bernard

7 Eddie Beacon

12 Frank Erwin

The W149 line up in June...

6 Gary Adkins

10 Clayton Gish

2 Johnny Pirkle

4 Charlie Bruce

7 Brother John (from WKGN)

12 Jim Price

On Monday July 3 WKGN rolls out a new line up with the addition of Gary Drake and Jerry Steele.

6 Bob Baron

9 Gary Drake

12 Chris Hampton

3 Wayne Bernard

7 Frank Erwin

12 Jerry Steele

Down the dial at WETE 620 the AM drive is hosted by Hop Edwards. Other on air personalities...Howard Gunter, Jim Humphries, and Curtis Parham!

Names at WIVK in 1972 included Claude Tomlinson, Bobby Denton, Norman Majors, Kenny Dearstone, Ed Brantley, Bob Catron, Barry Smith, Jimmy Vineyard, and Terry Womack.

Where were you in '72?

Cup of Coffey

I was 16 in 1976, stocking shelves, filling walk in coolers and operating a cash register at the Weigel's on Western Avenue at Cumberland Estates. 

Gary Adkins stopped by almost every night on his way to WKVQ. The Brothers, Gary and Bill Johnson, knew who they were. After getting to know Gary and visiting the station to observe a couple of air shifts, I knew who and what I wanted to be- a radio DJ.

I left for the Navy in 1977 and learned the basics, volunteering weekends at the American Armed Forces Caribbean Network in Puerto Rico. 

It was early 1981 when I showed up at Gary's door at WOKI in Oak Ridge. He remembered me and hired me on the spot, sans an air check, and introduced me to Joe Blackmon, WORI PD. Gary had been a Navy broadcast journalist during Vietnam and I suppose he decided to give another sailor a break.

I spent the next 2 years on the air at WOKI/WORI where I met my wife, a regular caller during my all night air shifts. I moved on to WATO in Oak Ridge working with Jeff Moser aka JJ Jeffries. Jeff and I were also spinning vinyl at Steak and Ale with Bob Thomas. And I worked at Flanigan's with Dick Winstead. Two years later I was back in the Navy where I found my niche in PR and print journalism, and continued to dabble on the broadcast side.

It's been 38 years since that first job at WOKI, and I owe much to Gary Adkins. He introduced me to radio, and gave me my first job, setting me on my path as a professional communicator. I'm now a Navy Public Officer in San Antonio preparing to retire. I've had an extremely successful Navy career, 24 years in uniform and 16 in federal service. It all goes back to a Knoxville radio DJ turned PD encouraging me as a 16 year old and eventually giving me a much needed break- my first job in radio!

Larry Coffey

Make The Switch

It's August '76 at 15Q...

Charlie Fox is morning drive followed by Ron Baptist, Bob Kaghan, Shotgun Kelley, Kid Curry and The Brothers.

In mid August Chuck Baron joins the team and the station kicks off his tenure via the "Chuck Baron Super Zap Weekend". Bob Kaghan exits as WRJZ is right around the corner and he's tapped to be PD.

6 Charlie Fox

9 Ron Baptist

12 Shotgun Kelley

4 Chuck Baron

8 Kid Curry

11 The Brothers

2 Dave Elrod

Later that month Chuck Baron takes over morning drive with Charlie Fox moving to afternoons.

Moving in to September...Bill Johnson replaces Alan Sneed as one of The Brothers (teaming with Gary Adkins).

WIVK nighttime DJ Suitcase Simpson gets the Q itch and joins the team (10a-1p time slot)...Eddie Beacon is now reading the news in AM drive!

The station has a ton of big names behind the mic during it's less than one year ride, including future WIVK legend Bob Thomas. Here's Bob via The 101 Audio Vault!

100.3 The Bull

Former WIVK personality Chris Huff has been elevated from APD/MD at Houston's KILT-FM "The Bull" to the Program Director position! Cheers to Chris!

My Kind of Country

Many remember it as "The New 62 WRJZ" but in '82 the station was tagged "My Kind of Country" and was led by GM Mark Heiden and PD Dr Don West (Steve Bridgewater). 

Enter summer and new ownership of Sherwood and Hennes- they brought in Doc Fidler to be GM and Jessica James was promoted after Dr Don took a new gig in Nashville.

The night time DJ during the country period was Bob Ziegler, via The 101 Audio Vault...

It's the fall of '82 and The World's Fair is wrapping up in Ktown! 

Your Dave, Jimmy Vineyard, and Joe Grant are all working together...at WNOX 990.

Jeff Jarnigan is morning drive at WOKI-FM 100.

Over at Channel 26 (WTVK) Adele is the weather person!

KiX 95 is new and features Phil Hunt (PD) as AM disc jockey.

...and over at Rock 104 (WIMZ) Beach and Williams rule their air waves~ (101 Audio Vault)-

W-149

Eddie Beacon supplied this nugget of WROL 1490 aka W-149 the brainchild of 101 Wall of Fame legend Johnny Pirkle. The AOR free style format aired from 1971 until 1976!

Mooney Broadcasting