Joe Sullivan and Charlie Champion WKGN 1340 (circa- 1967)

 

Congratulations to Chuck Edwards for being inducted in to the "Country Radio Hall of Fame". The photo and original article is posted on our 101 Facebook page!

Here's James Turk telling the story of how he became Slick-

I was invited to a dance that required me to wear a suit so I dusted off the one good one I had. I was so glad I went and had a great time dancing the Soul Train line and waving my hands up in the air like I just don't care...was having so much fun I forgot about the time and it was 11:45p and the station was about 20 minutes away. I hopped in my car and made a mad dash for the station...didn't have time to change clothes or find a phone booth to call the on air DJ and tell him I was running late...finally made it to the studio wearing my suit as the DJ opened his mic and he said "Mr. Slick himself James Maurice"...I was about to go on the air and I answered the phone and the caller said "is this Slick?"....and the rest is Knoxville Radio History 101.

 

WKGN 1340, circa early 1960s! This was downloaded on our 101 Facebook page, wanted to share it here!

Here Comes The 'Possum...

I was thinking about some of the folks who energized Knoxville radio over the years. The market was lucky to have some of the best in the business. What they did there and their successes in larger markets later solidified their place in the ethers.

A couple of them are still around Ktown. Dr. Al Adams got the most mileage out of 250 watts ever when he did the night show on WKGN in the '60s. Al and his sidekicks Willard Duck and Witch Hazel were frantic fun. John Pirkle was a different kind of success. "Johnny" was really good on air at WNOX and did a fine job programming it. His real contributions came as he designed AOR W149 and then bought that Oak Ridge FM that became a flamethrower, which he later sold to the WIVK ownership.

I think the guy with the best innate sense of how to reach listeners though, might have been the late Allen Dennis, who was a WKGN standout and then became the morning man on WMAK when George Mooney bought that Nashville station. Allen wasn't flashy, but you couldn't turn him off. He connected at heart level.

Claude Tomlinson had a longtime successful home at WIVK and was absolutely beloved by his listeners. Bobby Denton did very well there too, from personality to program director to general manager.

Joe Sullivan arrived at WKGN with his mattress strapped to his car roof. It wasn't long before he was the station program director, then PD at WMAK and Mooney's national PD. He got into concert promotion in Nashville and did a handshake management deal with a young singer named Charlie Daniels. He finally was making too much promoting to stay in radio; his "Sound 70" company having taken off.

Dave Diamond preceded Joe and went to St. Louis and the west coast. He had a national reputation.

I brought in a morning man and named him "Jefferson Kaye". He went on to Buffalo, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Denver before settling in for a decades long run in Boston under his own name- Loren Owens.

Still, whenever I think of Knoxville radio, I always remember the late Sonny Knight. He was one of the kindest, hardest working and genuine radio people I ever was privileged to work with.

Thanks for hangin' with a Possum named Riley and may God grant us all a better 2021.

Radio Barter from real Radio people who have worked decades at the station level!

Knoxville radio legend Jimmy Vineyard is back, in the barter/merchandise biz for radio!!!

As many of you know Jimmy has close to 10 years of experience in this area and decades in radio!

Here's the website:

www.ez-barter.com

You can reach Jimmy at (850) 896-8077 and jimmyvineyard@gmail.com.

It's the summer of '79 and disco is dancing in Ktown. WKGN 1340 made the switch to this popular but short lived format.

Suitcase Simpson had come on board as Program Director. Voices on the air were Bob Hamilton, Stuart Clark, Jim Donavon, Jim Byrd and...we dust off The 101 Audio Vault and feature Randy Miller- 

 

2021 Living Legend Award

The 2021 Living Legend is Phil Williams! Phil has been on the radio in Ktown since the '70s...and what a ride it's been!

Phil hatched his on air career at WNOX 990, back when that station ruled the Top 40 world. Phil handled mornings on WIMZ for years, had one heck of a show on The River, and these days is the morning voice on NewsTalk 98-7!

Congrats to Phil and wishing health, happiness, and many more morning shows!

 

...and that's a wrap!

Thank goodness it's time to turn the page, the only difference between today and tomorrow is symbolic, or perhaps psychological, but so be it!

101 had another fun year, both on this page and on our 101 Facebook page (which is interactive). Thanks to all who took the time to send stories, fact and fiction. Let's make '21 even more interactive, there is no story too small, but we love the big stories!

Do you have '21 resolutions? Seems everyone wishes for health, happiness, and prosperity!

I'm happy for technology which allows me to dial twist all around the world, perhaps the universe. Growing up in East Tennessee I used to turn my radio knob at night and picked up WSB Atlanta, WAKY Louisville, WLS Chicago, even KMOX St. Louis! Awh, the good old days!

Did you know...WIVK radio was originally on Gay Street across from the Regas Restaurant. As many of you know my original career path was radio/TV (my degree is in Communications). Fate took me from platters to platters (radio to restaurants). I may be the only person to have worked for both Jim Dick and Bill Regas (Grady's Goodtimes for 13+ years).

Many still in radio tell me it's not the same, I get it, but...I still play DJ while driving in my car.

Here's wishing all a wonderful and virus free new year!

Page 3...

Stay tuned, coming soon- the 2021 Living Legend Award!

It's the summer of '79 in Ktown! The World's Fair was still three years away. I was a student at UT and a DJ at WIVK, what about you?

On the 990 AM dial was the iconic call letters WNOX! The air personalities included Dr. Dave Dunaway, Phil Williams, Scott Majors, Rick Edwards, Tom Michaels, and James Maurice.

We dust off the 101 Audio Vault and enjoy Rick Edwards, who by the way had worked at WKGN earlier as Rick Jackson...

 

 

Kim told us about WKVQ...

 ...and the story continues!

In mid November 1976, 15Q became 1490 'KVQ!

Many familiar names were on the air- George Patrick Dooley, Suitcase Simpson, Robert Michael Beach, Michael Henry Martin, The Birdman...and The Brothers (Gary Adkins and now Bill Johnson).

In December Amos Pigg was on the air and The Birdman was now Bill Thomas. Other names added were Mark McKinney and Rusty Black!

On Christmas day, Allen Free debuted!

Soon after Barry Hodge, an original from 15Q earlier that year returned.

So what was 1977 to bring...a Christian music format!

 Happy Thanksgiving from 101 and The Hit Men!

Kim Carson on WKVQ

 

This was my first radio job. I attended high school year round so I could graduate early and move down to Knoxville to be on the radio. Ron Baptist hired me. I worked the front desk, I did sales, wrote and voiced commercials, did the weather and news and held down my own air shift. When I started it was soft AC then changed to Christian. I worked there for 6 months, lost my aircheck on an airplane, a stewardess found it, knew what it was, and gave it to Bob Goode, a program director at WROK in Rockford Illinois. He called me and hired me. This photo was taken in early 1976.

Kim Carson

(Mornings with Kim Carson, FM 106.5 WVFM)