Mike Clark

 

Today 101 salutes Mike Clark!

Mike has been on the Ktown radio scene and in your radio since the '70s! Mike wet his teeth at WATO 1290 in Oak Ridge, then spent years behind the news mic at U-102 (WMYU). These days, actually since 1998, Mike has been morning DJ and Production Director at WJBZ!

Remembering Buster Sutton

Sadly we received news last night that Buster Sutton passed away. Buster was a reader and contributor of our Knoxville Radio History 101 blog. May his memory be eternal.

We received word from his son Ken-

Dear George, as the owner of the blog that I know my father and many of his friends and coworkers follow, I would like to inform you and your readers of his passing. Buster passed away from complications following a procedure earlier today at age 80. Funeral arrangements have not been made as of yet. Buster grew up with radio as a passion, having a HAM radio as a teenager and was the longtime engineer at WOKI and who can recall where else. For all your readers I can say Buster enjoyed working with everyone at any hour of the day or night. Take Care!

There are classic photos and then there are classic photos...say hello to WKGN 1340 in circa 1975. The studios were in the bank building on Alcoa Highway and the format had a jingle "The Good Old Songs" led by the return of Dr. Al Adams as morning DJ and Program Director.

Top row, left to right- Dr. Al, Rick Davis, David Todd (Butch Brannum), and Phil Michaels. Front row, left to right- Mike Beach, Frank Erwin, Bob Thomas, and Kerry Lambert.

I'm not sure who took this photo but it lives in "infamy". Awh, the good old days!

I met Randy Miller when he joined our WIVK weekend line up back in 1978. Randy honed his skills working midnight to 6am, then ventured off to WNOX and WKGN before exiting East Tennessee.

Randy spent time on the air in Pittsburgh, Atlanta, San Diego, Cincinnati, Chicago and finally planted his flag in Kansas City where he owned the air waves for decades.

The 101 Audio Vault dusts off Randy on the air at Disco 13 WKGN...

 

April 23, 1974

It's day one at the brand new WOKI FM 100 "The Only One". 

The 101 Audio Vault features Johnny Pirkle- 

 

 

Before 'RJZ...

1976 was a big year in Ktown Radio, among the many reasons other than me turning on the mic for the first time, W149 became 15Q, oh what a wild ride, but short lived. And, WETE 620 morphed in to The New 62 WRJZ. 

If you remember the 'RJZ story, Curtis Parham and Walker Johnson were "hold overs" and formed the award winning morning team of CP and Walker. Some big names arrived on set...Rick Kirk and Tim Edwards among them. Perhaps the coolest on air personality went by the stage name JJ Scott. 

The 101 Audio Vault obtained this exclusive air check of JJ before WRJZ-

 

Dick Winstead was a big part of the disco craze back in the late 70's! Dick was the DJ host at Flanigan's in west Knoxville, the music and dancing were non stop. 

At that same time "Disco Dick" was afternoon DJ at WNOX 990. Before WNOX, Dick was a DJ at WKGN 1340.

Here's Dick via The 101 Audio Vault-

 

Back in the mid 70's news was king at WIVK, as well as being the highest rated country station in America. Mike Hammond led the charge with incredible on air support from Jean Ash and Dan Bell.

Here's the 101 Audio Vault-

 

The WROL call letters have a very long history in Ktown, perhaps most noted in modern times at 1490 AM. In the early '70s the station was known as W149, one of Johnny Pirkle's many contributions to the radio scene.

It's October 1, 1956 and WROL 620 AM was making the switch becoming WATE 620 AM. (and many of us remember Mary Starr)

It's early 1975 and Dr. Al Adams was returning to Ktown and WKGN 1340 where he had work six years earlier. This time he was Program Director and morning DJ. I air checked his first morning show, he opened his mic along side news man Joe Anderson. You can search Dr. Al and listen to his return debut in the box on the right side of our blog.

These photos were posted on our 101 Facebook page, from his early years at WKGN 1340.