ALL THE NEWS THAT IS NEWS

KFJZ-1270 It is 1973 when I arrive as a DJ on Top 40 KFJZ-1270 in Ft. Worth. Scotty Harris is my night time engineer. He usually remains in the engineer's office but sometimes he eases into the control room to see how I am doing and to chat for a spell. Scotty is an engineer at KFJZ since the 1930s. He has just about seen it all in radio. He has many good tales to tell. Harris has a very good sense of humor. Occasionally the female engineer is on duty. She is a tall attractive young black woman who is very good natured, too. She digs the Motown sound that I lay down and occasionally does the Bump to the beat as I sit in the tall chair behind the mic.

MARTY AMBROSE A long time broadcast buddy of over twenty-five years who places Houston's traffic reporting on the map, Marty Ambrose, is the new Executive Director of the Houston chapter of the Variety Club. Marty's a great guy and we're so happy for him.

KZBR FM (95.7) Bonneville San Francisco, CA decides to join the tide and is now referred to as MAX FM. And so it goes. Katie Mason, who is a midday DJ on KZBR FM moves it on over to Hot AC KLLC as a part-time DJ.

TRIVIA QUESTION: What two famous singers attend North Texas State University? Find the answer at the bottom of this column.

EMAILS? YES WE HAVE EMAILS

ROD TANNER (Houston, TX) Subject: Remembers. Hey Jim, Been enjoying the column as usual, just haven't written in awhile. Reading about Willie Nelson last week brought back some memories. I don't if you knew this or not but when I was doing mornings at KRLY here in Houston in the early seventies, I was also the music director. And one of the things I remember most is I was the first major market Top 40 station in the country to add "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain". Everybody thought I was crazy, including most of the jocks but it turned out to be a big cross-over hit. Win some, lose some. Later, Rod Tanner

COLUMBIA RECORDS invests a lot of money in Willie Nelson. Remember that period very well. so they hit the promo streets pretty hard. In Ft. Worth, the Columbia guy visits KXOL-1360 to present Nelson's new release. Willie is already hot as a firecracker. Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain lands on KXOL's playlist and it becomes the biggest cross-over hit for Nelson up to that point in his career. This opens up vast new venues for Willie. Blue Eyes hits Billboard's chart on October 11, 1975 and peaks at #21. Of course, it is #1 on all of America's Country radio stations. Little do we know that KXOL is about to pull a switch-a-roo to Country just a little over a year later in 1976.

CHERRY WALKER (Rome, GA) Subject: Whatever happened to the Weird Beard aka Burt Markert? Since you seem to have so many contacts from the good old days of rock and roll and the great DJ's from the 60's and early 70's can you tell me whatever happened to the Weird Beard? He was on the air in the late 60's and early 70's at WAKY in Louisville and then went to WBBF I believe in Rochester. Can't find any references since then. Thanks for any leads, Cherry

WEIRD BEARD Is there more than one Weird Beard in radio, because this is not the same Weird Beard who gains fame on KLIF-1190 in Dallas, TX. When I am still in Dallas high school until graduation in 1962, Russ Knight, is a very popular DJ and KLIF-1190 holds almost total domination over Big D's radio listeners. Never dream that I not only will be on the air with the Weird Beard from 1971-72 on KBOX-1480, but also be behind the mic on KLIF-1190 in 1972. Later on, with more ownership changes comes a call letter switch-a-roo. WFAA-570 is now known as KLIF-570. It is all news for years. Ironically, WFAA-570 and WFAA-820 are also on my radio resume from 1967-68. Russ Knight is one of the best radio talents and amigos that I ever have the pleasure of being around. We certainly have a lot fun on the air. Sometimes radio takes us to far away places. Last I heard about Russ is that he is somewhere in the northeast but that's several years ago. Here is what is found when I search the Internet for Russ Knight: Russ Knight began in Texas as a pioneering rock and roll DJ, earning great fame and respect in the business. Also known as "The Weird Beard," Russ came to host a talk shown on WICC in the mid 1990's called "In The Heat Of The Night." He is without headphones as is his custom in the WICC Talk Studio. Contributed by WICC News Director Tim Quinn. WICC AM 600 Radio Offices: 2 Lafayette Square, Bridgeport, CT. 06604-6000 Bus. Office: 203-366-6000 Bus. Fax: 203-384-6000.

WICC-600 News/Talk in Bridgeport-New Haven, CN (www.wicc600.com/russknight.htm) site has a lot of historical facts which mentions that before he gains boundless fame in Hollywood, Bob Crane is a DJ on WICC from 1951-56. Bob goes on to be a DJ in Los Angeles radio. Next, Crane takes on the role of Colonel Robert Hogan in TV's Hogan's Heroes. On January 29, 1976, BOB returns to the WICC studios for a 50th anniversary celebration. It will sadly be his last trip to Connecticut. The legendary TV host, Soupy Sales, is also behind the mic on WICC in the 1980s and 1990s.

CHERRY WALKER (Rome, GA) Subject: Burt Markert? Hi Jim, Thanks for your quick response. I am in Rome, GA and have never been in radio but have a few friends who have been DJ’s and used to date a guy in Chicago, Pete Maus who was program director for US 99, a country station. The Weird Beard I was looking for was at WAKY in Louisville, KY in the mid to late 60's and left there in 71 I think for WBBF in Rochester. I found info on him right after I emailed you by doing a web search for WAKY. Unfortunately he passed away in 95. You might find this link interesting, lots of radio jocks on there. Also, some great samples of radio shows from the guys shows from 60's and 70's. (www.79waky.com/index.htm) Thanks once again, Cherry

LARRY TODD (Austin, TX) Jim, Good story on Roger miller. Circa...late 50's or early 60's. I just don't remember exactly. I remember when he worked at a service station on North Fillmore, the Dumas Highway, in Amarillo. Later, he became a fireman and was assigned to the firehouse near the tri state fairgrounds in Amarillo. His district fire chief was Captain Snuffy Williams. Some of the firemen thought him to be a bit strange as he seemed to sing a different kind of song. In fact, they asked him to sit in the firehall rather than firemen quarters. Guess they wanted a straighter type of western music. Anyway, most of the guys who I know who remember him in those days in Amarillo say he was rather shy. Larry Todd

AMARILLO BY MORNING? Often wonder if Larry Todd is originally from the Amarillo area because he sure seems to know a lot about that part of Texas. Boy, I understand the winters are frigid in Amarillo. As a newspaper delivery boy for the Dallas Times Herald, 4 am on Sunday mornings with nothing but darkness, cold temperatures, ice and snow made me long for tropical climes. Anything below 60 is too cold for me. Houston's humidity stays high all the time. That makes the cold colder and the heat hotter. We ask Larry about what's a typical day in the life of the famous TV news anchor like? Does he tire of the adoration of fans and fingers tire of signing autographs?

LARRY TODD (Austin, TX) I was born and raised in Amarillo. First broadcasting job... you know the bit. I delivered the afternoon paper which also meant Sunday mornings. I froze my butt with 110 customers. Snow and wind. That sure dug into my psyche to move to Austin. Having retired and becoming ordained. I'm doing chaplain work. Marriages, funerals and the like. I love it. I hope to become a police chaplain to work with cops, deputies, firefighters NOT inmates...nor victims. A chaplain ins not a minister nor preacher, but mostly a listener and helper. As to signing autographs...not a single person has recognized me from TV. I did go back to Amarillo last month. I was in a nursing home when one of the residents there stopped me and asked..."Say, did you used to be Larry Todd." I replied, "Yes 'em, I used to be Larry Todd on TV Ten." >grin< I love it. I am blessed to have the broadcast experience to help me be a better chaplain. I sure had some great teachers...Jim Pratt, Joe Holstead, John Moncrief, Travis Linn, Joe Roddy, Edd Routt, Jim Rose...JIM ROSE..! Peace unto you. take care Larry Todd (www.Avalonsanctuary.com)

DALLAS TIMES HERALD Wonder how many of us radio newscasters begin our broadcast careers delivering news on a bicycle? The Dallas Times Herald is my domain in the mid 1950s.

LEE ANDERSON (McAlester, OK) Jim...I am sure glad Chet Maxwell showed up with info on KENS/KBAT and Roy Hofheinz and the country saga of KENS. I was beginning to think that was one of my dreams. Keep up the good work. Lee

DAN CUTRER (Dallas, TX) I moderate a Yahoo music discussion group, 425 or so hillbillies, former DJ’s, former Nashville musicians, Jones' road manager, the guy who gave Paycheck his first job in music (Paycheck was AWOL from the Great Lakes Naval Air Station for conking an officer over the head with a pipe), music lawyers, etc., we have in the gc#4 file area the song Cash stole line for line and note for note for Folsom Prison, Hank Sr. stole for "Cold, Cold Heart", etc. It takes a couple hours a day, nobody in the lawyering side knows how much time it takes. I understand completely. But, it's a labor of love. And every couple days there's the equivalent of opening the icebox door and finding Fidel Castro inside smoking a cigar. Learned a few days ago that Bob Moore, legendary drummer on all the Nashville hits of the 50's-70's, Bob Moore of Mexico, produced Orbison and owned 1/3rd of Monument Records. That explains the heavy drums and why Orbison never sounded like anybody else. Bob also laughs that Fred Foster at Monument was super-pissed when he discovered he'd signed Orbison, he thought he was signing Gene Vincent http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/greatcountry/ Best wishes from Dallas! Dan Cutrer SOLIZ & CUTRER, pllc Attorneys & Counselors at Law Dallas & Houston 6116 North Central, Suite 200 Dallas, TX 75206 (www.solizcutrer.com)

BOB KELLY (Houston, TX) I also attended Boude Story from 1957-58 before my family move to San Antonio. I attended Russell Elem from 1950 to 1957. Lots of memories, and I agree, it was something like out of the movies...great looking school, night football games, girls drill teams, all DISD schools played each other with one game a year in the Cotton Bowl, cheerleaders, etc. Those days are gone, and the Bishops Grill also just closed. Robert E. Kelly, Jr. Abbott, Simses & Kuchler, APLC 1360 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 1700 Houston, Texas 77056

PRETTY GOOD AT TRIVIA? SEND YOUR NOSTALGIA QUESTIONS ALONG WITH THE ANSWERS.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Both Roy Orbison and Pat Boone attend North Texas State University's School of Music.

CHARLES EUGENE BOONE is born June 1, 1934 in Jacksonville, FL. Boone's family moves to Tennessee in 1936. Pat is a direct descendant of Daniel Boone. Pat marries Red Foley's daughter, Shirley, on November 7, 1953. Pat has six #1 hit singles and twenty-six Top Twenty tunes. He appears in 15 movies. Singing runs in the Boone family. Debbie Boone, who has the #1 smash hit in the fall of 1977, You Light Up My Life, is Pat's daughter. She brings home 3 Grammys. Nick Todd, who charts two tunes on Billboard in 1957, is Pat's younger brother. Both Nick and Pat record for Dot Records in the Fabulous Fifties.

ROY ORBISON is born in Wink, TX on April 23, 1936. Wink is about 50 miles southwest of Odessa and a little over 80 miles southwest of Lubbock, which is the home of Buddy Holly and Waylon Jennings. In 1952, Roy's first band is the Wink Westerners. In 1956, Orbison records for Jewel records as lead singer for the Teen Kings. This produces the Rock-a-billy tune, Ooby Dooby. Their recording is promising but has no promotion to back it up. That's when the legendary Stan Phillips steps up to the plate with a Sun Records contract for Roy to sign that same year. On Sun Records, Ooby Dooby lands on Billboard's chart, but levels off at #59 in the summer of 1956. Claudette is the name of Roy's wife and that is the title of another of Roy's early Sun Records tunes. Orbison moves it on over to Monument Records and never looks back. This union brings two #1 platters and seventeen Top Thirty hits. Only the Lonely is Roy's first Top Five hit which climbs to the #2 position on Billboard in the summer of 1960 with sales of over five million copies. In addition to Roy's fabulous voice, another major factor in his big beat sound is Bob Moore, who plays the bass on all of Orbison's Monument records. Oh, Pretty Woman becomes Roy's biggest hit as it strikes #1 on Billboard in the winter of 1964 with sales of over seven million copies. That unforgettable Rocker still appears in commercials and movies. Orbison makes a lasting impression on Rock music and all of us Orb fans which lives on and on. MGM Records is the next stop for Roy. The fine song, Ride Away, is his first MGM Records Billboard chart tune, but stops at #25 in the spring of 1965. This is one of my many personal favorites. In 1964, the Beatles invade America and pretty near fill up the chart which leaves little room for other artists, but Orbison carries on. Ironically, during that period, Roy Orbison is bigger in England than the Beatles. Roy begins to devote all his concert energy to that part of the world. This hurts his homeland success and falls on the shoulders of his management team. A similar situation is that Col. Tom Parker refuses to let Elvis Presley tour anywhere outside the shores of the United States. The only time is Aloha From Hawaii which has viewers on satellite by over a hundred million fans worldwide. The Ride Away single and LP cover pictures Roy astride a huge Harley 74. Both of the Orbisons love motorcycles. Know the feeling well. Several scratches, scars and bruises are testament to that fact. Once, when Roy and Claudette are riding out in the country, she leads the pack. Roy observes his dear precious wife as a train strikes her and she dies of massive injuries. This is devastating to Roy and he never really gets over it. Probably another factor in the dramatic vocal expression in his fine recordings, most of which are sad love songs. Here's a little known fact about Orbison's sunshades that he seems to always wear. This comes about very early in his career. At an early concert hall appearance, Roy's eye glasses are missing. His only available pair of prescription eyeglasses are his sunglasses. Thus is born a Roy Orbison trademark. When Roy joins Supergroup, the Traveling Wilburys, in 1988, his career revives. This is an elite group - George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison. Roy's contract with Virgin Records finds him back in the Top Ten with an up-tempo Rocker called You Got It, in the spring of 1989, which hits #9 on Billboard. But he never gets to witness the huge success of that great tune because Roy Orbison dies of a heart attack on December 6, 1988.