The Pat Riley Collection

Pat at WMYQ, Miami, 1974.

We're not sure when Pat was sporting the handlebar mustache and the plaid jacket, but he wore them well.

Pat checks the time while hosting a promotion for KROY, Sacramento, 1987.

Pat Riley (Ron Metzger) grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he did his homework with WOHO playing in the background. Pat writes:

"Then along came WTOD, a daytimer, but around 1960, at sundown, you could switch over to their FM. My family still had their very first television in the basement recreation room. It had AM & FM along with a record player.My friends would come over and shoot pool, and we would listen to Bob Kelly, Bob Marks and old John Gary. "Mr. Music" Bob Parkinson was in town, and frequently, we would go the station and look in the window and watch him do his show. One Saturday, he let us in the studio. I was hooked.

Soon CKLW boomed into Toledo from Windsor and I knew someday I had to be a jock. In 1969, I made it, with my radio job at KJLH Long Beach, California. Next was KMUZ Santa Barbara, KQIQ Santa Paula, and KACY Ventura. Then, it was on to KISN in Portland, WMYQ in Miami, CHUM in Toronto, KZZY, KXOK, and WIBC in Indianapolis. My finale was mornings for the last stand of KROY (FM) in Sacramento (CA).

I spent 25 years altogether in radio and collected many airchecks along the way. Some I made as I drove around the country with a reel-to-reel recorder I installed in my van. I now work at an advertising agency in Sacramento. I hope you enjoy my airchecks."

The Repository thanks Pat for sharing!

Dr. Grady Brock WCFL Chicago 1974 (0:09:43)

… I am the ugliest mutha in rock ‘n’ roll …

After WCFL in Chicago, Dr. Grady Brock had gigs at KSTP (1974) and KAAY (1976) (source: www.440.com) but nothing more was known about this unusual and outrageous jock for the debut of this exhibit on July 22, 2001. As is often the case, our visitors contributed updates via COMMENT, below. (Included is a message from Dr. Brock himself.) This ‘scoped (incomplete) hour from Super CFL in 1974 has gritty fidelity but amazing content. Wow, this guy was loud! We can’t help but smile at his wide-open energy and he certainly ranks as one of the best Top 40 “screamers” we’ve ever heard. It’s hard to believe that anyone could keep this up for very long. What a performance! Also: classic spots for The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat and Allied Radio. Grady Brock suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, and passed away at the age of 66 on June 28, 2015.

Lee Douglas 99X WXLO New York 1975 (0:23:28)

… Don’t forget to write it down, write 99X for money …

For the debut of this exhibit (July 22, 2001) we had next to no information about Lee Douglas, but he sure sounded great on 99X WXLO-FM in 1975. Since then, Evan Dakes wrote to say that Douglas took over as PD after a brief appearance by Al Casey. Douglas came to New York from WOKY (Milwaukee) and brought Dick Sloane and Bobby Messina to WXLO. We still wonder what happened to Lee Douglas after WXLO; but that’s why we have COMMENTS for every exhibit (see below). This is a very entertaining aircheck and boasts excellent fidelity. It’s obvious that Lee Douglas liked Bells, Gongs and Chimes Ã¢â‚¬â€ and he was having a great time on the radio this summer day in 1975. Dave Thompson (who followed Douglas) appears several times near and at the end of this exhibit.

Pat Riley, KXOK St. Louis, 1982 (0:08:02)

… Who’s on keyboards …

Pat Riley (contributor of this Collection) sent us this late-model aircheck from his morning show at the legendary KXOK in St. Louis, Missouri. KXOK was the last of the stations owned by Storz Broadcasting.

Steve Rivers, WMJX-FM 96X Miami, 1976 (0:06:34)

… Keep on Xin’ …

Steve Rivers has had a long and successful career, as a jock at KCBQ in San Diego, and later as Program Director at KMEL in San Francisco and KIIS in Los Angeles. Over the years, Steve made stops at WZGC Atlanta (1974), and WAPE Jacksonville. Here, he is heard as “Dirty Steven” on WMJX (96X), Miami, where he first met consultant Jerry Clifton in 1976. Before joining Pyramid Communications as Chief Programming Officer in 1994, Steve programmed WZOU and WXKS in Boston. He walked away from the top programmer’s position at AM/FM on January 31, 2000, but went on to work for Infinity as President of Programming. As of September, 2005, he’s back in L.A. as “V.P. Of Sound” for the new “in-store” radio service from Pyramid Radio, headed by Rich Balsbaugh.

K.O. Bailey, WJBK Detroit, 1969 (0:08:27)

… maybe if you treat me right, I’ll whistle you up a cool ‘un …

WJBK was a leading Top 40 station in Detroit in the 50’s. By 1964, the station (1500 Khz) had slipped quietly into a beautiful music format. But, in March of 1969, WJBK returned to Top 40 with PD Mike Scott from KGB in San Diego. West-coast imports Lee Baby Simms (morning drive) and K.O. Bayley (afternoon drive) joined Tom Shannon, Hank O’Neil, Tom Dean, and Jim Hampton. K.O.’s personable performance suggests that this last gasp of WJBK Top 40 featured lots of high-profile personality and clean, trim formatics. (No jingles!) In 1970, WJBK became country-talk WDEE.

Wolfman Jack, Mike Love, CHUM Toronto 1975 (0:24:29)

… are your little peaches sweet? …

The Beach Boys played Toronto and Wolfman Jack played CHUM on August 30, 1975.

Mike Love is featured and The Wolfman (Robert Smith d. July 1, 1995) re-creates some early XERB advertising for baby chicks and a “life-size picture of Him that glows in the dark”.

Classic.

[TECH NOTE: Portions of the contributed reel recording suffer from something “like a hungry noise gate.” We were unable to correct this condition and it does produce some unpleasant distortion in the processed, encoded version. It is noticeable toward the end, on the voice-only segments, but affects only a minute or two of this otherwise exceptional exhibit.]

Jesse Bullet, KGB San Diego, 1970 (0:05:28)

… take the whipped cream right out of a cupcake …

Later, Jesse Bullet was a PD and consultant. Here, he’s pulling an overnight shift on Boss Radio KGB, San Diego, in late 1970. Note the GENUINE Top 40 music mix – Lynn Anderson, Led Zeppelin and Peggy Scott & Jo-Jo Benson – all in the same quarter-hour!

Danny Martinez, KHJ Los Angeles, 1974 (0:08:15)

… I may not sing too good, but I ain’t half bad-lookin’ baby …

Danny Martinez worked at KCBQ and WXLO before arriving at KHJ in 1973. A San Diego native, Martinez was the last jock pictured on the printed KHJ Boss 30 survey (1980).

Martinez also worked at KRLA, KRTH and KCBS in Los Angeles.

Lee Simms, WMYQ Miami, 1974 (0:23:55)

… It ain’t easy bein’ heavy …

Lee “Baby” Simms has worked at stations all over the country, including WPOP in Hartford, KRLA, KMET and KROQ in Los Angeles, KCBQ in San Diego, KYA in San Francisco, and KOOL in Phoenix.

This WMYQ aircheck, made in November 1974, (between KMET and KRLA), highlights Simms’ personable style and includes his editorial comments regarding Harry Chapin, The Undisputed Truth, The O’Jays and George Harrison. You’ll also hear Lee “Baby” walk up the entire intro to Stairway to Heaven.

Simms was born in Charleston, S.C. and quit high school at 16. According to Don Barrett’s L.A. Radio People, Simms says, “Good jocks are those that do good, unexpected things.” This wonderfully entertaining aircheck is representative of that philosophy.

Truckin' Tom Cookin' Kent, (Tom Kent) 1975 (0:05:07)

… I’m boogyin’ so much, I got blisters on my butt …

Careful! This one runs flat-out and it’s hard-core! This composite of Truckin’ Tom Cookin’ Kent features Kent on WHBQ Memphis, WIXY Cleveland and KFJZ Fort Worth. It is captivating for the raw energy and the outrageous presentation.

Once you’ve heard this guy, you’ll never forget him. Undoubtedly, one of the great high-energy Top 40 acts of all time. (Visit his Collection in the Repository.)

The Pat Riley Collection

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