We got a lot of mail about KEZY this week, and I’m happy to share it with readers.
We’ll start off with Bruce Chandler, who is a veteran DJ in the area. Chandler not only worked at KFXM (now KTIE, 590 AM) and KEZY, but also KMEN/San Bernardino (now KKDD, 1290 AM), KRTH (101.1 FM) and KIQQ (now KKLQ, 100.3 FM), where he was on mornings with Tony Saint James during the height of the station’s popularity.
Chandler writes:
“I enjoyed reading the article about your affection toward KEZY during the top 40 days. I was there first as a weekender in the fall of 1973 while holding down my full-time gig at KFXM 590 in San Bernardino. I was hoping the part-time KEZY gig would lead to something better!
Sure enough, in early 1974, Gary Marshall [not the TV and movie director], the noon-4 p.m. personality at KEZY, put in his notice to pursue an acting career. I heard from another jock at KEZY that programmer Mark Denis had around 70 audition tapes on his desk from all over, including one from an established LA Boss Jock! I began to doubt my chances of replacing Gary.
One evening, just when I was discussing the shrinking hopes of being the next full-time at 1190 with my wife, the phone rang. I picked it up. ‘Hi Bruce, it’s Mark Denis, can you come in tomorrow morning at 9 to meet with me in my office?’ I JUST HAPPENED to have asked for the next day off at KFXM and had already gotten permission to have the off day!! I couldn’t believe the luck and the amazing timing!!
I met Mark in his office. He said he had to drive into LA to teach a class at UCLA and asked if I would mind coming along with him. Mark drove, asking questions about my background, home life, what I wanted to eventually do career-wise, and personally … a job interview on wheels!
When class was over, Mark and I headed back to Anaheim. He asked if I was hungry and if I wouldn’t mind stopping for lunch. We went in and sat at a table; he began to tell me his thoughts about the station and that he thought it could reach a million cume (cumulative weekly listeners), even though it was outside the L.A. Metro area.
“He then asked the waiter for a pen so he could write down the exact time and date on a napkin. He said, “I’m writing this down on here, so you can have it as a keepsake, since the time and date will become very important to you: I’m just about to offer you full-time at KEZY!”
Your article brought me back to that date in January of 1974. Those days at KEZY were magic!!
Thank you for sharing the story, Bruce!
And now a few more messages about KEZY, the first from Dave Louis about his time there:
“I thoroughly enjoyed your memories of KEZY! From my experience there as production director and part-time on-air talent from 1976-1981, it was very informative and accurate. Those five years at KEZY were the most formative of my career. Mark Denis became my best friend and mentor, and taught me everything about production and editing. As production director during that time, I wrote and produced (and in most cases, edited and mixed) every commercial and promo that aired on the station.
I came in with Rick Carroll at the helm, then later Dave Forman, who also became a good friend. I worked with all of the air talent you mentioned, like T. Michael Jordan, Strawberry Jan and Russ O’ Hungry (as he was called) … but also Steve Clark (we did a short-lived on-air duo we called the ‘Louis & Clark Expedition’), Rick Shaw and don’t forget Big John Carter, the morning guy.
I created a number of promos and special on-air pieces for the Styx concerts we sponsored, the WKRP connection, the Elvira visit, and a tribute to John Lennon, plus a few Special Promos for the ‘Kick Ass’ transition as KEZY tried to compete with FM stations like KLOS and KMET. It was an exciting time.”
Thank you, Dave!
And now some early ’60s-era recollections from Gordon West:
“Nice memories of our KEZY, the Micky Mouse Station at the Disneyland Hotel. I call it ‘our’ KEZY as we were one big family. I worked there in 1961 through 1965 afternoons and evenings while attending Chapman College.
“I was their studio engineer, DJ for drive-in movie intermissions, and personal engineer for program director/DJ John Gunn and Al Jarvis (and his Make Believe Ballroom).
“Gunn and Jarvis, along with his wife, ‘Begonia,’ had classic one-liners that kept our audience in stitches … so much fun until the day our teletype news machine kept ringing the bell for an emergency alert: President Kennedy had been shot!
“Ed Nix, news director, had to take over from Al, who was speechless at this tragedy. Yet the staff came back strong until the station was sold. The KEZY family was dispatched, and the station took on a whole new approach to programming.
“Thank you, Richard, for the memories!”
Thank you, Gordon! And finally, here’s a Beatles-centric memory from KEZY listener Bob Niccum of Buena Park:
“In 1970, I worked driving a delivery route for the Los Angeles Times. I started around 2:00 a.m. and usually finished around 6 a.m. On April 10, 1970, while listening as usual to music on the car radio, I heard a news item on KEZY saying that Paul McCartney was leaving the Beatles, effectively marking the end of my favorite band. I often drove past the station’s studios, 1190 East Ball Road, on my way home, and an idea popped into my head.
I stopped at the station and got up the courage to knock on the door; it was around 6:15 a.m. The DJ opened the door, and I asked him if I could have the wire service printout of the McCartney story. He said, Sure, went back in, and retrieved the paper for me. I framed the story and hung it on my wall for years.
“Can’t imagine such easy accessibility in these times? Thanks, KEZY.”
What a great memory to share. Thanks, Bob!
Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist covering radio in Southern California. Email rwagoner@socalradiowaves.com