Being on the radio is always more fun when the request lines are ringing off the hook with great listeners who want to be a part of the show. Working at MIX 955 in Reno, Nevada in 2002 was great. We had so much fun. And I was also the program director at the time.
And often during my afternoon show, the other air personalities of MIX 955 would just hang out in the studio. In this aircheck our night guy, Jeff Clark, The Janitor can be heard.

Maverick on MIX 955

I was just let go from KWOD 106.5 in Sacramento in 1992, and got hired right away by Bob Lewis, program director at 97.7 KWIN in Stockton, California. This was my first show, doing weekends. I would later replace Pat Garrett as the night jock for two years.

Kidd Kelly on KWIN 1992

When I was hired to do nights at Power 97 (KYRK) in Las Vegas in 1988, to go up against the powerhouse top 40,  98.5 KLUC, I was programming KISS FM (KSMK) in Flasgstaff, Arizona and doing weekends at 92.3 KKFR in Phoenix. 
I Kidd you not, on my first day at Power 97, I got a call from JJ Morgan at KKFR saying that they wanted me back in Phoenix to do nights as they change the name of the station to Power 92. There was no way I could do that. It would be wrong. But we kept talking for the next few months.
In the meantime, in my first ratings book, I beat KLUC at night. It had never been done before. But that didn't last long. Cat Thomas was hired to do nights at KLUC, and he regained the stations high ratings.
So by then, knowing that Power 97 wasn't going to last long, I decided, after only 6 months in Vegas, maybe I should return to Phoenix to do nights at Power 92.
But before I could even tell my boss, Bob Cummings, he called me into his office to say that reporter, Bruce Christiansen from the Mesa Tribune called and was writing a story about Kidd Kelly returning to Phoenix. Cummings was a bit shocked to say the least. So I told him that my show would be at the end of the week.
And during the entire week, I told listeners that I was having weird dreams about UFOs taking me away. Then at one point during a show, a remote broadcast was interrupted by aliens on the radio telling me that they were going to take me away, and that my dreams were clues to where I was going.
Then finally on Friday night...well...you'll have to listen.
On this aircheck, you'll hear several legendary Power 97 DJs like Don Action Jackson, Harmon & Holiday, Bobby Mitchell, and Johnny West. 

Kidd Kelly's Last Week on Power 97 in 1988

When I was Kidd growing up in LA, one of my favorite shows to listen to was Dr. Demento on 94.7 KMET in Los Angeles. Every Sunday night, the Doctor would play the greatest novelty records on the radio. And one of the artists he introduced me to was Dickie Goodman. 
From the 1950's up until his death, Dickie Goodman did what was called, "break-in records". He would ask a question as a reporter, and the subject he was interviewing would answer back with a line from a popular song of the time. He had many hits like Energy Crisis 73, and Mr. Jaws.
I was a fan and I always wanted to do that. So as a kidd, I would copy his style by talking into a Realistic cassette recorder asking a question, then play back a line of a song on a record player. Then stop the recorder, and do another one.
When I finally got into radio, and was working with more modern day equipment, I continued to do these break-in records and play them on my own radio show. Some even became the number one most requested songs.
One day while I was working at Power 97 (KYRK/Las Vegas), I sent one of these break-in records to then KZZP (Phoenix)program director, Guy Zapoleon. He gave me some advice about editing them down even more. So I went back into the production studio and edited this, "Election '88", and sent it to him. 
The Break-n Record was about the presidential race between George Bush and Dukakis and many of the players in the election. Zapoleon thought it was good and sent it to his friend Dr. Demento. The Doctor liked it so much, he actually played it on the radio.

Election 88

It was 1990. I was Kidd Kelly on the radio. I had been let go at Power 92 (KKFR) in Phoenix, but because of a non-compete, I was not allowed to work in the market for....3 months. Long story short (It'll be in my upcoming book) 93.7 KRQ Tucson's program director Clarke Ingram invited me to come on down and work for him until the non-compete was done.
When it was up, I got to fill in for Kevin Ryder and Doug Roberts on KZZP in Phoenix once in a blue moon (while still driving down to Tucson to do KRQ). But it was part time. So every week, I would stop by Y95 in Phoenix and drop off a cassette aircheck to program director Jay Stevens. He eventually hired me to do late nights, and it was all over the trades and the local newspapers. "Kidd Kelly is back on Y95". But before I could do my first show, I was over-shadowed by another Kelly.
Again, in another long story short where the full story will be told in my upcoming book, Y95 hired Bruce Kelly to do mornings. And his first day was the same day I was to start. But Bruce Kelly did not want another "Kelly" on the same radio station as he. So Bruce forced management to have me change my name. And I couldn't even use the name "Kidd" because others would still associate "Kidd" with "Kidd Kelly". I had to come up with a completely different name.
The day before we started, Bruce Kelly and I sat in the jock lounge at Y95 to brainstorm a new name. He was staring out the window when he noticed a sticker for Jimmy'z (surf clothing).
"Hey! You're a Southern California beach boy. Why not use the name Jimmy Z?"
"Ah...Bruce, that's pronounced, Jimmy's."
"So. Everyone calls it Jimmy Z."
No they don't. But we decided my new name would be Jimmy Z. But we couldn't fool the listeners, as they still continued to call me Kidd Kelly.

Jimmy Z On Y95

When I was a Kidd growing up in Los Angeles, one of my favorite morning guys to listen to, and call up was Charlie Tuna. I was just about 14 or 15 years old with these quick two airchecks. First one from TenQ, and the 2nd one from KHTZ. 

The Kidd with Charlie Tuna

One of my favorite DJs of all time was Beaver Cleaver. He had been on numerous legendary radio stations like KCBQ/San Diego and TenQ/Los Angeles. He was, in my opinion, the funniest DJ....ever. 
Little did I know at the time that in real life, he was Ken Levine. A writer for many TV shows like M*A*S*H and Cheers.
I never got to meet Beaver/Levine in person...but I came close.
I was interning at K.West 106 in LA in 1982. But I left because I was getting more airtime on 93.5 KFOX in Redondo Beach. The next weekend, Beaver Cleaver was on the air at K.West 106 during the time I would normally come in. I was soooooooo bummed.
In 1994, one of the part time jobs I had was working at Cool 101 in Sacramento. PD, Jonny B thought that because I sounded way too young to be on an oldies station, Perhaps I should use the name Beaver Cleaver. So I wrote to Ken Levine and asked if it would be OK to continue the name on the radio. Ken Levine said, he would be honored to have someone like me to continue the name. Some day I'll post an aircheck of myself as Beaver Cleaver on Cool 101.

Beaver Cleaver on K.Hitz 97

This was towards the end of 93 KHJ as a top 40 station in Los Angeles, before flipping to country music. TenQ had already gone Spanish. 64 KFI was still kicking around the top 40 format. But soon, FM would take over. KIQQ, KIIS FM, K.Hitz 97. and eventually 93 KKHR.
In fact, KHJ program director, Chuck Martin and some of the KHJ jocks (like Bobby Ocean and Pat Garrett) would move to K.West 106 to do top 40 there with London & Engleman (from KHJ's sister station, K.Earth 101)doing mornings.
 I recorded this on September 12th, 1980, before Rick Dees eventually went FM and became a huge star on 102.7 KIIS FM in LA.  
In this aircheck, you'll hear that Rick Dees by this time was now starting his morning show at 5am. With his wife Julie Dees doing some voices, and Lee Marshall doing news.

Rick Dees 93 KHJ 1980

I was doing nights at Power 92 in Phoenix as Kidd Kelly in 1988. We were in a 3 way top 40 war with KZZP and Y95. It got really heated on my first week back on Power 92 with some of the Y95 jocks called me on the requestline. But I'll save that fun story for another time.
But as a radio geek, I made friends with the other stations. Well...sort of. One day I heard that the then Y95 morning team of Glenn Beck (yes, that Glenn Beck) and Tim Hattrick were broadcasting live somewhere, so I thought I'd stop by and meet them. I introduced myself and they couldn't have been nicer to me. Despite the fact that I was from the competition. Glenn Beck was extremely nice to me, wishing me well, asked about the other places I've worked in cluding Los Angeles, and we tossed the Frisbee around.
In this aircheck, you'll hear the duo as well as Commander Bill with traffic, and Patti Powers with news. AND Jessica Hahn. Yes, that Jessica Hahn. After leaving the PTL Club due to the rape allegation against Jim Bakker, she would later pose for Playboy Magazine....and then joined Beck & Hattrick in the morning.
Y95 later moved her to nights, teaming her with BJ Harris. Going up against me at Power 92. Now, I can't remember exactly what I said on the air about Jessica Hahn's move to nights, but it wasn't very nice. I may have called her a bimbo. But I do remember exactly what Jessica said when she called me on the requestline. "You don't know me! If you knew the real me, you wouldn't have said that!" I also remember feeling really bad.

Y95 Morning Zoo 1988 w/Glenn Beck & Tim Hattrick

As many of you know, as a Kidd growing up in Los Angeles, I was a huge fan of TenQ (KTNQ). And one of the program directors at TenQ was Jim Conlee. I bumped into him one night in 1978 as I was visiting MG Kelly at the TenQ studios on Western Ave. I was 14 year old.
Fast forward to 1985, and Jim Conlee was the program director of a small AM top 40 radio station in Simi Valley (KWNK) called, Top Hits  67 K.Wink. Conlee hired me to do weekends and fill in.
While programming K.Wink, Jim Conlee also took a job doing weekends at Magic 106 in Los Angeles. I used to listen to him every time he was on KMGG, and often called him on the requestline, and even airchecked him. My boss. lol. He was a great guy to work for and with.

Jim Conlee Magic 106

First let me state that this aircheck from 1974 of Shotgun Tom Kelly on KCBQ isn't something I recorded off the radio. It's an aircheck that has been floating around since I was Kidd. Not just because it's from one of the greatest legendary DJ's on one of the greatest radio stations in Southern California (San Diego), but because for many years, program directors and teachers at broadcasting schools used this aircheck to show the perfect example on how to keep your listeners tuned in with 'the tease'.
Some DJs today try to tease listeners with a story about a Hollywood divorce or Kim Kardashian's butt, that quite frankly, no one really cares about. But Tom Kelly kept people tuned in because of something he saw on his way to work, that was actually 'relative' to the San Diego listeners. And with each time he opening his mic to talk, he teased a bit more information so to keep them interested. Then...the pay-off.

Shotgun Tom Kelly KCBQ

Quick aircheck of the two radio stations I was programming in Bend, Oregon. Top 40 1077 The Beat and country 99/7 The Bull.

Mav3rick on 1077 The Beat & Brett Allen on 99/7 The Bull

Here is what KZZP 104.7 The #1 Hit Music Station in Phoenix sounded like in January of 1990. The line up on this aircheck is Valerie Knight, Doug Roberts (sitting in for Bob Chase), Chet Buchanan, Alex Santamaria, Jeff Stewart, and Dave Ryan doing mornings. 
Doug Roberts mentions the KZZP Prize Patrol at the McDonald's with Johnny A and Darcy Sanders.

KZZP 104.7 Composite 1990

Gene "Bean" Baxter was another one of the great air personalities from 104.7 KZZP in Phoenix. This is from when he was doing afternoons in 1987. Many of us back in the day could air a phone call on almost every break. Gene Baxter was one of the best. Included here in the classic joke we all stole from Baxter when a caller asks, "When is the Top 8@8?"

Gene Baxter on KZZP

What can I say about Doug The Slug...SLUGGO...on the World Famous KROQ? Sluggo is soooooo....KROQ. I recorded this one Saturday night in 1991. And what a gem it is. You will hear fellow KZZP alumnus like Darcy Sanders, Phil Steiner, and Bryan Allen(who were visiting LA) reviewing Terminator 2! 
Here's some behind the scenes: The night before, we all, myself included, as well as Kevin Ryder of Kevin & Bean, hung out at the Comedy Store in Hollywood, when a comedian (I forgot who it was) decided to pick on us during his routine. After the show, we all got up to say hi to him, and thought we were going to kick his ass in the back parking lot.
Kick back and enjoy the Sluggomatic playing the ROQ of the 90's.

Sluggo on 106.7 KROQ

While I was the assistant program director/music director/night time DJ at KISS FM (KSMK) in Northern Arizona, in 1988 I got calls from Michael St John (Y95), Clarke Ingram (KZZP) and JJ Morgan (KKFR), asking me if I wanted to do some weekends in Phoenix. I eventually choose Hot Hits 92.3 KKFR. And so every weekend, I drove down the 17 and played with the big boys.

I was only there for a few months before leaving both KKFR and KISS FM to do nights at Power 97 (KYRK) in Las Vegas. But returned to KKFR 8 months later to do nights as KKFR became, Power 92.

I can't figure why my voice was so much deeper back in the day than it is today.

Kidd Kelly on 92.3 KKFR

Program Director for New Country 99/7 The Bull and All the Hits 1077 The Beat in Bend, Oregon.

RadioMaverick

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