THE LATEST NEWS FROM JIM ROSE REMEMBERS RADIO February 22, 2012

ALL THE NEWS THAT IS NEWS

IT’S RODEO TIME!
OKC LOSES FIRST TV STAR
HERMAN CAIN SIGNS WITH FOX
TRAGIC LOSS OF COUNTRY SINGER

OKLAHOMA RADIO-TV LEGEND EXPIRES Danny Williams, OKC radio and TV martyr, is one of the original 15 in the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. In 1947, Danny’s career begins on an Austin, TX radio station. Since 1950, Williams is a radio-TV hero in Oklahoma City. In 1950, The Danny Williams Show debuts on WKY TV CH4 in OKC. Danny is a devout Christian since age 12. Danny is OKC’s first TV star. He plays Spavinaw Spoofkin on the Gismo Godkin Show plus Live Wrestling. In 2008, Williams retires from his morning show on KOMA FM (92.5). Phone calls flood his morning show line: We’re going to miss you, Danny. Are you really retiring, Danny? After a heart attack in October 2012, Danny Williams passes away at 85 on Tuesday, February 19, 2013.  

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TRAGIC LOSS OF COUNTRY SINGERFrom 1996-97 foxy Country singer Mindy McCready has three Top 10 Billboard tunes. One of them, Guys Do It All the Time, is a smash hit at #1. But things begin to quickly fall apart for her in a huge way. She tries to run away from scandals to Heber Springs, AR, about 65 miles north of Little Rock. Her hideaway on Eden Isle surrounds her on three sides by Greers Ferry Lake, along with a forest of 100-foot-tall pine trees. Mindy has everything going for her but evil serpents are out to snare her. Ironically, Mindy is the fifth cast member of TV talk host Dr. Drew Pinsky’s Celebrity Rehab TV series who die after their appearance on the show. On Sunday, February 17, 2013 Mindy McCready puts an end to it all at only 37.

IT’S RODEO TIME! Every year about this time corporate executives and their secretaries shed their dull office duds for exciting cowboy and cowgirl Stetson hats, jeans, expensive boots and spurs because the 81st season of Rodeo Houston kicks off on Monday, February 25, 2013. We can expect about 2.35 million cowboys and cowgirls to head out to Reliant stadium for the world’s largest rodeo event – Rodeo Houston. This year’s rodeo has 28,000 volunteers. Rodeo Houston 2013 kicks off with Toby Keith followed by Alan Jackson – Armed Forces Appreciation Day, Zac Brown Band, Styx, Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, The Band Perry, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, George Strait and Martina McBride. Hee haw!

TRIVIA QUESTION: What does Elvis Presley’s mother think when she first hears Gene Vincents’s tune Be-Bop-A-Lula? The answer appears below.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

•HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Alan Shapiro on Monday, February 18, 2013. Jim McCurdy on Tuesday, February 19, 2013. Chumbe Salinas huge Willie Nelson fan finally reaches 39 on Sunday, February 24, 2013.

•HERMAN CAIN GOP presidential hopeful signs with Dial Global as a regular contributor on FOX cable news channel.

•TONY SHERIDAN lead singer on first Beatles single (My Bonnie #26-1964) dies in Hamburg, Germany at 72. The Beatles are his backing band on his early 1960s recordings.

•YOKO ONO Ms John Lennon born in Tokyo on February 18, 1933 hits the 80 mark on Monday, February 18, 2013.

ENTERTAINMENT AND NEWS MILESTONES

•1956 ELVIS PRESLEY’s single Heartbreak Hotel is his 1st Billboard Top 10 hit on February 22nd.

•1968 JOHNNY CASH proposes to June Carter on February 22nd at their performance in London, Ontario. June says yes.

•1975 DREW BARRYMORE actress in ET, Firestarter, Poison Ivy born in Los Angeles, CA on February 22nd.

•1981 CHRIS THILE mandolin player with bluegrass trio Nickel Creek is born on February 20th in Oceanside, CA.

•1992 ED MCMAHON 69 weds 37 year old Pamela Hurn on February 22nd.

•2000 PHIL VASSAR’s self-titled debut album releases on Arista records on February 22nd.

EMAILS YES WE HAVE EMAIL

J.R. RUSS [Jan] (Philadelphia-Boothwyn, PA) Subject: Oscar salute. Hey Jim, This week Movie Ticket Radio is playing its second annual Salute to the Academy Awards featuring nearly two hundred Oscar nominated and winning songs and of course, great jingles from the Hollywood-area radio stations that played them. Included this year are acknowledgements of many of the nominee categories and Best Picture trailers. More contemporary songs are featured on the Movie Ticket Radio POP channel and the MOVIE TICKET RADIO CLASSIC channel features songs from as early as 1934 when the category for Best Original Song was introduced. Movie and music fans can listen at www.movieticketradio.com as well as TuneIn, Shoutcast, RadioShaker and other platforms. Thanks, J.R. Russ

WHERE DO YOU READ JRRR? Tell us how far away from Houston, TX that you read JRRR. Got a news tip or a question? Send your full Name, City, State and Country of residence to Rosekkkj@earthlink.net.

JIM BELL [KUHF FM 88.7 Morning Edition anchor since 1997-Retired 2010] (Lufkin, TX) Subject: Another Great One Passes. Hey Jim, You may or may not have ever heard of Lanier Grieg, but he was one of the original members of a group that became ZZ Top. He went on to bigger fame in the Los Angeles/Hollywood music scene, and he’s remembered as one of the most enormously talented musicians to ever come out of Houston. He passed away last week in Austin at age 64. Here’s a link to a Houston Chronicle story about him. www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Greig-early-ZZ-Top-member-dies-at-64-4284956.php Jim Bell; Lufkin

CHUCK DUNAWAY [KLIF, KBOX, WKY, WABC] (Houston-Katy, TX) Subject: Oklahoma City television and radio icon Danny Williams dies. I worked with Danny at WKY in Oklahoma City in 57-58. He was PD and did Mornings. He was especially popular because of his successful TV shows before going full time on Radio. He was one of my favorite people on earth. I loved him like a brother. We all need a friend or two like that. His widow Maureen was his rock and biggest cheer leader in his later years on radio. Chuck

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S RADIO? WHERE IS RADIO HEADED? We want to know what is on your mind. Let’s start a radio revolution. Give us your opinion about today’s radio or whatever is on your mind at Rosekkkj@earthlink.net.

ED MILLER [ex KPCN-730/KAFM FM] (Austin, TX) Subject: Morgan Choat. Jim, A contribution to your column remembering the late Morgan Choat, whom Jay Weaver reported dead in JRRR a week ago. Noted with regret the recent passing of Morgan Choat at the age of 86 years. He and I were on opposite ends of the dial back in the early 60’s, he at 1540 KCUL and me at 730 KPCN, both in the D/FW area. We had a cordial relationship until a syndicated radio program entitled “The Story of Texas Music” that I produced in the mid-70’s (after leaving KPCN and going to KAFM, while Morgan had left 1540 and gone to KJIM). He took me to task harshly for having the temerity to include Ray Wylie Hubbard, Rusty Weir, Jerry Jeff Walker, and B. W. Stevenson as being a new part of Texas Country Music. Morgan argued, rightly as it turned out, that what they played was mostly rock and roll performed by guys with hats and boots, but wasn’t really country. We disagreed at the time, but, in retrospect, ol’ Morgan was dead right. (stay tuned for Part II of Ed Miller’s email in the next issue of JRRR)

TRIVIA ANSWER: When Elvis Presley’s mom first hears Gene Vincent’s Be-Bop-A-Lula on the radio she thinks it’s her son Elvis’ latest single. Vincent Eugene Craddock is born on February 11, 1935 in Munden Point, VA. He gets his first guitar at 12. In February 1952 he joins the US Navy. But three years later, while still in the Navy, a woman runs a red light, strikes Gene on his brand new Triumph motorcycle and smashes his left leg. He begs doctors to not amputate but has to wear a steel leg brace. By early 1956, Gene appears on WCMS’s Country Showtime. Local DJ Sheriff Tex Davis signs on as Gene’s manager. Davis meets legendary Capitol records producer Ken Nelson at a DJ convention in Nashville, TN. On April 9, 1956 Tex records Gene’s Be-Bop-A-Lula at the WCMS studios and sends a copy to Ken at Capitol records. Ken invites Gene for a recording session. Capitol signs Gene Vincent as their version of RCA’s Elvis Presley. On May 4th 1956 Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps have their historic first session at Owen Bradley’s studio. The song releases on June 2nd as Gene’s first single. By the end of the month Be Bop A Lula sells over 200,000 copies and soon goes Gold. In 1956, Gene Vincent appears in epic Rock ‘n’ Roll movies The Girl Can’t Help It and Hot Rod Gang.

JEFF MACK [McClain-KULF, KILT FM, KENR, WNOE, WYYN, KNUZ] (Cleveland, TX) Here’s one for the record books. Johnny (Shannon) called me one evening while I was on the air and ask if I would be interested in working for KILT weekends. Bob White was PD at KILT at the time. I brought an air check one Sunday afternoon and met with Bob about the weekend shift. He hired me on the spot and wanted me to break in the following weekend. You could imagine what all this meant to me at the time. Still in high school and only 17 and an opportunity to work in the big time around such great jocks like James Bond, Bob White, Bob Presley, Steve Lundy, Chuck Dunaway, Russ Knight and others. Keep up the great work my friend, Jeff “Mack” McClain

JIM GOUGH [‘Mr. Texas’-movie actor-voice actor] (Austin-Liberty Hill, TX) Subject: Jim Rose Remembers Radio (#1174) February 18, 2013 [Monday] Noticed you mentioned Barry Corbin in the newsletter. I also was in “Urban Cowboy”. It’s become a cult movie and lots of women watch it over and over. Jim Gough

HENRY JAMES (1843-1916) It takes a great deal of history to produce a little literature.

Jim Rose and Lacy
Houston, Texas – Laus Deo