Thought I'd start this thread on KKEY's eclectic Talk format which ran from October 4, 1971 to February 28, 1998. "Key Radio" had a bunch of talk show hosts in its time. The first being Jack Hurd aka Just Plain Jack. Thought I'd start a list of Key talk hosts which you can help me with:

Dave Collins 1-3pm
Jerry Dimmitt
Bob Dye 11am-1pm
Brad Eaton
Al Emrich
Jim Fenwick
Laura Hall
Alan Hirsch
Jack Hurd 11am-1pm
Russ Myer 9-11am
Mary Pierce (spelling?)

Another reason why I started this thread, I just found this:

The Oregon Journal - June 24, 1975 - Doug Baker

Jim Fenwick resident guru at talk station KKEY, tells friends he's getting out of radio talk and will terminate his current program July 1st. Previous to KKEY he was Sales Manager of KGW radio where he had a talk show for many years and even before this he was on KPOJ.

The Oregon Journal - August 6, 1975 - Doug Baker

Alan Hirsch has departed from KKEY for Florida. Jim Fenwick also departed from KKEY to further his interest in such esoterica as Tai Chi and transcendental meditation. That leaves only KKEY's Laura Hall.

Fenwick had just left and Alan Hirsch was on vacation when I got there in July 1975. Laura Hall was still doing evenings and I was under the impression she had just started. A few weeks later, Hirsch departed, never to be seen again. Word came a few years later that he was murdered, multiple stab wounds(in NYC I believe). Bob Dye had been doing a weekend show and replaced Laura in 1977 on the same day that Lee Evans officially took over for Jack Hurd, who had just died. The last I heard, Bob was still in sales at KXL. We were supposed to have a birthday celebration for Jack but turned it into a wake instead. Jack had emphysema and struck me as a doddering old man for the 2 years I knew him. He was 56 when he died, which means he was 54 when we met. I will be 54 in August!!! I ran into Dave Collins about 20 years ago. He looked fine at the time. Mary Pierce would be in her early 90s by now or maybe only 89(1918 rings a bell). Al Emrich's passing was noted on this board and Brad Eaton was still alive at the time of his last post. By the way, when I got there, all the weekday shows and the Scandinavian Hour were sold out! A few years later I got a look at TSL(time spent listening) and it was through the roof; something like 147 minutes!

Semoochie: Knew you'd post a great one but WOW! That's some interesting HEAVY stuff! You really scared me when you brought up Brad Eaton after Al Emrich's passing!!!

Brad Eaton here...alive and well and doing mornings in Seattle. (could be a new sitcom...) I always enjoyed the story of how KKEY became a talk station in the first place. One day in 1971, while station owner Ralph Weagant was working on KKEY's new studios in the triangularly shaping building on Stark Street, Jack Hurd walked in and greeted him. (I heard this story, BTW, from both Ralph and Jack) Jack asked Ralph what he thought about launching a talk show on KKEY. Ralph replied that he didn't want to break up the music sound of the station. (either Top 40 or country at the time) Jack said..."Well, what if the interruption was the sound of a cash register ringing?" Ralph said:"Let's talk." And the talk format did make a lot of money for KKEY, at least at times, over the years. As for the list of talk show hosts...how about Ed Richter, Merv Martin, Sue "The Astrologer" Owens and Lee Raymore.

and how about Rick Miller and Jack Hammer and Pat King...

and who could forget Henrienne Edwards and Jimmy "Bang! Bang!" Walker.....

What a great thread.

I too, enjoyed KKEY. Jack Hammer was a blast, Mary Pierce was insightful, Al Emerich was a jocular guy with one heck of a gravelly-voice.

Anyone remember Jim Cuomo, who had a saxophone theme song which he apparently recorded himself, as a professional musician. Bob Anderson's show, The Scandinavian Hour, was fantastic. A young fellow named Erik Thorin picked it up for a while, before KKEY was off the air.

Herb

Brad: Great Stuff! Never knew that story.

Yes! I remember those other names! Rick Miller & Jim Cuomo. I even called Sue, The Astrologer one day!

Hey, I've got an idea, lets get the show hosts theme songs. Wasn't Mary Pierce "Walk-Don't Run '64" version by The Ventures?

Lee Raymore did a stint at KAYO what I recall from him was he hated parsley as garnish on his plate of steak at a steakhouse. I don't no why I Recall that. He didn't stay in Seattle very long. Who was Owen?

Jim said he was related to Mario Cuomo. I'm thinking Lee Raymore was on KYXI with Jerry Dimmitt. Henryene passed on shortly after Ralph and I recently heard of Jimmy "Bang Bang" Walker as well. There was a thread on here when Bob Anderson died. We were fairly close. I was out on his boat once and over to his house a few times. He used to stop by my house to drop off tapes if he was going on vacation. He had a "state of the art"(in 1960)studio in his basement! Bob's favorite punchline: "No novocaine, doc, I'm an ether bunny!"

I don't think Lee Raymore was ever on KAYO, at least during the 1980-81 talk incarnation. I was there, along with Laura Hall and Jerry Dimmitt. (Lee R. did work at KMO in Tacoma before his KKEY/KYXI days) Alan Hirsch had accepted a job at KAYO and was arranging to move out from NYC when he was killed.

Was it intended to be a 2-man show with Hirsch & Dimmitt again on KAYO?

That wasn't the plan. Jerry had hosted his own show since we launched the talk format on KAYO and the intention was to have Alan do likewise.

Great thread! Alright, fess up, who else debuted on Portland radio as a caller to KKEY? I can't be the only one here who did. I called several times when I was an outspoken kid and early adolescent. I loved how loony everyone was, and the thrill of being on the air made me brave enough to chime in too once in a while. I also loved the comforting neon as I left a Beavers game, and looking at the folks in the window working away when we drove or walked past. Some of the hosts gesticulated quite a bit! It was the last great outpost on a once bustling radio row.

If RSB is out there, he'll chime in. Now that you mention it, I called Ted Rogers a few times on KPOK when I was 16. I guess that was my debut. I didn't know where the KKEY transmitter was until 2 weeks before I started working there. Before that, I thought it was 5500 WEST Fourth Plain Blvd, over by where KGAR used to be when it was a 1kw daytimer.

Here's another KKEY Talk Host mentioned Dec 29, 1975 in Doug Baker's column:

Ed Richter.

Ed was just there for a short time and I never heard anything about him again. I think his theme song may have been "Java".

Ed Richter moved on to become KBOO Station Manager by June 1977.

That's right, I vaguely remember that!

Ed was an interesting guy. I remember he'd written several books. (about sports, I think) He had a serious bout with cancer after the KBOO days and I'm not sure what happened from there. I think Dave Collins brought him to KKEY.

The Oregonian - March 3, 1980 - "Behind The Mike" reported by Peter Farrell:

KKEY's Dave Collins is mentioned on the air 2-5pm.

Since KKEY was a daytimer then (as I recall, there was a pre-sunrise authorization for 500 watts, then 5K until sunset) the shifts sometimes changed a bit with the seasons. There also was the interesting phenomenon of "summer shows," where people were brought in to work the summer evenings. Some of those folks were able to arrange year round shifts when fall came.

Whatever happened to J.J. McKay, the former KWJJ gal who I believe became part owner of KKEY and brought along her Love Connection show?

Herb