By Joenickp on Sunday, September 10, 2006 - 11:41 am:

Willie Nelson - KVAN

I'm writing a biography of Willie Nelson and am looking for folks with knowledge of his radio days at KVAN circa 1958-58 and his first recording, "No Place for Me" b/w "Lumberjack" which was recorded in a garage studio in either Portland or Vancouver.

Any help (Craig?) would be appreciated.

Don't remember where I dug up the research, but I touch on Willie's KVAN days at:

http://www.rma1.com/Chrono/1959-61/index.html

In 1980, 97 Country KYTE's GM (Verl Wheeler) befriended Willie's mother in Vancouver. He hoped to get Willie up for KYTE's "Free Day In The Country."

Leo Erickson was KYTE's Engineer. Leo had DJ'ed at KVAN with Willie.

I believe you can dig up stuff via the internet.

Willie Nelson also wrote his Christmas song "Pretty Paper" while in Portland. I can't remember where I heard this.

After KVAN Vancouver went Top 40, Willie stayed in Portland. Then KKEY Vancouver began a C&W format by September 1958. I was told in 1994 by a KKEY employee that heard from owner Florinda Weagant that her husband Ralph Weagant (dead at the time) hired Willie Nelson as a DJ. Willie was only on KKEY a short time. The story goes he was on the air drunk and was fired.

During a record swap meet in Canby about 10 years ago. I was at a table and saw a pile of a local publication of Radio/TV magazines. These were from the 1950's and the name escapes me. Another record hunter who I've bumped into many times at these meets, was going through this pile. Thought I might find something I could use in an update of my radio slogan publication. So I started flipping through them. Just then the guy says "Will you look at this!" There was an ad for Willie Nelson on KVAN with his picture! Man did I want that! I'd worked for KKSN 910 years earlier and was collecting everything I could find on 910. I asked him if he could send me a photo copy of the ad for my files and he did. Trouble is the publication never put the year on. If I owned the entire magazine I could date it using the TV programs and reference books at home. So I can't give any kind of date on the ad below.

There's a donkey standing on his hind legs holding a guitar and looking at Willie's picture:
________________________________________________________________

Who, Him?

(below donkey & picture)

Why, he's yer cotton-pickin', snuff-dippin', tobacca-chewin', stump-jumpin', gravy-soppin', coffee-pot-dodgin', dumplin-eatin', frog-giggin', hillbilly from Hill County, Texas...

WILLIE NELSON!

Just rode into town to take over his own show on KVAN...an' this young fella fits right in, here at the station with the sense of humor. See that pan-handled description up there? Them's his very own words! Willie's got wit, warmth and wow...and once you hear "Western Express" you'll agree!

He's no newcomer to radio though. Been entertaining folks since he was sweet 15...and for the past 3 1/2 years, he's been a big name in Ft. Worth on station KCNC. But now he's moved "kit 'n kaboodle" to Portland. An' ya know what? He likes rain!

You'll like him...an' you'll get your "enjoys" listening to Texas Willie Nelson on "Western Express", 2:30 to 3:30 Monday through Saturday on KVAN.

KVAN 910 on your dial (KVAN target logo)

"the station with the sense of humor"
________________________________________________________________

I've made a copy of this ad and it's on file at The Oregon Historical Society Library.

If I were you, I'd troll 1958 Oregonian & Journal newspaper microfilms in the Radio/TV sections for more information. Both OHS & The Multnomah County Libraries have them. Good Hunting!

I'll have to say I dispute the KKEY connection. I never heard a word about it (except from Linda) nor did the chief engineer. He started in 1964. Ralph would have told him and probably me!

Some details on the record: "Instead, Nelson dragged his electric guitar and amplifier into a converted garage in nearby Portland, Oregon, and crudely recorded two songs: his [own] "No Place For Me" and "The Lumberjack," a tune written by his pal Leon Payne. The echo–laden tapes were sent off to Starday Records in Nashville, where 500 singles were pressed (on "Willie Nelson Records"); Starday's Pappy Dailey declined to pick up the artist's publishing, which was his company's option in the contract." http://www.billdeyoung.com/wn.htm

Robin's site also mentions that "Lumberjack" was "written by fellow DJ Leon Payne," which probably places Payne at KVAN: http://www.rma1.com/Chrono/1959-61/index.html

A brief mention of the record: http://home.mindspring.com/~cowpattiespub/williedisc.htm

A singer named Sara Evans (wife of Craig Schelske) met him back then; http://www.brainstormnw.com/archive/02jan_feature.pdf or http://www.brainstormnw.com/archive/jan02_feature.html

Buddy Fite, who "played Friday and Saturday night at Tiny Dumont’s park and Willie was hired on as a guitar player to replace another band member." http://www.twolouiesmagazine.com/past/tlpast2.html

Pat Mason "opened a dancehall called the Wagon Wheel Park [in the late '40s] in Camas Washington. Pat would take a job as DJ on Vancouver Washington's KVAN RADIO. Also Pat had some great stars perform at his hall including a struggling Willie Nelson who also was a Dj on KVAN." http://www.edscountry.com/index.php?ID=20

There also: "Willie recorded his first record in a Portland studio "No place for me" and the flip side "Logger Man" in Feb. 1958" (mention of the month).

Also at Robin's, Bill Howlitt hosted "Uncle Bill's Bandstand" on KVAN in 1959 so I would presume they were acquainted. http://www.rma1.com/Chrono/1954-59/index.html (Also there, Bill's sage advice when Robin later "told him I wanted to get into radio, Bill replied: 'Kid, why don't you do something safe like drive a nitroglycerin truck.'")

Historylink (Seattle) places Willie's arrival at KVAN in 1956, more details on Mason's WWP: http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=7441 (Great article, by the way, on the NW country scene, including Heck Harper.)

Wandering further (quite a ways) afield, a year and a half ago I met a woman who mentioned a Les Paul guitar her family had in a closet "on the rez way up past Toppenish" which her brother had recently sold, and she wondered how it got there. Later she said Willie Nelson was originally from Yakima. Pretty long shot, and a musician friend dismissed the likelihood of any connection, but I pondered it for a couple days.

Here's another chapter for your book:

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060918/NEWS03/609180 29

And note that all of those cited were 50 or older.

Senior Delinquents

Gee I wonder if Willie used dope back in his KVAN days! you know what I'm talking about?

Craig and all,
Thanks for all these great leads. I shall start tracking them down. I did find the Courier-Journal story previously.
The Yakima connection, as well as the Portland-Vancouver connection, came through his mother, Myrle Harvey. Her residence in the northwest is what brought him up your way.

Any other leads are appreciated.
And Wayne, Willie cites some guy from Fort Worth as the one who turned him on to marijuana. He was in Fort Worth before and after his Vancouver stay. So you never know.

Phil Stanford puts his spin on Willie Nelson and his KVAN connection, in the May 22, 2007 Portland Tribune article:

http://www.localnewsdaily.com/news/story.php?story_id=117979022689830600

A Willie Nelson connection: An old building in Camas "The Riverside Bowling Alley" (AKA Wagon Wheel Park dance hall) where Willie Nelson used to perform, sustained significant interior fire damage.

This from The Columbian:

http://www.columbian.com/article/20090504/NEWS02/705059996