"Hey Geo--

Thanks for the nice blip--
You know I always loved K-Town...

My favorite segment was the "Body Check"--
my tribute to John Records Landecker's "Boogie Check"...

Enclosing a photo with John @ a recent
Detroit Radio Reunion and segments
of the Body Check-- that's Mike Beach on the intro...."

(Mick Rizzo)

101 stays with the 15Q theme and Charlie Fox...



"Hello George! I've mostly been Bill Miller and Suitcase Simpson. I've had shorter stints as Lincoln Smith, Chuck Cassidy, Stan Cassidy, Brother Love and Bad Willie Soul. But I've never been China Smith. Perhaps I should have been - it's a memorable name.

China Smith from 15Q is my long-time friend Greg Barman. Greg stayed at my apartment when he first came to join the ever-evolving cast at 15Q from WFLI in Chattanooga (at least I think Chattanooga was his last stop before K-Town). As Boo Barron used to say of the Q, "Don't let the swinging door hit you in the ass!"

Greg also spent a long time in Indianapolis and a couple or three decades in Denver. I'm sending him a copy of this email with hopes that he responds to you." (Bill Miller aka Suitcase)

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Happy B'day to The Sports Animal's John Wilkerson!

What's in a name?

Longtime Ktown DJ Bill Miller (I'm still Suitcase Simpson) once was known as China Smith...but here's another China Smith, on 15Q!

One of 101's favorites is Bob Thomas...Bob got his radio start at WBLC 1360 Lenoir City and made a few stops along the way (WKGN, WBIR, 15Q) before settling into a 20 year run at WIVK.

Here's a classic promo for Bob's show back in '85. Do you recognize the voice? Also, enjoy the Claude the Cat clip at the end...

101 hopes everyone had a fun 4th of July.

"I was searching for Mr. Ernie Sutton when I found your blog post about him. In 1978, I attended one of Ernie's FCC first class radio telephone license classes (through PAB) in Huntsville AL. I got the license and my first job thanks to Ernie. I was trying to find him because last week--some 30 years after the class--I needed to recall some basic electronics that he taught me. How funny, that stuff I never thought I would need to know this late in my engineering career was needed and taught with such humor by Ernie. I found his address, that to his ham radio call sign. I sent him a letter today. I'll let you know if I hear back from him. The address is in Knoxville." (Ken Wells Portland OR)

Contributor Dave Foulk takes us down memory lane...

"In May 1977, I left WBIR Radio and Television for WSB in Atlanta. There were a couple of Knoxville radio guys who also worked at WSB...Chris Moser from WKGN, and Gordon Van Mol, who was my assistant news director before he left...and I moved into his job."

Happy Birthday wishes to B97.5's Jennifer Alexander!

101 received an email inquiring about the great George Mooney! Do you have a fun George story?

The 101 Audio Vault features Phil Williams on WIMZ~

15Q was a short lived but legendary radio station...the year was 1976. Here are two of their superjocks, Suitcase Simpson and Bob "Shotgun" Kelly~

Happy Birthday wishes to former Ktown DJ Jeff Hawkins...Jeff used the on air names Jeff Winters, Jeff Shannon, and some referred to Jeff (lovingly) as "Studley Dudley". Jeff spent time at WIVK, WNOX, WKGN, WATO/Q94 and where else? Jeff resides in Orlando these days...

Back in 1985 CP and Channing Smith were sharing the morning mic at WIVK AM 850!

Gone too soon!

Back in 1976 when 15Q went on the air, a few of the W149 jocks were retained, and "The Brothers" were hatched! Originally Alan Sneed and Gary Adkins, Alan was soon replaced by Bill Johnson...

101 opens our inbox today~

Hello, In the past I was in a live radio broadcast in the '70s. Ken McGavin was the radio announcer. May I ask, where is Mr. McGavin? Thank you!

Debbie Serio (Reed)...Now in California

Robert "T" Edwards was an engineer with WIVK, Sports-talk or News-talk 990 back in the days of Mike Keith's reign. He also worked for Horne Radio and ESPN in downtown Knoxville. I remember a story that I thought was funny. T was working at the Vols pre-game show with John Ward on the hill facing Neyland Stadium just about every Saturday. He told me to come meet him right before the game and we would go up and watch the game in the press box. I went and the crowd was a typical swarm of people. At that time I didn't know where they set up for the show so I was just standing, lost and confused, in a sea of orange people and then suddenly I heard my name called out, more like yelled out, thundering down from, what I thought at that time, heaven. The crowd silenced for a brief moment as people stopped for a second, I suppose many of them with my name? It was my buddy T. He had commandeered a microphone when he saw me and was calling my name from the platform and waving his arms in the the air to get my attention. Very few people in Knoxville Tennessee didn't know T Edwards or at least hear his name mentioned on the Vol Network from John Ward or Bob Kesling. T passed away last year at the young age of 44. He is missed. (D McCoig)

Hi -I was POA's second wife - I was with him during his stint with the Star Stations (Portland, Oregon, and "the historic court case"; Omaha; Indianapolis; Denver; and his debacle at WMAQ). In storage I have what I believe is at least one reel-to-reel air check of his. Are you interested? I'm not sure, but the same box may have other things related to that period of time. I would have to check. Anyway, let me know....Best regards, (Susan Kay)

Happy Birthday to Frank Murphy...

"Hey George - I used to hang out with Brother Mick Rizzo when he did 7-12 on WKGN. I was doing overnights using the name Barry Tucker. I have no idea why. Anyway, one night Mick was doing his sign-off and said, This is Brother Mick. Coming up next it's Barry "The Mother" Tucker. He still calls me that." (Mike Beck)

Mick Rizzo was one of the many superstars on the original 15Q staff in 1976. Here's a sampling of Brother Mick~

Page 3...

Happy Birthday wishes to WIVK morning DJ Andy Ritchie of the "Andy and Alison" show!