Getting Naked With Trish Knight – Track 2

As you all know, right before we published our interview with Trish, she was relieved from her duties at WABX. We did a petition (which will remain open) and sent it to the WABX management. We also thought it would be cool to follow up with her and see how things are going.

1) WABX’s Facebook page states that they are still rocking in the bad economy yet you lost your job due to the economy, how has that affected you and your family?

We are fantastic…we live on love. Before, one great gig barely kept this family of 3 afloat, now it’s piles of paper work for government assistance of every kind. It’s funny how a salary that can’t even support a family of 3 can help any company financially.

2) Since we last talked, you’ve had some new doors open, can you fill us in?

Before I could even think about grieving over not being at that job I loved so much, Sandman e-mailed me and the discussions began.

3) If you are back on the radio, where can your friends and fans find you?

That job I never thought I’d have and love…103GBF. I’m on the air Saturdays, 2-7pm and every now and then I will be live on location. Check out the calendar at 103gbfrocks.com. Mike Sanders. THANK YOU, MAN!! He not only offered me a gig, but actually shows appreciation for the work one does. That’s so new to me.

4) Have you received any feedback from WABX from the petition we sent to them?

None. But I’m sure they have more important things to do with their time.

5) On a lighter note, what song(s) do you actually hate to play and if you never played again, the world world be a happier place? (We couldn’t get other DJ’s to answer this one…)

I don’t know why other DJ’s wouldn’t answer. I guess it depends on which world they DJ for. As far as MY world, there is A song but it’s attached to a situation that still upsets me a bit…I was playing Tom Petty’s “Saving Grace” (requested during a request lunchtime hour) when my PD at the time called, while on vacation, while I was playing the song, to ask that I never play it again. As I started to ask how the vacation was going, the boss hung up on me without a good-bye or a thank you for even answering during a pretty busy request hour.

6) Has anyone besides Lee Ramirez ever called you a MILF?

A what? I always forget what than stands for. In today’s world, it’s considered a compliment, right? (Editor’s note: YES!)

7) Your husband recently had back surgery. We really care about our friends families too so how is he doing?

Lots of pain…different pain, different day. For the most part it’s too soon to really know. Neuro Dr/Surgeon says that it could be a year or more before any changes, if at all.

8) This question is not really a question, it’s called THE LAST WORD. We want you to say what you want to say about this whole ordeal and get in THE LAST WORD. 🙂

Dedication, acceptance, compliance, passion for what you do…they mean nothing to some families. Without such attributes, how happy is a family, anyway? It’s a damn good thing, a grace from God, that I have an incredible family now. 3-4 years ago in the same situation, I would have been devastated having my heart and soul taken in less than 5 minutes without a single word of appreciation or a thank you. That is exactly how I felt about the gig too…my heart and soul. I quit school to be there for a “family” more than a decade ago. I continued to dedicate myself and loved what I was doing. I guess, after all that time (more than 16 years), it didn’t even matter. That is how it feels and thinking about it fills me with overwhelming sadness. Thanks to MY family, those moments don’t last long.

As for the family I haven’t mentioned, including kickacts.com’s Allen and Chuck. The ones pressing the buttons and staying there with me. I can not thank you enough for the wonderful thoughts, the petition signing, the warm reception at 103GBF, the well-wishes!!! If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I could have loved that job as much as I did. You helped me love it and survive the negative things that were going on around me the last few years. For that, I will be forever grateful!!!

God Bless YOU and Rock ON!!!!

BLAIRING ON THE RADIO with Joe Blair

Joe Blair is the weekday morning DJ on Super Hits 105.3. He was voted the best radio personality in the Courier Press Readers’ Choice Awards.

1) You’ve been on Evansville radio for as long as I can remember and you’re a “staple” around here. How did you get your start?

My best friend in high school dared me to try out for the school radio station at Jay County High School in Portland, IN.  I tried out and made the staff.  The first week of school in 1978 the owner of the local commercial radio station WPGW heard me doing my show and hired me to do the late afternoons in Portland.  I’ve been on the air ever since.

2) Who do you look up to in radio?

When I first started in radio my hero was a guy named Larry Lujack in Chicago at WLS.  I have learned the most though from guys I’ve worked with and around through the years.  In Chattanooga I worked with a guy called Big Jon Anthony.  I learned a lot about what to do and what not to do from him.  He passed away in 1992.  I also did a morning show in Philadelphia with a guy named Larry Coats.  What a guy he was.  He inherited the Huntsville Alabama Municipal Airport from his mom when she died.  He quit radio to run it and a little place called NASA bought it from him for a Bizillion dollars.  The experiences with guys like that are unforgettable.

3) In your time in the industry, you’ve seen lots of changes. can you tell us about some of the good changes?

Most of the good changes are technological.  When I started in 1978 we played records on turntables and reel to reel tape etc.  Now everything is on computer.  I didn’t like that at first because I thought it took some personality out of it.  Years and introspection though has shown me it is very nice to have the extra time that the computers save you to prep for what you want to do and say on the air.

4) On the same line, what about the bad changes such as automated radio stations, etc.?

Really…don’t get me started.  I think the worst thing for radio in general has been deregulation by the FCC.  This allowed one owner to have multiple stations in one radio market and an unlimited number around the country.  This is no slight against any company I’ve worked for because any company would use the changes to its advantage.   What happened with this deregulation is radio owners became radio group owners.  What they did makes perfect business sense, that is why I don’t blame them.  They took all the stations that they purchased in a market and stuck them in the same building.  It is much cheaper to have one facility than seven or eight.  Then they took a group of sales people and designated one group of eight or so to four stations and another group of eight or so for the other four stations.  The general managers are over all eight stations etc.  What this has done is take the pride and “team” out of radio.  They try like heck for this not to happen but it just does naturally.  The top station in the group is the one sales people prefer to sell and back.  The general manager gives his attention to the top stations too and the budget money.  He or she is also too dang busy to be accessible and approachable for communication etc.  They have become less communicative with us.  This hurts individual station growth.  The managers simply have bigger fish to fry.  The other bottom four or five radio stations get the scraps when before deregulation they had their own sales team, their own prideful staff and made more revenue.  The disc jockeys in the trenches have come to call the bottom feeder radio stations in the group “step children.”  It really is a good analogy I think.

5) What do you think about radio stations having syndicated celebrity DJ’s like Alice Cooper, Rick Dees or Dee Snider instead of hiring local overnight DJ’s? Do you think it hurts new DJ’s that need the experience?

These show, while some are really good, take the local nature right out of radio.  It is again another way for radio owners to save money.  They don’t have to pay social security tax or insurance payments for the talent etc.  Again I can understand why it is done, but it has really limited the jobs in radio for local people wanting to get into the business.  If you study the top radio stations in markets the size of Evansville you will find to top rated stations are still the stations that have local morning shows and follow up personalities.  Many of the step children get the national shows.  Those stations get enough ratings to garner national agency revenue and a little local money so they are profitable.  The old saying is “a dollar saved is a full dollar in revenue,”  which means there are no taxes on that dollar and no maintenance.  The old days of radio stations staffed with all local personalities is long gone for sure.  That is a long way of answering the question about hurting new DJs.  Yes it does, if they can become radio people at all.  I was very lucky to have started when I did to get established as a viable personality.

6) Besides being a radio personality, you also do television voice over work. Do people recognize your voice in public?

They do.  I have been in Evansville now for 20-years and have done on camera stuff too so they recognize me or my voice.  I love the people of this community.  Evansville is one of the last great cities left in our nation I think.  Much of that has to do with where we are.  You have to go to Terre Haute and turn left or right to get here from anywhere.  We are still a very local place.  Brain sandwiches, local festivals, close nit neighborhoods and sections…west side, east side, north side, Newburgh.  It really is wonderful and great for our children to have this big, small town thing going on.

7) Can you tell the readers some good and bad things about being in radio?

The good and bad varies from person to person.  It depends on when you are on and what you are doing.  I’ve done a morning show for 28 years now.  That means I have to wake up really early.  I wake up earlier than most because of my farmer work ethic.  I get up at about 2:20am and am at the radio station between 3 and 3:30.  I just want to make sure I’m really ready when I hit the air.  I have worked with guys though who get to work 5 minutes before they go on or maybe 5 minutes late.  Radio is also a job where you have lots to do on the weekend too.  Remote broadcasts and promotions tie you up on Saturdays especially many weekends.  It is tough to leave town with your family in the spring and summer months.

All in all though radio is fun.  You aren’t crunching numbers at a desk usually.  You get to create, do commercials, and be with the public.  You get to meet a lot of people and have experiences with people you wouldn’t normally have.  Those times have been a blessing.

8) Doing remote broadcasts comes with the territory. Do you have any stories about some really good remotes? How about bad ones? We know that they all aren’t a walk on the beach.

I have literally done thousands of remote broadcasts in my career.  Combined I did over 500 Breakfast with Blair broadcasts alone.  I have had remotes where tons of people come and some where all you hear are crickets.  Once I did a remote from a vacant lot.  A realty company wanted to sell vacant lots for people to build homes on.  That is a narrow target.  I think one person came.  When you are new in the business and  that happens you think it is a reflection on you.  “No body came to see me!”  Through the years I have a real empathy for the sponsors who are buying the shows.  It has given me an entrepreneur’s heart.  I focus on the message I am sending out for the business owner.  They are spending their hard earned money in hopes of increasing their business.  I therefore have adopted the attitude that it doesn’t matter if people come to see me, I just want to help that business succeed and sell.  This is something that just came naturally with the territory for me.  The one success story that I always remember is a show I did in the early 90s for the Carpet Shop in Boonville.  Bob Phillips was the owner and he bought a Breakfast with Blair show.  At that time all we had for breakfast was donuts and coffee.  Only two people came to the breakfast, but I focused all the breaks on how great the store was and the service they provided.  They really did.  Bob was great and you could just tell he was genuine.  I felt bad that only two people came for breakfast because I thought they had a great store with super service.  Two weeks later I received a call from Bob.  He was tickled.  The Carpet Shop had sold wall to wall carpeting to two separate people who were building new homes.  Each of the homes had carpeting in every room.  They were big homes too.  Both of the customers had heard about his business on my show that morning.  They didn’t even know about the Carpet Shop before that.  I consider that breakfast show to be one of my most successful.

9) Tell us about some of the celebrity encounters you’ve had. We know it’s one of the perks of the job but not all celebrities are perky.

I was in Country music in Philadelphia and Chattanooga.  I met lots of country stars during those years.  One of the most memorable encounters though was one with Johnny Cash.  I have always done character voices.  That was one of the reasons my best friend in high school wanted me to try out for radio.  Johnny Cash is one of my best impersonations.  My mom was at the show with me that night in 1987.  We were backstage before  the concert and  had just eaten chicken with Johnny, June and  his band.  I got an idea and asked mom for a dollar bill.  I took the dollar bill and walked up to Johnny and  said (in his voice)…”Johnny, would you sign my momma’s cash?”  He smiled, looked at me with a funny look and said.” Believe it or not I’ve never heard that one before!”  He then said “Imitation is the best form of flattery, thank you.”  Then he asked me if I wanted June to sign it.  I said…sure.  June did and it is at home today with me in Evansville along with a picture of Johnny, me and mom backstage.  It is on our fridge.  My wife Laurie is a Johnny Cash nut.

I also interviewed Tommy Chong once.  My boss told me not to mention drugs at all.  I opened the interview with…How are you Tommy?  He said…” I’m high as hell man…how  are you?” My boss was pretty mad, but what is a Hoosier to do?  Ha!

10) For our last question, we let you talk about whatever suits your fancy. Go ahead Joe, LET IT BLAIR!

My passion is music for sure.  I love playing the guitar.  I got really serious about it a dozen or so years ago and took 12-years of lessons from Ron Pritchett in Evansville.  He is the best.  Those were 12-years well spent.  I’m starting to be able to play a little bit now.  I’ve also taken up golf.  What a hoot.  I’ve played a little through the years, but now have been bitten by the bug.  I joined Oak Meadow and play when I can.  It is kind of like guitar, an individual challenge that you can improve on with lots of practice.  Both of these things are quite a lot like growing in radio.  You can’t do it all at once.  You have to take your time and work on it.  I have a great family too.  My wife Laurie is wonderful and I have three daughters, Mayme, Malia and Zoe.  Mayme has given me a great grandson too, Ramsey Joe who is 2 and a half years old.   The main thing I want to say in closing is I believe God is real and what the bible says is the truth.  I really hope that everyone reads the Gospel and trusts what it tells you to do for eternal life.  Johnny Cash would tell you the same thing.  God bless you all.    Joe

At The Mic With Pat Ballard From 93.9 WKTG

1. Pat, welcome to Kickacts.com. You’re a DJ at Power Rock 93.9 WKTG. How long have you been there and is it the only station you’ve ever worked for?

Thanks Chuck. Damn, is my rookieness that obvious? Seriously I’ve been at KTG for two years now and yes it is the only station I’ve ever worked. My first real job in the world was being the janitor at this very station when I was but a lad. I was terrible as a janitor because I just liked listening to the music and trying to figure out how the hell the dj’s did what they did.

2. On the station’s website, there is a photo of you playing guitar. Can you give us some background on it? Do you play regularly and do shows around town? What type of music do you play.

I’ve been playing for fifteen years or so. Mostly acoustic stuff but lately I formed a rock and roll band with electric guitars and drums and high decibels for making the ears bleed. I have varying tastes in music. I like singer/songwriters like Bruce and Petty and Neil Young, Bob Seger, Dylan. I like doing originals when I play out somewhere, but always throw in covers. I like to play obscure stuff when out playing rather than what you’ll hear on the radio, although we will take requests on occasion. I play in an alt/bluegrass band called Plowin’ Todd Cowan and the Sodbusters and, as I said, a rock and roll band called PB&J. We’re all available for gigs if anybody wants to book us. Just call me at the station, but get hold of me quick because the world tour starts in the fall. We’ll be playing various missions. Captive audiences, ya know. We even have a stop at the Stuckey’s right outside of Possum Trot, Tennessee. Our biggest venue on the tour is pretty special. We play the petting zoo at the rest stop just north of Fargo.

3. There is also a photo of you flying an airplane. What’s up with that? Are you a part time pilot too or just trying to take out birds in flight every once in a while?

They actually let me fly the damn thing. Ryan at Don Davis Aviation wouldn’t let me do barrel rolls, though.

4. You also work with a theater group. What do you do there and what is it about?

Mostly my co-workers here at the station. They all have a million years experience so I’m always picking their brains. Some have been here since I was a kid pretending to mop the floors. Bill and Kevin have been doing this a hell of a lot longer than me, so it’s always good to listen to them and try to pick up ideas along the way. I really like Red Beard with “In the Studio” as well. The way he puts the show together really makes it flow and he always has great artists on the show.

6. What’s your opinion about radio stations having syndicated celebrity DJ’s like Alice Cooper, Rick Dee’s, or Dee Snider instead of hiring local overnight DJ’s? Do you think it hurts DJ’s that are just starting out and are not ready for the dayshift drive time and need the experience?

I really can’t say whether it hurts DJ’s or not. Those cats are all good. If I get bumped for someone like Cooper or Dee’s, oh well, no biggie. I just try to remember that it’s not about me; it’s about the music and the listeners. Our listeners are the greatest. They make my job easy.

7. In keeping with our questions that we ask musicians, what’s the greatest “remote” you have ever done?

They’re all good. Ya get to meet the listeners and get to know folks a little better, put faces to the voices that call in. It’s cool.

8. And in the same vein, what’s the worst remote you have done?

That one…uhhh, where were we….uhhhh…..under that bridge…no….maybe that…..one…at the strip club…uh…no that was awesome…..just can’t say Chuck.

9. In your line of work, you get to meet Rock Stars. What artists have you met that just totally floored you in the sense that they totally weren’t what you were expecting.

Got to meet Billy Gibbons from ZZ one time in Memphis….also big Bubba from the old Miller Beer commercials. His hand was as big as my head. Danny Hutton of Three Dog Night was my first rock and roll star interview and he was damn cool to talk to. Playboy’s Miss May AJ Alexander was quite a treat. Yo AJ….Holla!!! There’s a picture of her on our website www.wktg.com (shameless plug) I think Tommy Stillwell eats guitars for breakfast. He and Larry Grisham of the Beat Daddy’s were really cool.

10. Do friends and family always ask for free tickets or passes to concerts, etc.? If so, does it get old and how do you get out of it?

Yes they ask, no it doesn’t get old, and no they never get the tickets cause down deep I’m a real ass….uhhhh, love ya mom….no…I’ll try my damndest to get tix for folks, but mostly we get enough to give away on the show and that’s it.

11. We would like to give you a chance to talk about what ever you would like to share to our readers about. Here’s your chance to “get Neked” with them.

Radio has got to be the coolest job in the world. What makes this job so killer is the people. You know…the folks that really make the country the greatest place on earth to live. No bullshit, they really do make my job fun. People calling in every day for really cool songs that I prolly wouldn’t have thought of in the first place. I really like playing music as well and anytime I get to play out somewhere it’s a good time. I was serious about the gigs, if you need a band for something; call me at the station (270-821-1156). I know a lot of local talent and some great bands. That’s another thing about radio. All of the talent right under our noses here in the tri-state. I’ve traveled all over the country and have not seen the talent anywhere else like we have here. If you are a band, send me a demo with contact info. I listen to everything. No promise of airplay, but feedback is free, even if it pisses you off.

Bonus question:

What song do you have to play that you absolutely hate “spinning” and if you never played it on the air again you could die a happy man? And on the same token … what song, no matter how many times you hear it still makes you hard?

Sorry Chuck, but I’m not taking the chance on that first one. As for the second question:

“Born to Run” – Bruce Springsteen

“Let There Be Rock” – AC/DC

Anything The Beatles or Led Zeppelin ever did.

Thanks Chuck,

Pat Ballard

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Getting Naked With Trish Knight From W.A.B.X.

Trish Knight from WABX 107. 5

1) You’ve been a DJ at WABX for as long as I can remember. Have you been there from the beginning? Is it the only station you’ve ever worked for?

Other than that…nothing. Thanks to my size, I’m sure.

3) When Aerosmith and Cheap Trick came to town, you were the DJ selected by the limo ride winner to join them in the skybox. There are other events that the station did like this. Tell us some of your favorite moments from doing this kind of stuff.

That was one of the best times…plus dinner at Outback! Thanks again ANTHONY! The entire party rocked!!

At another Aerosmith show, Steven Tyler kissed me on the cheek and I accidently stepped on Joe Perry’s toe. Sorry Joe. He didn’t look real happy about it…all the guys signed my very faded Get Your Wings album. I felt so rock and roll…minus the stepping on Joe Perry’s toe thing, of course.

Any bus trip that I was able to join in on makes the list…they are always a blast. Most recently, AC/DC at Conseco for the Black Ice Tour…holy geez those guys haven’t lost a thing!! Any Workforce Rocker that was on that bus trip would back me on that. Right?!

In a limo for Roger Waters at Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, IN. Thanks Barry, a.k.a. Sammy Hagar!!

4) You recently quit smoking, how’s that going for you?

Soooo much better than expected. It’s almost a year-and-a-half now and I still want one. I hear that feeling never goes away. Bummer! And just about everyday I thank God for making me a non-smoker. Unfortunately, I think once and addict always an addict may apply to the smoking habit…it’s a bitch, man. Sorry I cussed, but you had to ask.

Any remote with CLOWNS…I love balloon animals!!!

8) And in the same vein, what’s the worst remote you have done?

Then there’s Led Zeppelin on any damn tour. I can see it now; becoming buddies with John Bonham and cruising with him all the time in that Trans Am…

Woooo…pull the reigns! I’m sure I would have frozen up like a Brady in front of the camera.

“A Get Naked” I loved Methods of Mayhem…Tommy Lee side project. Mean ass, bad ass tracks. Check that out when you get a chance. Being VIP (not because of radio) for Ozzfest 2000 was soooo…..Methods were there and it was a beyond belief show.

Since becoming a mom, I’m easier to offend. When it comes to children, the world, animals, people and their feelings don’t hurt anyone. It’s not cool and it’s not right. I do believe in the good Lord and that if it wasn’t for him I would not have so many blessings to count on a daily basis. He gave me Floyd…the love of my life. Because of that we get to chill with Evie Rae daily. I could never, ever complain…but I will, I’m sure, because if I were perfect, I would make myself and everyone around me sick.

Sean fits all the above…Fever for his absolute, I did that…and he did. Venus for the this is me, dig attitude. Les for the “I’m on it”…but he actually is and it’s pretty cool.