Lloyd Thaxton Passed.... So What?

This week I learned that Lloyd Thaxton passed away. Who's Lloyd Thaxton??? Lloyd was once a very popular variety television show host in the 1960's in Los Angeles.

Check out this cool video retro below, if you grew up in Southern California and are over 50 or so, you probably watched his show. I myself never saw a single show and up until the early 2000's had never even heard of him. (I'm way below the demo).




While I was producing the morning show over at K-Earth 1o1 for Gary Bryan, he had mentioned Lloyd's name and the question came up weather or not he was still around. He was!!! We were able to get a hold of Lloyd and also found out that he had just come out with a new book titled "Stuff Happens, Then You Fix It". It was a perfect opportunity for Lloyd to come to K-Earth and talk about his career. Now over the years, guests come and go in morning radio, they come in, do their thing, take a photo, shake a hand, sign a book or cd, then leave and never come back.

Not Lloyd!

There was something about him that made me want to keep in touch... we traded e-mails from time to time, I studied what he had done in his life and was real curious about his life. My parents were excited to hear that I met and kept in touch with him.

We had Lloyd back in the studio over the next few years and even one time we actually had Lloyd "guest host" the show while Gary was on vacation. That morning when he pulled into the old KHJ studios (now K-Earth) on Melrose, I met his car at the gate... he pulled up and was whispering to me while holding his throat saying that he had lost his voice!! I panicked for a quick second until he started laughing!!! He was only joking!!

When my time at K-Earth ended in 2005, Lloyd found out on L.A.Radio.com and sent me an email wishing me luck! I received lots of emails that day, but for some reason, I've always held on to his. It was genuine, he didn't have to do it.. I didn't write him first, he loved the fact that he was treated like a pro whenever he came to K-Earth.


And to follow-up, when Lloyd found out that I was hired by K-Frog a month later, he sent me another email to congratulate me!



It's not the fact that he sent me a note that was the big deal, it's what he said in so few words that told me that he actually cared.

Lloyd, it was a pleasure to meet and to get to know you, even if it was just for a short while. It's people like you that make me love doing what I do for a living! Thanks for the kind and encouraging words, I will never forget them.

Rest in peace, and may God watch your finger puppets in heaven!

10 Years Ago... I Had A Gut Feeling....

Ten years ago, I had a gut feeling….

If my memory is correct it was a Friday before the 3 day Memorial Day weekend. Robert had been in the hospital for the past few days. I received news that morning that he was not doing well. I returned later that evening to the K-Earth 101 studios in Culver City (or the “Heart of the Barricaded Suspect District”) and began to rummage through some boxes of old tapes that I just finished packing after producing his retirement tribute earlier that year.

In one of those boxes I came across a DAT recording of a production that Robert and I had put together to send to his high school reunion in Galion, Ohio. We came in one weekend to do this. Weekend work with Morgan was fun! The stress of the show was lifted off of him and he would joke and show me some old tricks of the trade: like how to remove pops and clicks from a record using a glass of water! (I’ll save that story for another day! Back to the recording…. It was a very loose recording session… he wrote a short piece about his high school memories and how he left Galion to pursue his radio dream. We produced the piece and sent it to his old buddy… I then took the master recording and stored it away in a box.

Now back to that Friday….. It had been a few years since he originally recorded that tape and when I gave it a listen, I knew I had to do something with it. It was sort of a self-biography about his life in Galion followed by a short story about his radio career. It was perfect! I took parts of that tape and produced it with a montage of Morgan’s professional radio experience. The whole producing of this bit is kind of a blur, but I do know that I was at the station after business hours; Jay Coffey was on the air. I finished what I thought was a “rough cut” of the retro-tribute, sat back in the chair wondering what changes I could make. Usually I would produce something, walk away from it for a few hours and then listen to it again. That was a trick taught to me by the great one himself. As I was sitting there the door opened and Coffey informed me that Morgan had just passed.

I was completely blown away…. My emotions had just been drained working on this piece for the past few hours and then to get that news, I was completely speechless. Shortly afterwards Joni Caryl, Richard Turnage, and Mitch Lewis arrived at the station… we gathered, shared some stories and stated sending out releases. I remember it was late in the evening.

I went back to Studio D, K-Earth’s production studio, and began to listen back to the piece I has just produced about an hour before. I listened to it and decided that no changes were needed. I don’t know why, but it seemed like that’s the way it was supposed to sound. Of course all I could hear in my head is Morgan screaming at me to do it better!! I’m sure it could’ve been better, but it was my goodbye to Morgan. Something told me to head to the station that evening and do this. It was the early memories of my radio career where he took in an inexperienced 21 year-old intern and molded him into anything he wanted me to be. It was the memory of working with him on and off the air. It was an honor for me to be included in his circle of professional friends, even though most of the time I was a scared young man, just trying not to screw it up!!

Ten years later I have since left K-Earth 101, but the memories of those times will always start with a “Good Morgan”. I now work across town in the Inland Empire and I’m always asked to share a Robert W story now and then. I’m always more than happy to share a story or two, and as time goes by and the radio industry changes, it saddens me that the memory of Morgan is slowly fading away. The young kids joining the business today have no idea who he is! It’s up to us to keep his legacy going. It’s up to us to make sure no one forgets the reason why we got into this business in the first place!

Now as I sit here writing about this fond memory of Robert W. Morgan, and I am reminded of that “gut feeling” I had that day. It’s a memory that will forever live in my heart and in radio history.

Brandon J. Castillo
Former Robert W. Morgan Production Director at K-Earth 101

Mark In The Dark... In The Morgan!!!

I came across KTLA's morning weather dude Mark Kriski's blog and noticed he wrote a piece on Robert W. Morgan. I posted this clip on YouTube of Mark visiting the K-Earth 101 Studios shortly after Robert had announced he had lung cancer. I remember that day like it was yesterday!!!

You can see me in the background, trying to look busy!!



Here's what he wrote.....

____________________________________________

Good Morgan
5:30 AM March 11, 2008

Firstly, I'd like to thank all of our KTLA viewers who have taken the time to read and respond to our Blogs. The project has been a great success, and we want you to know that we're grateful for your time, and we value your opinions. Keep it coming!

This week let's shift gears a little. Direct from the Mark Kriski "film vaults" I found an interesting video clip that I'd like to share with you.

This was a KTLA location shoot during the morning news broadcast direct from the studios of K-Earth 101. I'm interviewing Los Angeles radio legend Robert W. Morgan. This was in 1997; just days after Robert W. announced that he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Here's a little background - and why this clip is particularly special for me.

As a young guy with an interest in broadcasting living in Nova Scotia, Canada several years ago - the audio reference material we used as the "gold standard" for a contemporary radio delivery were sound bytes from major US markets such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. By far, the one that impressed me the most was Los Angeles DJ Robert W. Morgan. I credit him as being my biggest inspiration for pursuing a career in broadcasting.

Robert W. Morgan hit the LA radio scene in 1965 and redefined the role of the American radio jock by combining his wit, timing and topical conversation with top 40 music on AM 93 KHJ. In a few short years, his show had an amazing 20 share in the Arbitron ratings. 20 out of every 100 radios in the Greater Los Angeles Area were tuned in to his show. His dynasty had begun.

With the shifting sands of station ownership, changing formats and competitive offers; Robert W. did a tour of duty on the FM dial at the new K-100 in the early 70's, but shortly after, accepted a key position at KMPC 710 and formed the "Good Morgan Team"; taking over for another Los Angeles radio legend Dick Whittinghill. For three decades Robert W. Morgan kept Angelenos company in their cars and in their homes. He was chosen as Billboard's Air Personality of the Year in 1967, he received a star on Hollywood's vaunted "Walk of Fame" in 1993, and was unanimously inducted into the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1994. Reunited with fellow rock & roll radio legend The Real Don Steele in 1992 at K-Earth 101 in Los Angeles, the "Boss Jock" manned the mic at K-Earth, and even from his home studio as he battled cancer. On May 22nd 1998 Robert W. Morgan passed away. His voice, his personality and his command of the air will be remembered for a very long time to come.

_________________________________

Thanks Mark for remembering the radio legend that Robert W was....

I Want To Play!!!

So this morning this is what the Cucamonga Peaks looked like from our studio window!!

Seeing this makes me not want to be at work!!!

I remember the days when I could wake up.. look outside and decide what to do on a whim!

It's still o.k. to dream.... RIGHT??

Super Bowl Fat Tuesday???

So we went from Sunday's "Super Bowl"....... to Tuesday's "Super Tuesday"..... to "Fat Tuesday"!!!

I'm confused!!!!

For one, you have to march across a 100yd field to win points.......

For the other you have to "stump" around the country to gain delegates!

And Finally for the other one... all you have to do is get really, really drunk, flash your bare breasts, and catch a bunch of beads!!!

Translation: EVERYBODY WINS!!!

Why Didn't She Change Her Name!!!!

So my wife and I were watching the end of the State Of The Union Address the other day on channel 4 when my wife pointed out something very funny to me!

Paul Moyer was at the anchor desk and they introduce their political analyst.... her name: Sherry Bebitch Jeffe!!!!

Paul pronounced it: Sherry "Bay-Bitch Jeff-eee"

I'm sorry but when I see the word Jeffe, in spanish, it's pronounced "hef-fay" meaning "Boss". So to me her name is Sherry Boss Bitch!!! (flip the words in Spanish for whatever weird reason!)

Just my observation! Carry on with your lives now!!

Save Bob Banfield!!!

Save Bob Banfield!!! There I said it!! What does this mean??

Bob Banfield is the Inland Empire's bureau chief for ABC7 Eyewitness News in Los Angeles. He's been there forever, 1967!!! Remember the Inland Empire is bastard step-child to the Los Angeles area.... no one really wants to claim it. There are many extreme areas... the desert, mountains and other hard to reach areas. So when anything bad happens out here.... they (ABC7) send Bob!!! Every fall we get Santa Ana winds that blow threw our major canyons at about 70mph.... he's there getting blown around!! When Big Bear Lake is suffering threw a 100 year blizzard..... he's there freezing is butt off in the cold!! In the summer when this area is on fire.... yeah you guessed it.... he's there!!

It was about the mid 90's when one of my former co-workers and I were watching Bob in the wind almost get crushed by a big-rig truck blowing over on the side of the freeway, when we both looked at each other and said... "ABC is trying to kill him!!!!" Think about it.... You only see the guy when mother nature is at her worst!! The guy is like Teflon! In some of those snowy mountain shots he looks like he's catching pneumonia!!!! When the fires are burning, i swear he's one bad wind gust from burnin' up!! So to this I say... "SAVE BOB BANFIELD!!!" He's done nothing wrong!!!

We went on the air with this last year on K-Frog and the phones went crazy. Listeners were calling in to express their concern for Bob!! They all noticed the same thing too!!! Even Bob's Granddaughter called in to say they think the same thing!!

"SAVE BOB!!"