Colorado Radio Stories

Ever had a celebrity ride-along go sideways? Stu Evans, on KIMN in the 80s, wrote this for Joe Wicks' KIMN Tribute Site in March 2000. In his words:

"Casey Kasem comes in for our Walkathon circa 1986. We all go out to the buffalo steak place near Evergreen. Was it El Rancho? He announces that he is a strict vegetarian. Bunny and I volunteer to drive Casey back to the Doubletree, but on this cold, rainy night, I get lost in the luxurious old LeMans, almost run out of gas, and get him back to the room about midnight. Haven't heard from him since, but I still throw on that 'Dead Dog Dedication' tape every now and then…

With love and deepest respect for all of the troup that was 'The Best Show in Denver.'"

– Stu Evans, March 2000. Source: Joe Wicks' KIMN Tribute Site, Comments & Memories.

Ever wonder what the inside of Boss Radio Denver felt like? Jack Sorbi, on KIMN in 1965 and 1966, wrote this for Joe Wicks' KIMN Tribute Site in March 2000. In his words:

"There are a lot of great memories about my time at KIM. It was a monster! Gary Todd was our morning man who turned it over to Robert E. Lee, who handed off to me. When I finished my stint at 3 pm, I turned over about 46%+ of the available audience to Chuck Buel, who 'kicked it up a notch'… and gave it to Hal Moore, who, in turn, gave it to Bill Holley, our Monster Man. I mean, those guys, according to the fans, could just about walk on water. When KIM went on a promotion, the whole town followed…

When Tony Lamonica and I rolled in, we couldn't believe the set up. I mean, who ever heard of a News Director flying a quarter million dollar plane for drive time traffic reports!? Then to have four mobile news cruisers that looked more police like than the Denver PD cars, was a kick! The newsroom was, at the time, space age; clocks set for different time zones, tickers and wires…!

Ken Palmer was as big a kid as anyone and could be talked into buying the damndest things. I remember they bought a Hovercraft, shaped like a flying saucer and he spent more time trying to master the sucker than anyone on staff.

It was a little disconcerting when the hot acts and talent would come to the station. A great many did, Moody Blues, Sonny & Cher, Beach Boys (we hosted their appearance at the old Elitch Gardens)… and they all stared through the window while you were trying to be very good…

Don was also the master showman and a damn good newsman. Many was the time he assisted the local p.d. with reports from the air on a situation developing on the ground…

It was something special, although I didn't realize the import at the time, of being part of the Boss Jock crew at a giant like KIM, during the heyday of rock 'n roll."

– Jack Sorbi, March 2000. Some passages are trimmed for length. Source: Joe Wicks' KIMN Tribute Site, Comments & Memories.

Remember how those old PAMS jingles hit you? Scott Killgore, KIMN's news director from 1986 to 1988, wrote this for Joe Wicks' KIMN Tribute Site in February 2000, and it's a look at what it felt like to be there at the end. In his words:

"I still get a lump in my throat when I hear those old PAMS jingles, even now, 12 years after KIMN signed off. Whether it was KIMN or the Top-40 I grew up with (WHB, Kansas City), there is something about those jingles. They were such a crucial part of the Top-40 sound, and they helped make the stations themselves stars…

KIMN had so much history. You knew it when you walked into the new studios on Monaco Parkway. The west wall of the lobby featured a huge mural with photographs from KIMN's heyday. That, of course, was the problem. KIMN's hey-day had long since gone…

I was there for KIMN's last 2 years, and the station sounded good, very good. The owners had invested a lot, hiring top personalities, a large news staff and approving large promotional budgets, but KIMN was playing music on AM… There were some aggressive moves in that last year, moves aimed at keeping KIMN viable – hiring an additional news reporter, hiring Don Hawkins and pairing him with Paxton Mills in the morning, hiring 'Da Boogieman' to do his popular oldies show at night, launching a major advertising campaign complete with updated logo. Still, it was on AM.

For me, the 2 years at KIMN provided the highest 'high' and the lowest 'low' of my 17 years in radio. 'High' because I was doing something I had dreamed of while growing up in the Midwest – doing radio in Denver… 'Low' because I was there at the end… It was good radio. Top-40 was fun, exciting and creative. I'm glad I grew up with it…

Thank you Ken Palmer. Thank you Todd Storz, and Gordon McClendon, and all the others who gave us Top-40. Thanks for the memories."

– Scott Killgore, February 2000. Some passages are trimmed for length. Source: Joe Wicks' KIMN Tribute Site, Comments & Memories.