Chuck Dunaway

The Way I Remember It (Episode Six) 

While attending high school in Houston, I frequently visited KNUZ and KLVL. After high school came my first real radio job, at KBST in Big Spring, Texas. All of these stations were brand new, or had recently built  new studios, but I learned from my auditions at stations between Houston and Big Spring not to expect new studios and equipment wherever I went.  

One afternoon, early in 1953, I left Big Spring, heading for a radio job in Texas City, Texas as a "disc jockey": no network programs to get in the way! At least that's what I thought at the time. After enduring an overnight bus ride with many stops along the way, I arrived in Houston, where I was met by my mother. 

I soon convinced mom that she should help me buy a car, because I'd saved $200 for a down payment, and had a job which would pay me a whopping $45 a week. I would easily make the monthly payments, and have plenty left over. 

So, with the help of my stepfather, we found a baby-blue 1949 Ford Fairlane in very good condition, for $800. The payment would be about $60 a month including insurance, taxes, and interest.  

After wrapping up the paperwork, with my mom co-signing the loan, I was now prepared to invade Texas City as a real Rock-and-Roll Disc Jockey. The very next day, I headed down the highway to my new job, about 45 miles southeast of Houston.  

Before I left my mom's house, I was able to find the signal from KTLW, the Texas City station, on her radio.  It was good to know mom would be able to listen. And it's lucky she lived on the south side -- closer to Texas City than were other parts of Houston -- because KTLW was a little thousand-watt daytimer.  

Its transmitter site was on Moses Lake, a location which supposedly gave the station more "push," and  maybe that's why the KTLW signal was able to be heard at the house in Houston. KTLW was block programmed in 1952. 

The morning show featured a black DJ, "Lonesome Leon," who played rock-and-roll from 6:10 to 7:00. He was followed by the "Musical Clock" program, hosted by the program director, who played a blend of pop and big band tunes.  

Religious programming aired from 8:00 to 9:30, and then the BrassTex Corral country music program hit the airwaves, featuring none other than "Coffee Pot Charlie." I was "Coffee Pot Charlie." I broadcast from the BrassTex Hardware and Supply store every Monday through Friday morning from 9:30 to 11:00, and did the best imitation of Biff Collie I could do, including talking in a half-whisper. 

It was embarrassing for everyone, except for my mom, who knew I could do no wrong. After the BrassTex show, live from the store, I needed about 15 minutes to get back to the studio, at which time I became board operator for such hits as "The La Marque Hour" (news from the neighboring community of La Marque), "Shoppers Guide," a thirty-minute program of sales and specials around town (starring the salesmen who sold the air time), and"Movie Menu," featuring movie show times, emceed by the program director.  

The PD also hosted the Noon Report; I was the board operator for that newscast, as well. Finally, at 12:30, I got the chance to play pop and big band music until 3:00 p.m.   And at 3:00, my day was over: not hard work at all, after those 60-hour weeks in Big Spring. 

The only problem was that I didn't get the chance to play rock-and-roll music, because rock-and-roll wasn't allowed at KTLW, except for the early-morning program from Lonesome Leon, who sold his own commercials.  

The station needed the revenue he brought in, so he was allowed to play the music he wanted to play. I pleaded for the chance to play rock-and-roll to anyone who would listen: the manager, the manager's wife, the program director, and even Lonesome Leon . . . but to no avail. I would have offered to sell my own commercials in order to be able to do a rock-and-roll show like Leon, but I was scared to death of dealing with clients.    

At KTLW, I discovered what it was really like to work in a small-town radio station, with worn-out control room equipment and beat-up furnishings. Everything was barely in working condition. It wasn't plush, but I had some of what I wanted: I could play records, because no network was in the way. 

My mother saved a lot of newspaper clippings over the years. I found one in my scrapbook from 1953 that told of my speech to the Texas City Chapter of Hadassah, at "Mrs. Lippmann's house." The talk was entitled "My Highlights In Radio." 

Here I was,a nice gentile kid of 18, who had been in radio for about eight months, and I'm speaking to a Jewish ladies organization about "My Highlights In Radio"?  I wonder what I told them.  Did I make up stuff, or what?  

My first meeting with someone I considered to be an important person in the entertainment world happened in Texas City.  Because I was doing the only country-music program on the station, I was invited to a meeting with the station manager and Audrey Williams, who wanted us to promote a tribute show for the late Hank Williams. 

KTLW was located in the Showboat Theater building and we had access to the theater for shows of that type.  As I recall, producing the show would have required an investment of radio-station cash, so it never happened. But I felt I had been close to something special, because I had been in the same room with the person who had been married to the country-music legend, Hank Williams. 

Later, in Shreveport, Louisiana, I would become friends with another person who had a special connection to Hank Williams. I always have wished that I enjoyed country music as much as I enjoyed rock-and-roll. 

If I had liked country, it's more likely I would have been allowed to play what I liked on the air, because every small station in Texas played lots of country music, but none of them played rock-and-roll. In those days, playing rock-and-roll was of extreme importance to those of us just starting our radio careers, for it was "our music." 

In episode seven,"Coffee Pot Charlie" becomes "Chuck" on the air, finally gets to play rock-and-roll,and even gets a taste of radio stardom.  

Many people have been telling me of experiences similar to mine, when they were kids who wanted to entertain on the radio. We've heard from Larry Hart,  who got hooked in 1954 listening to Gene Nobles out of Nashville; Frank Haley, who gained inspiration from Ken Dowe; Tony Hayes, who drew  from WLS in Chicago; Dan Gallo, to whom I gave advice while in Cleveland (and who is now a 20-year veteran of KILT). 

We also heard words of encouragement from Deena Adams who wrote the book called the "Encyclopedia Of Rock-and-Roll and the Cleveland Connection". Jack Raymond wrote, triggering a couple of names in my memory, including Jim Conlee, who is now at Oldies 107.5 in Houston. 

We heard from Johnny Barger, now a broker of radio stations, but for many years a leading manager and owner of some of the best stations in San Antonio; and ex-record promotion man supreme Don Whittemore, who now owns a major ice cream manufacturing company with offices in Los Angeles and Tokyo. 

Jason Goggans e-mailed, trying to locate Webb Hunt. If anyone knows Webb's whereabouts, please let me know and I'll pass along the information to Jason. 

Scooter Segraves is on the air in Louisiana and still loving it.  Our old friend John Rook, who once offered me a job in Chicago, and has programmed many great stations, e-mailed to say he is now retired and happy in his paradise.  

Finally, we heard from old friend Merle Kilgore, who is featured prominently in our upcoming segment about Shreveport. Thanks for reading.

Edited by Stacy Richardson

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