Halls of Fame

Leo Chears – Legacy

​Leo Chears was affectionately known to his listeners as “the man in the red vest,” a nickname given him by one of his main sponsors, Anheuser-Busch. They were looking for an identifying phrase, and Chears showed up at a client meeting wearing a vest he “didn’t even like because it was red,” he said. But they liked it, so he ended up filling his closet with the vests.

Chears’ name has always been associated with jazz on St. Louis radio, on WBBR, KADI, KSD, WMRY and WSIE, usually holding down a nighttime slot. As was the case in the 1960s, radio managers paid a pittance to many announcers, especially Negro announcers.

Chears held down a full-time job during the day in a lab at Barnes Hospital and then did a six-hour air shift at night.

When Leo Chears went to work for a radio station, management got more than just an announcer. He used his record library, which consisted of thousands of jazz albums, to supplement the station’s library.

Ed Bonner – 2004

During his run as a dj in 1950s St. Louis, Ed Bonner owned the market.

He began on KXOK in 1951 when he was 28. From the studio in the Star-Times Building he would invite his teenage listeners to come down and watch him work. His first program, “St. Louis Ballroom” soon gave way to the station’s afternoon drive slot, and his large audience encompassed teens and adults.

St. Louisans saw him everywhere, in personal appearances to benefit the Red Cross, Y.M.H.A., Cancer Fund, Heart Fund, March of Dimes, Catholic Youth Organization and many other groups.

A new record played on the “E.B.” show was almost certain to become a local hit. He left KXOK in 1958, taking his listeners with him to the noon – 4 slot on WIL, and the little station at 1430, which had put together a huge stable of talent, overtook KXOK in the ratings.

The Hoopers in St. Louis in 1959 showed Bonner’s audience the largest among all the area’s disc jockeys. He left WIL for a job in Los Angeles in 1962.​

Bud Connell – Legacy

​Bud Connell’s name is not well-known among St. Louis radio listeners, but his influence was certainly felt. He came to KXOK in July 1961after working in other major markets. Storz Broadcasting brought him in to program its largest property, which was drawing only 4% of the market’s listeners.

Within three months he had changed the sound of KXOK with new announcers and a completely new image. By the time the November-December 1961 ratings were published, KXOK was tops in the market. In the mid-1960s, Pulse, Inc. placed KXOK in the top five stations in the country for its high ratings.

His influence was felt throughout the station, from his creation of the “Johnny Rabbitt” character popularized by deejay Don Pietromonaco, to his conception and organization of the station’s many contests and promotions. In 1966 the station was host for the Beatles’ concert at Busch Stadium.

It is a tribute to Connell that his staffers all credit him for the station’s success through the decade of the 60s.

Nick Charles – 2004

​Nick Charles was a recording artist on the Stax label when he was a disc jockey in Memphis. He joined KXOK in St. Louis in 1962 and brought with him a knowledge of the record and concert business.

Many credit him with being an integral part of the promotion team that brought the Beatles to town August 21, 1966.

During his 21 year tenure as a KXOK jock, Charles stayed connected to the black music scene. He started his own label, Arch Records, and is remembered for his many personal appearances for “hops” at Club Imperial.

Nick had a large following in the Illinois part of the market because of his Shindig appearances at Belleville’s Panarama Bowling Lanes.

His easygoing approach as a disc jockey made him a perfect fit for the KXOK overnight slot, which he held for many years, and he also served as the AFTRA shop steward at the station.

Mort Crowley – Legacy

Mort Crowley spent 14 years in St. Louis radio with stops at KWK, KXOK, KSD, KMOX and KMOX-FM. As with many disc jockeys, he moved around a lot, working first in Philadelphia.

After his job at KWK in 1958, Crowley was on stations in Cleveland, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Detroit, Flint and Chicago before returning to St. Louis.

His on-air creativity and sometimes acerbic wit endeared him to many of his listeners as he zeroed in on newsmakers with lampooning and mimicry. He was on the air on all five stations but also served as program director, operations manager and morning drive announcer. ​

Jerome Dixon – 2006

​Jerome took over the host’s position on KATZ’s “Night Beat Down Rhythm Street” after his brother Dave was promoted to program director.

​His announcing style was laid back, and he continued originating the show from area cocktail lounges through his four years on the air, 1963-1967, supplementing his income with a full-time overnight job at the Post Office and co-ownership of a record shop. A tenor gospel singer as a child, Jerome Dixon continued the “race radio” tradition of taking the broadcasts out into the community.

​Like his brother, his life was cut short in a traffic accident near Chicago.