Radio

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.

Danny Dark – 2006

​Having worked with Bud Connell at WFUN in Miami, Danny Dark was one of the first people Connell brought on board at KXOK in 1961, where he quickly became top-rated. Listeners knew him as “Danny Dark from Radio Park.”

Local friends remember him as the kind of guy who’d meet with them at a neighborhood tavern and tell jokes and laugh until closing time. In late 1962, Dark left KXOK for a brief stint at WIL before his stellar career took him to Hollywood to become the most dominant voice in America.

He was the voice of dozens of major companies’ commercials, the first heard on TV’s Bonanza, the cartoon voice of Superman, and the rich, baritone voice of NBC-TV for over 25 years.

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.

Richard Ward Fatherley – 2006

One of the “voice of God” men hired by Bud Connell, Fatherley came to KXOK in 1964 from WDEE in New Haven, CT. He was in charge of production and imaging at the top music station in St. Louis during its glory years of the mid ‘60s.

His creativity and outgoing personality spilled over from the production studio into his on-the-street character as the “KXOK Millionaire,” handing out cash to listeners. He was also the source of “Fatherley Advice” on the top-rated Johnny Rabbitt show. Fatherley also worked as a fill-in announcer there.

Fatherley pointed with pride to his innovation of seeking out community leaders to voice public service announcements on the Top 40 station.​

Ron Jacober – 2006

​Ron’s work in St. Louis sports broadcasting began at KSD in 1970, a job that required work on both radio and television, After a short stint at KXOK from 1985-1987, he moved to KMOX, working in both sports management and broadcasting.

​He hosted the station’s popular “Sports on a Sunday,” was morning drive sports anchor and produced numerous sports specials. In addition, he worked as a commentator for CBS Sports at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

​Ron was given a World Series ring by the Cardinals in 1982 for his broadcasting efforts. He was cited as Alumnus of the Year by the Southern Illinois University School of Journalism, has received AIR Awards and the Jack Buck/MS Award for his Olympics broadcasts.

Ron Lundy – 2006

​One of the crazy bunch of young guys who catapulted WIL to the top of the market in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, Ron Lundy left St. Louis in 1965 to go to WABC in New York. He took the air name “Wil’ Child” here for awhile and lived up to the image.

​In 1960, Balaban’s Bob Whitney brought Lundy to town from Baton Rouge, citing his audition tape as a combination of “country and crawfish pie,” a folksiness that stayed with Lundy through his career. Whitney said Lundy was “a guy who radiated the fun of being alive.”