Recollections of Jerry
From Pat O'Day
Just sitting at my desk this morning thinking about our buddy, The Late Ledge, there's a story I want to share.
Jerry took great delight in beating me at Liars Poker. He always said it was the equalizer for all the shitty contracts I induced him to sign over the radio years. Not only would he scour the banks and stores to get dollar bills with multiple identical digit bills, (like six 5's or even better, 6 aces, but then, the scoundrel would plant them with the waitress or cashier at whatever bar or resteraunt where we would play.
Then, with carefull planning completed, he would say something like, "O.K. lets make this totally fair so I don't have to listen to any complaints from you." He would then order the waiter, or whom ever, to bring a stack of bills for each of us, right from the till, so that I would know how fair he was. Now get this, he would have memorized or have written on his wrist, the numbers on the bills I was being issued. This way, he could bait me, coax me into raises, and eventually lighten my pocket of large sums of money.
Then, when I accused him of rigging the whole damn thing, he would take on that hurt little boy look and offer to go double or nothing, one bill, that each of us could select at random from our wallets.
Naturally he would be carrying one, carefully planned and saved, that would give him a total advantage. I had him so figured because, having known him since he was 17, I could easily detect his thieving maneuvers by the brightness of his eyes. When he was in the midst of his most masterful scheme, be it salary negotiations, or liars poker, his eyes would actually sparkle and it was a complete giveaway. Shit, we had so much fun back in those years! The sky was the limit in everything we did from partying to performing!
Were we lucky to have experienced those years or what????
From Dick Curtis
Jerry and I shared many Blew Eagle Jack Daniels following our 6 to midnight stints on KJR. I did 6-9 and then news for Jerry and he did 9-midnight and news for me. I was telling this story to Pat earlier today. During a brief period, for about a month or so, KJR Manager Gaylen Blackford decided to put the Dick Clark Radio Show on from 7 to 9. The feeling was they could sell a lot of national business in that time slot with Clark on. Turns out they never did but irregardless, Dick played a lot of R&B coming out of Philly. So I had to swap a lot of the records to fit our market. I also had over 100 carts that had Clark saying just about anything. "It's the greatest, use it all the time," stuff like that. So Jerry would burst in with things like..."hey Dick, Clark has his hand up Curtis...I think he has to go to the bathroom" And we'd have Clark say something dumb and then you'd hear his footsteps leaving the studio. After Preparation H Clark would say, "it's the greatest use it all the time." Jerry was the quickest guy on his feet I knew when it came to ad-libs. His humor was saturated with sarcasm, my favorite kind.
I might be in error on part of this story because I wasn't there for this one, but heard the story from Jerry years ago. When he was doing nights on KHIT they had a contest running over who could pick up the radio station the farthest away. You could tell on the air that Jerry 'had it up to here' with the contest. He reeked of sarcasm. He got a contestant on the phone from somewhere in the San Juans. The girl said, my radio can't pick up KHIT up here. Jerry said, "Lady, I'll pay you
10-thousand dollars for that radio." I believe that cost him his job, his last one in radio if I'm not mistaken.
Jerry and I became even closer friends in the nineties because we both lived in West Seattle and I worked on his computer for him a lot. He became friends with my wife Connie and they did a lot together. They both had a silly sense of humor so they would do things like go into a Safeway and write "eat me" on a banana and in five minutes or so that part of the banana would turn dark and the words would stare out at everyone. Obviously neither had much to do during the day. I remember when Jerry had the word "fuck" printed on stickers and he would go around to people with license plates that said "I love my dog" or "I love my horse" and put the sticker over the word "love." Sometimes people went around for weeks not knowing that they were carrying a license plate that said, "I fuck my horse."
I will remember Jerry for being perhaps the funniest personal friend I ever had. I will miss him very much.
From Tom Murphy
Hello friends and fans of Jerry:
I want to write something about Jerry but find it quite difficult.
I called Larry Lujack and informed him of Jerry's passing and Larry was quite upset.
I've also e-mailed a couple of the folks in Chicago that knew and worked with Jerry to let them know.
I first met Jerry when I came up to Seattle to visit Mike Phillips while I was still at KISN. I instantly liked him.
Later when I came to KJR we really hit if off and remained friends ever since.
Mike and I were just reminiscing about some to the things Jerry did and said that we thought were rather "wonderful."
When I came to KJR, Jerry really took me under his wing and went out of his way to be nice. I was always grateful for his generosity.
I hadn't been at KJR long when on a Sunday evening Jerry called Connie and me and said he really would like a drink and since you couldn't get a drink in Seattle on Sunday ( Blue Law still in effect ) and since he'd had a good night at the dance in Hoquiam [?} the night before, he'd fly us to Portland to get a drink. We had quite a Sunday in Portland.
One of my favorite lines of Jerry's was when he came to work one night he informed me that he was only doing the "Overnighter" until the Government fell and his family returned to "power." One of my favorite lines and one I frequently appropriated.
I came to the station the day after Walt Disney died and Jerry opened the back door wearing his "Big Jerry" Mickey Mouse ears and a black armband and pointed out it was indeed a very sad day.
In the fall out from the Larry Lujack / Jerry Kay, Rhett Hamilton Walker "Mailbag" incident and Pat fired Jerry, he pointed out that "The Lead Giveth and The Lead Taketh Away."
Speaking of Larry, Jerry got some "flash paper" from a Magic Store and would hide it in his hand. Then he would tap his cigarette in his hand telling Larry that by doing that he had knocked some of the "tar" into his hand and if you touched it with the lighted end of your cigarette, it would burst into flame. Jerry demonstrated this several times and Larry thought this was really great. He let Larry burn the hell out the palm of his hand before he told him it wasn't the "tar" that was igniting.
When I came up to Seattle for the various "reunions" it was always Jerry who picked me up and drove me all over the city.
There are many more wonderful Jerry Kay stories and I know many more will come to mind after I send this but I've gone on long enough.
To say Jerry was "special" isn't enough but he was certainly was that along with being "One Of The Good Ones." I just loved "The Legend."
I will miss you old friend
From Lan Roberts
Another Great Radio Entertainer Has Gone
Several days have passed since the death of my good friend Jerry Kaye (King). He was so talented it has been hard for me to even start writing about him and the mark that he has left on the radio industry. Unfortunately there are no people like Jerry on the air now since the “new radio” has been crapping on our minds for the past decade and longer with mindless bulls**t that’s neither funny or entertaining.
I first met Jerry when I moved to Seattle from New Orleans in the early 60’s and Jerry met me at the airport with the KOL program director. I liked Jerry from the beginning realizing how good he was at putting people on. On our way to the station that night he was telling me such glorious stories about Harbor Island, where the radio station studios were located. Harbor Island turned out to be a slush pit in the middle of a massive group of gasoline storage tanks and railroad tracks.
Jerry then took me to the old Windsor Hotel where the station had a trade out and would be my home for a couple of weeks till I found a place to live. At the time Jerry was a jock at KOL and was a very gracious host showing me around the city the next couple of days. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with Seattle. I lucked out on good weather with that magnificent Mt. Rainier as the back drop...breathtaking to say the least.
Not enough room to tell you here but Jerry developed a tongue in cheek public service program called The Salvation Army Show. It was sponsored by the SA but was so funny you laughed your ass off every Sunday listening to it. It took months for the Salvation Army to realize that it was one of Jerry’s big put ons.
Like several other of our close radio friends that we worked with over the years Jerry seemed to want to hide his health condition. I’m sorry he felt that way. Emperor Smith was the same way. Both just dropped out of the picture until we heard about it in the obits.
Now maybe I’m talking out of line but it seemed to me that Jerry was a bit disappointed in any kind of legacy that he might leave such as he used to say, “Will they just remember me as the guy who used to play the song “My Boy Lollipop” on the air over and over in the 60’s?” Jerry, nobody gave a flying f*** what you played on the air. It wasn’t important. You were the star of the show and it was your unique brand of humor that set you apart from everybody else.
I’m not sure if Jerry was very religious or not. We never talked about it although until he chilled out most of his close friends we talked on the phone at least once or twice a month for years. He was, and still is, in my prayers. I really can’t understand why some people don’t want to share their frailties with their friends. I guess pride has a lot to do with it. Hey my pride goes out the window when I need my friends for help, prayers and otherwise. Most of us are getting old and have to start thinking about what’s coming down the line. I have
had so many miracles happen in my life I still continue to be stunned and amazed. For many years I thought that if I could make it to 55 I would have accomplished some kind of goal or record. Now at 68 I feel that I have been a lucky ole soul and thank God that I’m still here. “Don’t pull the plug”......
Jerry, wherever you are you have a lot of friends here on earth that really care for you and miss you like you wouldn’t believe. You meant a lot to all of us and touched all of our hearts in a way that you can’t imagine. Our tribute to you next week in Seattle will prove just how much you did mean to us. I know you will be there and like the old New Orleans funerals we are going to share some good times with you. We know you will be there with us and we all love you very much.
From Bill Taylor
I got well-acquainted with Jerry when I was his newsman at KAYO, which later became the ill-fated KSPL. It was supposed to be "K-Special," but the always irreverent Jerry referred to it as "K-Spleen." Although we were mutually frustrated by management and format problems at the station, he was always a solid pro, upbeat and focused, flawlessly executing the elements of the show. Our loyalty and efforts were richly rewarded: We shared the distinction of getting canned by the station's new owners at the end of our shift on Christmas Eve 1982. A fair number of Andy's Diner martinis helped to salve the wounds that day, or as
Jerry would say, "There is truth to be found in beverage alcohol."
Jerry discussing a personal appearance he and a couple of other KJR DJs made at a 60s-era dance at the Lake Hills Roller Rink: "Ah yes, I can still remember the smell of Clearasil on my Mercury's headliner."
We forged a good friendship and spent a lot of time together for a few years. I have a picture of us and our then-wives that was taken after a boisterous night of margaritas at Pier 70. We found this little photo studio that had a backroom full of various costumes, so Jerry and I decked ourselves out as riverboat gamblers, the ladies as dancehall girls. I came across the picture several years ago. Jerry told me at the time, "I'll give you $7,000 to destroy it."
As his health challenges became more difficult for him, Jerry gradually became more distant, declining invitations to get together. The last time we saw each other was a couple of years ago when he was coming through Olympia on his way to Seaside. Nonetheless, whenever we linked up on the phone, it was like the years melted away, and although he was often in pain and not feeling well during those conversations, Jerry's wit was still rapier sharp.
Jerry was a complex guy, intensely private. The humor we remember best, of course, but he was also a man of considerable intellectual sophistication and depth.
I'm grateful that he found in me some few personal traits that were worthy of his friendship.
From Doc Harris
Terrible news about The Ledge.
After hearing him for years on KJR, KNEW and WLS during my Radio Travels, I finally got to meet him when he came up to Vancouver for a visit back in the '90s. Lan had tipped me that he was going to be in the city, and asked if I would show him around. My answer was, "Of course!". How could I refuse to party with the man who once said, "You'll like Dag's Beefy Boys because they're made from real boys"?
My wife and I hooked up with Jerry, and brought with us a very straight couple we knew who couldn't figure out Jerry at all. That just made it better!
At the time, I was driving a huge Lincoln Town Coupe, and when we climbed into it after dinner, Jerry started asking, "What will this thing do?" We ended up taking it out onto the Upper Levels Highway and, at Jerry's behest, cranked it up to over 100 mph. At this point, he requested that I open the sunroof, and he stood up on the seat, stuck his head out the top of the car and nearly got his hair blown off.
After that, the rest of the evening got even wilder.
I'm sure the couple we brought along with us was both bewildered and horrified at this insane American. (We didn't hear from them for six months after that---I think they wanted to be sure he was gone.) My wife and I loved it!!
Jerry was a classic; one of those guys who wore his madness like a medal.
I for one will truly feel the world is a bit emptier with his passing.
Just had to say that.
Like the rest of us, I will really miss him.
From Eric Dawes
I'm still wondering whether Jerry's pranking us -- I still can't put it past him that he's doing this just to convince me that I should have been more responsive to the various health setbacks -- I remember teasing Jerry that a hypochondriac's ultimate "screw you" is death, and he found that funnier than I would like to admit now. But that is Jerry -- the guy with whom you can trade the most private and tasteless thoughts and not have to worry about being too far out of context or over the line.
I think most of all I appreciated his ability to just let things wash over -- as various environments became less fun he'd let it be and make fun of the scenario in our phone calls. Brought an incredible sense of sanity to a series of otherwise insane events over these many years. I learned a lot from him about just accepting stupid stuff then dealing with it by making fun of it privately.
Not sure I can ever forgive him for getting me hooked on Price Is Right (we'd actually have phoners doing parimutuel betting on contestants), but hopefully got him back when I went to tapings and tried to convince Rod Roddy that Jerry King in Seattle had a great big crush on him.
Loved his retalliation when we both got sacked at KJR (early 90's) and he suggested we take parking tickets off cars and replace them with the station's "hey we paid your expired meter for you" post cards.
...or convincing me to buy one of those real estate "broadcast on AM" low power mini transmitters so we could put together a little program for the people waiting in ferry line at Coleman Dock, which included the occasional interlude questioning the general seaworthiness of the Washington State Ferry fleet.
Maybe the most memorable genuine event was Jerry's organizing a benefit for newsman Chuck Knopf when Chuck was diagnosed with cancer and subsequently canned by the Ackerley gang. Arranged entertainment, a restaurant, and passed the hat -- raising some money for health coverage and making sure Barry got the visibility that was due in the process.
Now, I'm scared to death for the folks in Heaven. They probably have no idea what's coming their way.
From Stan Foreman
I never really knew Jerry but I sure loved him on the radio, especially those evenings on KJR in the 60s when Larry Lujack did 6 to 9 and Jerry did 9 to midnight. They would get me laughing so hard I would get tears in my eyes. When Jerry left 'JR for Chicago he never really said anything on the air about leaving...but at the end of his last shift as he talked up to the vocal he said "That's it for another incredible night with Jerry Kay....see you all again tomorrow night....that is if you are hitchhiking along I-90 (or whatever they called that main highway then) around Missoula, Montana." And that was it......I used to hear him sometimes when he was on WLS at night and the skip would bounce into Grays Harbor.....the 'LS signal was really strong in the Ocean Shores area. Ken Mattler, later of KOL news fame, and I would drive out to the beach, get drunk in the car, listen to Larry and/or Jerry until the signal faded. One night Mattler went out there without me and while driving back on the beach crashed into a log that the surf had spit up. Car was wrecked but Ken was fine....to drunk to get hurt.
From Art Kulman
Just a note to tell you how much I enjoyed reading about the Tribute to Jerry. Jerry and Larry Lujack even had me listening to their nightime funy stuff and that might sound strange cause my daytime job for 11 years was as the KJR Sales Manager but I got to know them as "real people" when they were off the air......and they were great guys to work with.