STARS FALL ON KNUS

STARS COME TO KNUS

Mike Selden took over as Program Director of KNUS while we were still in the old building on the golden triangle at 2120 Commerce Street in Dallas. The original studio was in a broom closet, literally, next to the spacious KLIF AM studios. It was across the street from the notorious "Cellar" night club on Commerce Street. Mike did the noon to two shift here and then left to prepare for afternoon drive next door at KLIF.
One thing that did happen during his tenure was to get the studio moved to a real room overlooking the parking lot behind the building. At last, we got a window. We also got an extra studio behind the control room where artists came in for live acoustical concerts.
We also opened up the studio for broadcasts by many local acts. Such acts like B.W. Stevenson, whose "My Maria" was covered by Three Dog Night, and Ray Wylie Hubbard, who wrote many songs that were later covered by Jerry Jeff walker and the like. These two probably still get Good royalty checks from their early songwriting.
I believe that Mickey Raphael, who later played harmonica for Willie Nelson played there with the local Dallas group he was with before Willie.
We had a lot of blues artists do broadcasts from there. Such artists as Lightning Hopkins, T Bone Walker and Freddy King are some who come to mind.
I also had a visit from David Bowie sometime after he recorded the "Space Oddity" album. Usually recording artists are accompanied by record promoters when they visit radio stations.
But, David Bowie was a loner. He wold not fly on airliners, or any other any other planes for that matter. He was going by Greyhound Bus by himself on this promotional tour across America. How times changed since then.
This was before his glitter rock period. He showed up at the radio station by himself. He had on blue jeans and a blue dungaree shirt. He looked just like anyone else. He didn't bring a guitar. He was a very personable guy.
Other notables that I remember who visited me while on the air were Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina. My apologies to those I have forgotten in the last 38 years.
I got autographs of Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding, and Mitch Mitchell who signed a large poster of them that I took out of "Eye" magazine. I still have it. Hendrix signed it "To the Kats at 247, stay groovy, Jimi Hendrix." That was the apartment number where I lived with some other KNUS staff. I later found out that "Stay Groovy" was a regular thing that he put on autographs.