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91X personality and smoker Mike Halloran at a 1997 Prodigy concert at the Spruce Goose in Long Beach, Ca.

Very seldom do I get a pro to photograph me at work, but Debbie Leavitt was there on Josie Cotton Day, without Josie Cotton. These are her proof sheets, not actual prints.

I know, how many photos of me in the Pasadena control room can you stand. But there I was with INXS shortly before the first US Festival in 1982. Great smile on Michael Hutchence.

I have discarded these awards if they had no meaning for me. This one did, because I feel I have a relationship with the band. UB40 was an example of success by acclaim, not as much by promotion. That's why Jed The Fish support means something.

What was cool about Emily is she had good judgement about who to let in to visit. Fan after fan would ask to see the DJ, and it was actually possible until 2001. There was no way we could see everyone, or we would never be able to work, but Mle would know which exceptions I would appreciate. Bless her heart! I think this was in my kitchen.

This reminds me of when I got in trouble with a girl I'd just broken up with. She got so mad at me she emptied a vacuum cleaner bag into my car, two weeks in a row. You see, the girl I'm with is her sister. I always liked hanging out with Joan Jett. I was in the studio with The Runaways one time when Kim Fowley was producing. On another production, Kim, directing me on the synthesizer, told me to do my dog urine.

Undoubtedly the only straight people with our hands on each other that night, I did not think of her as a comedienne. I thought she was just funny as hell. Ahh, the gays always loved her.

Harry Shearer and Firesign Theater comedian Peter Bergman generously agreed to appear in a student project I did my freshman year, long before I became Jed The Fish. Paisley curtains in the tradition-steeped Hancock Hall. Many years later filling in for Jason Bentley at KCRW, I finished my shift and was about to leave, and he said from the next studio, "Oh, you're too big a star now to say hello?" Embarrassed, I had seen him but had no idea he would ever remember me. Funny guy.

Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. Ask anyone over 40 from down under and they know exactly who he is. A promo person, friend to all at KROQ Jon Scott, brought him around and got us playing his solo record, Children of the Sun. We actually spent a fair amount of time together, so I'm surprised that I can't remember what his music sounds like.

Between Kevin and Bean and Jed The Fish, we had a pretty good award run until Album Network, the trade publication, was bought by Clear Channel. I guess our competition couldn't bear to see us sweeping up awards, so they just bought the magazine. Now they are called I Heart. Do you think I Heart is a good name for a radio group?

Backstage at the Bowie Glass Spider tour, the most amazing guitar player Adrien Belew, entertains KROQ DJs Lewis Largent and Jed The Fish, Dodger Stadium, 1987. This was the tour Peter Frampton played guitar as well.

I was probably heading off after announcing Dramarama. This was before we had two stages.

The Ramones were seven albums into their career when Dee Dee and Johnny Ramone visited the Pasadena studio in 1983. Never afraid of the hard work it takes even an established band to live on, I did tons of appearances with them, sometimes nights for in a row. Maybe you saw them at Knott's. Johnny lived in Los Angeles for several years and I would regularly see him at gigs I announced.

Now this was audacity that could never happen today. KROQ took 200 listeners to Hawaii. Twice. The first time the GoGos played and Richard got hired. The next time Oingo Boingo played at Aloha Stadium. April Whitney, R, next to Freddy Snakeskin. Then Danny Elfman, Steve Bartek comically peering in over Vatos. Dale Turner in the shades looking at me, behind him Kerry Hatch and Richard Gibbs in the striped shirt. The hotel was very angry.

And Scott Mason was there too. Nice to have an engineer along on a beach remote. Even better if he’s the Chief Engineer. That was our bitty microwave truck to get the signal back to Burbank in 1991. I don think we played John Wesley Harding since, but he was a quick wit.

This is the band I was most chummy with. We would get together at Farmers Market, their old hang, and I remember they would talk to their stalkers. Girls would go to FM to see them. They told me it’s important to approach them to humanize the relationship. You want them to know the impact they can have on your normal life just being famous. Not just being a quest. At Ron’s house one night, they played me Interior Design. It was an album devoid of bass parts. Some upper bass synth, but that’s it. I tried in vain to help them justify it. It was a tough listen, because I liked them so much. Rock needs bass if not guitar.

He was rumored to have a chandelier goldfish bowl, and sure enough, during a party, I found it. It was actually a terrible interview that day — I was sent all the way to New Orleans for a Nine Inch Nails interview with faulty equipment. I shall restrain myself from identifying the engineer who furnished a bad DAT recorder. I think his name was Paul. To make matters worse, because I had to use Trent’s studio gear, they edited out the part in which I asked him about Marilyn Manson.

Massive Attack is a band I have long supported out of passion. I'm sure, had they achieved gold record status, they would have acknowledged me, so they did what they could.

We were lucky enough to be invited to a party at record mogul Jimmy Iovine’s house, and a certain KROQ DJ behaved poorly when speaking to Fred Durst. Our boss reprimanded her, saying “Save it for on the air,” not to his face at an exclusive party. Billy Corgan also thought she should “be a good party guest.” Hard to believe you could get in trouble for talking shit to Fred Durst.

Outdoor event in Pasadena. Our crowd was so loyal back then.

This guy wound up doing 22 studio albums and he is a famous songwriter. John Hiatt is still one of the most popular singers and writers for other artists.

REM
exclusive photo sesh
Chicago 1984
by Debbie Leavitt

Girl harvesters Depeche Mode with three winners at varying stages of innocence. I'm sure at least one wound up at the Sunset Marquis that evening. A truly legendary KROQ group -- and a favorite of Richard Blade's -- they did perhaps the most concerts for us. If guys thought they were gay, it was just fine with them.

Me in my pannies in 1983 introducing Boingo at the Us Festival. This was the day I was used by Terri Nunn to make Richard’s first wife jealous. She picked at my nipple with her long nail. I could only watch.

When we were on a listener vacation to Hawaii, Danny and buddy Jed The Fish had truly a blast. Partying in one of the suites at the Reef, a few days later 300 KROQ listeners went to see Oingo Boingo at Aloha Stadium.

KROQ clock. An hourly guide for when to play commercials (green areas), play jingles, and most importantly, talk. They don’t remain the same for long. Circa 1994. Kevin Weatherly, program director.

Warner Bros. obviously remembers the November 1989 interview as a harrowing experience for David Byrne. It was. I asked questions about creativity, which are the most difficult for an artist to answer. At One point, he replied with a distressed whine. "I - I - I don't know," uptoning on the last syllable.

The only reason I would dare wear a muscle shirt is if I had some, however briefly. Rodney gazes at the photographer, me with a mic, and Raymondo bending over to speak with someone. Likely April Whitney with her back to the camera, and Rockin Fig with the tanned back. Note my fanny pack. Hear tell they’re making a comeback.

This was a group actually grateful for their success. This was when they were touring extensively with groups like Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, and INXS. Animotion was from Los Angeles.