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K-LEI revisited

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  • K-LEI revisited

    Aloha all:

    I wound up here because I Googled K-Lei to see what would pop up. There was a thread on the old website from 2004, but it was read-only. Now that I'm here, anyone want to compare notes on K-Lei?

    I was there from 1961 to 1963.

    Larry Miller

  • #2
    Re: K-LEI revisited

    Hi Larry,

    I got your e-mail, so I came here to see if you figured out how to post. I see you made it work!

    I enjoyed playing Big Band music on K-Lei. I had never seen so many records in one place in my life! I would go in about an hour early each Sunday, just to choose the songs I would play that night. I only worked there from 6 to midnight on Sundays. I also got many calls from older people who wanted to talk about the good old days when the songs were new, and they were young. It was an experience I will never forget. I moved away from Hawaii in 1984, and never worked in radio again. I had worked in radio in Hawaii for 14 years. I worked at KORL, K-108, K-LEI, and KHLO in Hilo.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: K-LEI revisited

      Originally posted by Komo
      Hi Larry,

      I got your e-mail, so I came here to see if you figured out how to post. I see you made it work!

      I enjoyed playing Big Band music on K-Lei. I had never seen so many records in one place in my life! I would go in about an hour early each Sunday, just to choose the songs I would play that night. I only worked there from 6 to midnight on Sundays. I also got many calls from older people who wanted to talk about the good old days when the songs were new, and they were young. It was an experience I will never forget. I moved away from Hawaii in 1984, and never worked in radio again. I had worked in radio in Hawaii for 14 years. I worked at KORL, K-108, K-LEI, and KHLO in Hilo.

      What year were you at K-LEI? Did the Irvines still own it then? Just curious.

      Larry

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: K-LEI revisited

        Originally posted by Larry Miller
        What year were you at K-LEI? Did the Irvines still own it then? Just curious.

        Larry
        I believe I was there during 1982 to 1984. I moved to Texas in April of 1984.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: K-LEI revisited

          Okay, let's remember KLEI from the days I was there. Though it doesn't seem very long compared to the years you folks are talking about, it has been over a couple of decades (though I'm still only 29!).

          Some folks who walked through KLEI on their way included Tiny Nitro Tadani, Duke Duvachelle "Da A'ama Crab", BJ, Rick Davis (owns a Swiss watch biz in Hawaii Kai...I think), Rob "The Boss" Haas, Lucille Cordeirro (Sec. who became GM...Go figure), June Frabatta (SP?)---She did traffic call ins while listening to her scanner all day...I think she was a stringer for KGMB/KSSK for awhile too, Cliff Richards, The Crack Engineer Alan (damn, drawing a blank on his last name), Engineers Ernie, Ralph, and Jerry...Can't remember them all.

          I was there when it was located on Kainehe Street in Kailua. The owners were from Santa Barbara---Carl and ?? Schue??? I can't remember them.

          We had the most prehistoric automated system we used for a live assist Beautiful Music/AC format. It was practically held together with bubble gum and scotch tape. The cart carasoul was propped up in the back with a piece of wood and phone books.

          Thinking back, KLEI was a bit of a joke, but hey, it was still a foot in the door.
          Today is Tomorrow Yesterday

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: K-LEI revisited

            God I remember that hole in the wall. There was actually a nickle on top of the tone arm. At the time I visited that station they were playing Metaphysical music...back in the mid 80's
            Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: K-LEI revisited

              [The Crack Engineer Alan]

              The late Alan Roycroft, perhaps?
              **************************************
              I know a lot less than what there is to be known.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: K-LEI revisited

                And "Jerry" would that be the same as the one at Clear Channel?
                Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: K-LEI revisited

                  The thing I remember about K-LEI is that it was the most powerful station on the Windward side - probably because it was the only station on the Windward side. As a kid I built a crystal radio set and K-LEI and KGMB-AM (as it was known then) were about the only things it could pick up. I also remember tuning into K-LEI during power failures because it seemed like they were more likely to tell us what was going on.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: K-LEI revisited

                    Is this the K-LEI that was at 1130 AM, with studios on the second floor of a small strip mall in Kailua? As "Charlie O'Henry," I did Saturday and Sunday mornings there during 1977, before moving to stations in Honolulu. It was, at the time, owned by a partnership that included then Program Director "Jockey Joe" Kelly, who if memory serves had been a longtime fixture at WLW, Cincinnati. Principal memory/confession: locking the door and running to the relatively nearby McDonalds to pick up breakfast after starting sessions of recorded religious programming.

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                    • #11
                      Re: K-LEI revisited

                      It was across the street from KFC and upstairs.
                      Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: K-LEI revisited

                        Originally posted by craigwatanabe View Post
                        It was across the street from KFC and upstairs.
                        KFC? I don't remember a KFC anywhere close to it. Maybe one there now.

                        As I remember it, it used to be between a Cornet store and a bigger strip mall. Across the street from a Texaco station. First floor of the building had Floyd's Music.

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                        • #13
                          Re: K-LEI revisited

                          There's a KFC across the street on Kainehe street where K-LEI was.
                          Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: K-LEI revisited

                            Originally posted by craigwatanabe View Post
                            There's a KFC across the street on Kainehe street where K-LEI was.
                            I don't remember them being there. I remember them being on Kailua Road. Not too far from where Macys (then Liberty House) is today.

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