Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Thanksgiving 1979

The house in Waldo. I shared this house with the two guys who ran the local haunted house. One of the very first remotes I ever did in KC was Friday night at the Main Street morgue. 

I made friends with John Peruca and Steve Koppel right off the bat. I was absolutely flabbergasted how many people were waiting in line to go through the house. I moved to KC in mid September so, I was very new to the place. I was living in a very nice but very drab apartment on JC Nichols Parkway. I got that apartment where I did, due to the gas shortage. It was right on the bus line and if necessary I could take the bus to work. The first remote in the big city at the haunted house was stunning. I showed up early as I normally do. It was such a mind fuck as I was immediately hailed as some hero. "The new guy, the new guy..." they kept shouting. This wasn't Moline anymore, kiddo. 

After a couple of Friday nights at the Morgue, we became friends and they were looking to get a place together. These guys worked their ass off from August to November and would make enough cash to not have to work the rest of the year. We chatted about it and decided we would all move in together. Oh boy.  The house in Waldo was right next door to the two houses. I mean RIGHT next door and that house was right next door etc.

Things were going well, the guys were working, I did their remotes and the drugs flowed freely. The most pure cocaine I've ever done happened at that house. It was so pure, it floated down to the mirror. Incredible. There came to a point where the guys shut down the haunted house, did some traveling and then returned to do basically nothing except more drugs.

I came home one Friday night to a house that was overflowing with people and a fight happening in the front yard. Jesus, what the hell is this? While I was on the air, it seems a bunch of friends descended on the house and declared it the evening's destination. I literally could not open the front door due to having too many people in the house. Fuck, this was some serious shit. I decided to go to my room. Lock the door from the inside and just hibernate, knowing it will be any minute now the cops will be called. 

It wasn't even a minute and apparently, it was their second visit of the night. As I opened the door to my room, someone had decided to use my bed as a "love connection." I turned on the light and said to the guy, "if you're not out of here in 5 seconds, I keep the girl and fuck her until she screams." "Too late," I said, I grabbed her and started to unbuckle my pants. They moved quickly. I was there from October to April and the last few weeks were pretty bizarre. I had my first revenge and anger fuck when I was there. One of Steve's girlfriends was very angry with him and I happened to be down the hall. I always liked her and thought she was too good for Steve, as Steve turned into being a dick due to an over abundance of drugs.

She knocked on the door and asked if I was busy, I was not then she just came out and said she was very mad at Steve and needed to take it out on someone. I was very flattered and I fulfilled her request. I was recently in touch with her and after all this time, I wanted to confirm we did have that night, as sometimes I look back thinking it was a dream, but no she did confirm we had a very nice time.

I thought so.

The end came right after the party. I may have been a night time rock and roll DJ on the most listened to radio station, but my mom did teach me some couth as we would say. I moved about six block away where a good guy record rep lived. He had a lot of house and just one guy. I took the one half of the house, he took the other.

The picture is of me...with a very prophetic Tshirt on. I really wasn't THAT high that night as it was Thanksgiving. Well, maybe. 

Also in the picture is John Perucca, a good guy who has battled demons all his life and now seems to be winning. In addition is one of my favorite human beings ever. Nobody sweeter than Hattie. She was in high school when this picture was taken, but she had more common sense than all of us guys out together and I'd point out that she still does. Unfortunately, Steve took his life about 15 years ago. 

That experience was like my cocaine experience. It stated out fun and stimulating and became a horror show. But, there were some fun times that happened there. Friends I still have today.

I told my stylist I wanted hair like Peter Frampton. I think she swung and missed. 

Sure would like that waist line back



Stephen Byes

In 1985, i was pretty excited to move to St. Louis. My life was very good in KC. I was in love with a beautiful woman, my air shift was only three hours long. I got off in time to catch The Royals on most nights. There was only one radio station I would leave KC for an that was KSHE 95.

I will tell the story later, but suffice to say that my arrival in St. Louis was met with underwhelming response.

In fact, one of the DJs at KSHE‘s first words to me were “why the hell do we need somebody from Kansas City to come in when I have St. Louis friends that are out of work. You’d better be good.”
Thanks for the warm welcome.
I was bullied for quite some time.
One of the very first people to reach out to me in St. Louis and tell me that I was doing a great job was one Stephen Byes.

I got to see him today after a very long time. It was wonderful to give him a big bear hug.
Dude, the white looks good on you.



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