Comments on: Fire threatens E. Idaho radio/TV towers

By: 20 Years Ago

20 Years Ago — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:00:16 +0000

Jim, Check your inbox.

By: Jim Smith

Jim Smith — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:56:21 +0000

Wow! 28 yeaqrs in that business and I knew there had to be at least one fan out there (besides my mom!). Thanks for the comps elchupacabras970. Que significa “cabras”? haha My dad is still biking over there, just getting older and switching to a 3 wheeler. He’s got a beautiful Valkeri (sp?) w/ trailer he’s trying to sell right now. 20 years … I think Wells passed on years ago. I’m not sure where Jay ended up after he and Wick lost the station but Del Ray has been in Jackson Hole doing radio there for years. I heard him when I was there about 4 years ago. You guys will have to drop a note with names… bigjimsmith@cableone.net

By: 20 Years Ago

20 Years Ago — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:20:02 +0000

Jim, also in the Where Are They Now category, do you know what happened to Del Ray John and Jay Sorenson? I loved those guys. :)

By: 20 Years Ago

20 Years Ago — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:18:12 +0000

I was at Q-99 for a couple of years when I first started out. I pulled the weekend shifts for a couple of summers. Wells was just like Jim said, but he worked opposite of me on the country side while I did that Rock and Roll thing. He used to talk to me about the war. He was also very protective of me. One night a truck driver was pounding on the windows of the studio because he wanted to meet me. I did my best to ignore him, but he parked his truck out front. Wells was sure to walk me out to my car when I left. The truck drive took one look at his size and demeanor and left right then. Jim, do you know whatever happend to Wells or Lynn Clark?

By: elchupacabras970

elchupacabras970 — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:54:25 +0000

Jim Smith– You are the old Q-99 jock! I used to listen to you everyday. You were one of my favorites on that station. I was curious if that was you and wanted to ask for some time! You and Eli (unfortunately no longer around) were great! I knew your Dad as well and his Goldwings! Can I bow at your presence and say “I’m not worthy!” What a small world! Jim Smith is one of my “old-time” heroes.

By: Jim Smith

Jim Smith — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:51:29 +0000

Ahhh Wells Brady. What a character! In 1980 when I first went to work for KQPI (Q-99), Wells was always found back in his engineering closet, watching his black and white TV, drinking coffee and smoking his Pall Mall filters. I’d light one up with him and he’d chew me out for being a “less than perfect” Mormon kid and then he’d brag about his son on the LDS mission. He was kind of a grumpy old guy but he liked me because my grandad was the doctor that delivered all of his kids. Definitely one of the Old School guys…

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:17:59 +0000

May I have 10,000 marbles please?

By: RadioActive

RadioActive — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:10:13 +0000

Lem was a great guy. I got to know him somewhat as our contract engineer. Went with him several times to the transmitter shack to assist him as best I could. At that time I was not that impressed with the old school of electronics, but he put it pretty well one day…”I cut my teeth on vaccum tubes…” Worth remembering that one for sure. Wish I would have been able to tap into his vast knowledge base as he surely could have taught a great deal to others. He drove an older model jeep if memory serves me right. It fit him well.

By: 20 Years Ago

20 Years Ago — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:55:33 +0000

Hey El Chupacabras, are you from around Idaho Falls? Did you know Wells Brady? He was one of the old time engineers who spent a lot of time at East Butte.

By: 20 Years Ago

20 Years Ago — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:53:40 +0000

We lost Lem in January of 2000. I never met him as the engineer up there, he was always the ham radio guy to me. He lent me a code key and gave me some tapes to learn information I needed for my ham radio license. He knew so much! He was retired by the time I called the hill regularly.