Tulsa Radio Memories



Carl Arky, Color Commentator, Jerry Vaughn, the Voice of the Titans, David Vaughn, statistician, and Jim Henry, producer-engineer, courtesy of Joe Riddle
ORU Titans, exclusively on KRMG Radio 74! In the KRMG booth: Carl Arky, Color Commentator, Jerry Vaughn, the Voice of the Titans, David Vaughn, statistician, and Jim Henry, producer-engineer (photo courtesy of Joe Riddle)


KRMG's Jerry Vaughn



(from Guestbook 13) Former KJRH weatherman Dan Satterfield said:

The greatest thing for me about working in Tulsa was getting to do the afternoon weather with Jerry Vaughn and the gang at KRMG. I would listen to him and (alter ego) Arlton J. Do Right as I rode my bike home from Junior High... then one afternoon in 1984 I was on the air with Jerry doing the weather!...it was a great thrill....anyone know where Jerry is now??

Anyone still remember his sign off each day..."Hang in ever so lightly and ever...so ever-lovin tightly... straight ahead!"


(from Guestbook 174) Former KRMG afternoon man Jerry Vaughn said:

As a KRMG alum, I have read with great interest many of the guestbook pages on your site regarding others I worked with during my time there (1969-82).

John Chick at KRMG

Jerry Vaughn's friend: John Chick at KRMG

I was very fortunate in that I got to work with so many talented people; Ken Greenwood, Fred Campbell, Chuck Adams, Dick Ford, Johnny Martin, Jim Back, Ed Brocksmith, Vic Bastien, Don Cummins, et al. I was the program director there for seven years and even hired John Erling. Twice.

While KRMG was top heavy with talent, so was the Tulsa radio market in general. Several stations had extremely talented people on their staffs in the 70s and 80s. That, of course, was back in the days when radio was actually fun and not the corporate mess it is today.

While working at a small station in NW Arkansas I would listen to John Chick do his "Tulsa Ballroom" show on KRMG in the 60s and dreamed of the day that I might have the opportunity to work there. Fortunately, I did have that opportunity and also the opportunity to meet John and we became friends. He was such a talented individual.


(from GroupBlog 222, 10/2/2006) KRMG News Director John Durkee said:

We just posted this on our website. We thought you might like to have it.


Jerry Vaughn. Photo courtesy of KRMG Archive/mid-1970s (Ponca City, OK) -- The lights of "Studio J" are dimmed. Long time KRMG radio host and former program director Jerry Vaughn has died. Vaughn was a staple of the KRMG line-up for over 20-years.

His program was one of the most popular in the station's history. He was also the first host of "KRMG's Sportsline". Jerry left KRMG in 1979 to become the sports director of Oral Roberts University . He returned to KRMG briefly in the 80s and had since worked for the Oklahoma News Network in Oklahoma City.

He was currently in management of the broadcast group Team Radio, which operates several stations in North Central Oklahoma. He was found dead in his Ponca City area home. His death is believed to be natural.

(Vaughn1.mp3) is Richard Dowdell's obit piece we are airing today. It includes clips of Jerry's last show on KRMG in February of 79... just before he went to ORU.

(Vaughn2.mp3) is a story produced by Richard on that day in 1979... marking that last show.

Dear Friends and Family,

This message is from David and Jennifer Vaughn, the children of Jerry Vaughn. To begin, we express to you our sympathies for having to break the news in this fashion, but we simply do not know the names of all Jerry's friends. However, we want to notify all of you that Jerry passed away comfortably in his sleep Saturday night (9/30/2006).

The funeral will be held at Martin Funeral home at 600 W. Country Club, Elk City, Oklahoma 73644. The phone number is 580.225.1111. Flowers or donations to the American Diabetes Association in Jerry's name are greatly appreciated. As always, your prayers and thoughts are welcome.

Love,
David and Jennifer Vaughn


(from GroupBlog 222) Dick Loftin said:

So sad to hear of Jerry Vaughn's passing. I was just thinking about him and the other greats of KRMG just the other day. Jerry Vaughn, Dick Ralston, Don Cummins, Johnny Martin, represented a great period in Tulsa radio that will never be duplicated.



(from GroupBlog 222) John Hillis said:

Sad to hear about Jerry's passing. When I came to Tulsa and was producing the 6 and 10 at KOTV, his afternoon show was my "morning drive" to work, and Johnny Martin was the "evening drive" home.

The CD changer in my car went out today, and I was able to remark how bad radio is now. Nice to see that KRMG still maintains two radio rarities--a news staff and an archive.



(from GroupBlog 222) Steve Clem said:

I had the pleasure of working with Jerry Vaughn in the early 80s when he came back to KRMG for the last time. Jerry may be the most talented person I've ever worked with.

He was certainly one of the funniest! I still find myself telling people little Jerryisms like, "Simonize your watches" and whenever someone would talk about running into an old friend or acquaintance, Jerry would break in and say, "Which one of you said 'small world'?"



Chuck Adams (on the right) (from GroupBlog 225) Chuck Adams said:

Perusing through the blogs for an hour or so this morning, so much to comment on but will limit my remarks to the passing of Jerry Vaughn, which I learned while reading your web content. What a loss!

Jerry was my best "hire" while I was PD at KRMG. A natural radio talent with a great wit. I loved his air work, and secretly thought he was funnier than me. Plus he was a great family man. Oklahoma has lost a genuine entertainer.



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