Page 67 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2021- Online Magazine
P. 67
LOCAL LEGENDS
Tyler, was very successful, but after
two years, he was ready for another
change.
In early 1963, he returned to West
Texas as program director for KLBK
radio in Lubbock – a Top 40 format.
“The day Kennedy got shot, I was
in the newsroom. The UPI teletype
machine would ding twice – two
bells for urgent, three times if news
was critical. That day I heard five
bells. I read the tragic news into the
mike straight off the teletype.” Gordon McClendon, “the Old
Scotsman”, at KILT. It was a rock
Paul was with KLBK from ‘63 to and roll format, and “at the time, we
not want my child born anywhere January ‘64 when he was hired had the seventh largest market in
but Texas.” Paul went to KFYN in by then-major station KSEL. “I the country.” In 1967, R.B. and Bill
Bonham, and daughter Beth was did a morning show called “This, McAllister asked Paul to come back
born in 1961. “I was there 14 months. That & the Other” (TTO) with Bill as news director for KSEL radio and
I got tired of being just a DJ and McAllister and Lew Dee. There soon-to-be TV.
an announcer. I decided to get my were eight stations at the time, but
radio engineer’s license, so I went to we had 67% of the audience. I was Paul was with KSEL-TV for four
Elkins Engineering School in Dallas. news director; years. “I'll never forget the night of
I passed my license test at the FCC they called me
office and left that day to become “Corrector-in-
chief engineer and operations Chief” because
manager at KZEY in Tyler. Daughter we just reported
Paula joined the family soon after. facts. I loved
“KZEY was an urban format.” (Ed. that job.”
Note: Urban, also known as hip hop, In 1965, Paul
is a music radio format.) “I was the and Frances
only white person at the station, moved the
and it was great! I loved it! I had family to
been raised around lots of African Houston where
Americans, and Uncle A wasn’t just he worked with
my babysitter, he was my mentor.” the legendary
KZEY, the only black radio station in
Lubbock Senior Link 67
