Page 68 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2021- Online Magazine

the tornado.” (Many Lubbockites Levelland for 20 years and KZZN
gratefully give him credit for
giving the only warning for the
deadly May 11, 1970, tornado.) “I
was news anchor at 6 and 10, but I
hated being on TV. That's when we
hired Bill Maddox.” In 1971, Lew
Dee and Paul bought KCBD radio
and renamed it KEND – “The
Living End”, which they owned
for three years. “Then I took a
hiatus from broadcasting and
helped my dad in Plainview with
cotton gin repair. We were also
in ‘the beverage business’ on the
infamous 'Strip', and Frances and I
owned FunTimes RV. During that
time, I restored classic cars and
won two national awards for my
1963 Plymouth Max Wedge and a
1970 Plymouth Superbird."
In the mid 80s, Paul owned
Stonebriar Custom Homes in
Austin, building 27 custom homes,
mostly in the Barton Creek area.
“I drove to Austin every week and
back to Lubbock every weekend.”
But it wasn’t all work and no play
for Paul. In 1985, he was named
a Rules Official for the U.S. Golf
Association and was invited to
serve in that role at the 1986 U.S.
Open. Paul continues to play
golf regularly and recently won
his flight in the Reese Golf Club
championship with rounds of 78
and 76.
“In the mid-90s, I purchased
KDAV and KRFE and invited Big
Ed Wilkes to join me. We had a
great time, and he was a great
guy.” Later, the Beanes bought
FM station KLZK. It was the first
all-time classic rock station in
Lubbock and, in 1997, earned the
distinction of being the second
fastest turnaround “from Worst
to First” in the country. He went
on to own KLVT – AM/FM in
This story sponsored by the Boren family and Wade Wilkes Radio.
68 Lubbock Senior Link
in Littlefield until 2005.
Over their 60 years of marriage,
Paul and Frances were either sole
or part owners of six different
stations. Regarding his string of
successes, the former deejay, chief
engineer, owner/operator, news
director, TV anchor, homebuilder,
and entrepreneur testifies, “I've
loved whatever I was doing at the
time.” Frances, a breast cancer
survivor, has demonstrated “great
patience, fortitude, resilience, and
support” through all the twists and
turns of the past six decades.
Another facet of his colorful life is
“Paul R. Beane, Public Servant”.
He was elected to the Lubbock
City Council in 2008 and served Paul with Maria Elena Holly.
until 2012. “I was very proud of
our work on the council. I served TRHF “recognizes and celebrates
with Mayor Tom Martin during broadcasting greats in the Lone
the greatest recession since the Star state”. The prestigious award
Great Depression, but that council honors men and women who have
accomplished a lot! We acquired made a significant contribution to
200,000 acres of water rights, and I the radio industry in Texas.
was able to spend $25,000,000 for
new streets and roadways in my “My life has been a strange,
district alone.” During those same wonderful, crazy journey,” Paul
years, he had a popular program says. Whatever impression you
on KFYO called “The Way I See It”. have of him, you cannot deny his
Among other awards, Paul Beane passion, energy, and character.
was named Elks Club Man of the For anyone seeking to saturate
Year and Chief Goodfellow (twice). their own life with a little more
Additionally, he and Lubbock’s color, Paul Beane’s fearlessness
former mayor and famous in expressing his convictions is
cartoonist, Dirk West, were the worthy of emulating.
first men to be made
honorary members of
the Lubbock Chapter
of the League of
Women Voters.
In 2020, the
Stumptoe native was
inducted into the
Texas Radio Hall of
Fame. According to
their website, the