User:Frankjolley

Jolley's Bio may be seen on http://shboom.com
Gary Mc Brayer a Dallas listener remembers KBOX: "One of K-Box's lowest points during the 1963-64 period was its late response to Beatlemania and the British Invasion phenomena sweeping the country.  While the station played the music, it never seemed to jump on the promotional bandwagon the way its competitor KLIF did.  Like many stations around the country, it brought in a British voice on staff for a few months, but KBOX never became identified as 'The Beatles Station' (no 'K-Beatle-O-X here!) and KLIF all but stole the Beatles' live appearance in Dallas in September of 1964.  The group was supposed to be introduced by a team of jocks from both stations, but instead, Charlie and Harrigan and Jimmy Rabbitt ran onto the stage and announced, 'KLIF is proud to present The Beatles!'  Suddenly, the most important appearance by a rock-n-roll band in Dallas' history had become KLIF's event."

"Not until the arrival of the 'Jolley Green Giant,' Frank Jolley, in January of 1965, did K-Box seem to regain some of its fight. Jolley was a crazy man at night, and the kids loved it.  He and Jimmy Rabbitt were major competitors for the evening audience, and, at least in my school, it was Jolley that everyone seemed to talk about and listen to.  With the arrival of Dan Patrick, the former Charlie Brown of KLIF in 1964-65, and Joe Long, doing news with 'the voice of God,' both in morning drive, did KBOX seem to regain its old form by January, 1966."

Jolley had previously been the Music Director of WMAK radio Station in Nashville, Tn. He was recruited for KBOX by Art Wonder a big time radio consultant for John Box. Jolley was hired by KBOX with the title Music Director to the discomfort of Kenn Scott the Program Director who'd resisted the wave of Beatlemania. Jolley's approach was not to catch up but rather to reignite the British wave and the station became the DAVE CLARK Five Capital of Texas at night. In early 1965 The Dave Clark 5 had had several records from which to choose and the station lit up with DC5 music.

When the April - May 1965 Ratings were issued KLIF had dropped to 33.9 from it's previous 50.1 with Rabbitt and Jolley had jumped from it's previous 14.7 to a whopping 33.7 and even Billboard Magazine noticed it with an "Amazing Rating" story in it's July issue. No other market in America had as many nighttime numbers as did Dallas, Texas in 1965.

John Box was the Managing partner of KBOX, yet he resided in St Louis at W.I.L., at a steakhouse meeting with all on air personnel in late 1965 Mr Box promised anyone who could beat KLIF in the spring ratings a 1966 Ford Thunderbird with their choice of color. By the time the February 1966 Hooper-ratings were issued John Box had been replaced as managing partner and while both Bill Ward in the morning slot 6 A.M. to 9 A.M. has passed the current morning team of Charlie and Harrigan with a tenth of a point margin 18.9 to 19.0 and Jolley had moved past Rabbit with a 22.8 to KLIF's 20.0 Both Ward and Jolley were given promises of the new Thunderbird but when the cars arrived Joe Long confiscated the cars for the KBOX news department.

Former KBOX jock Dave Tucker recalls Frank Jolley's popularity with listeners: "There was a tree at the back corner of the KBOX property, and this became a hangout for station 'groupies'...many of them young girls, who would gather under the tree, radios blaring with KBOX, and they were in full view of the windows on the west side of the building...so the jocks were well-aware of them.  Frank Jolley seemed to have the most groupies, attracting a small crowd under the tree every evening."

And KLIF was in transition at the time. Gary McBrayer continues: "KBOX also benefited from a series of changes at KLIF.  Ron Chapman (Irving Harrigan) left the station in May, 1965 for WFAA-Channel 8 [Chapman hosted "Sump'n Else," "The Group and Harrigan"/"The Group and Chapman" and a local game show, "Away We Go," for WFAA between 1965-68.]  After a series of various Charlie and Harrigans, the station tried to rekindle the magic of the original with the return of the first Charlie Brown, Jack Woods, but the Dan Patrick/Joe Long combination at KBOX beat the latest C&H reincarnation.  Ken Dowe, who had returned to Dallas to do afternoon drive at KLIF in 1964, left for Cincinnati, and, with Jimmy Rabbitt moved to afternoon drive, Frank Jolley owned the evenings.  With Ron Rice (and later Dave Tucker) and Bill Ward in middays, and the return of Bill Holley (the former 'Night Creature,') KBOX had a very powerful lineup.

KBOX welcomes Herman's Hermits to the Radio Park studios. These photos on the [http:www.shBoom.com''] were taken by Bill Ward the official station photographer and were published on the back of the Hermits' album. Photo's Courtesy Gary McBrayer

McBrayer continues "The station became more aggressive with its promotions. It co-promoted concerts by Herman's Hermits, the Mamas and Papas, and Paul Revere and the Raiders.  Their promotion of the Hermits concert was so successful that pictures from the group's studio appearance at Radio Park appeared on the back of the group's 'On Tour' release in 1965.  The 'Good Guys,' as the KBOX jocks were now known, did regular appearances at K-Box-sponsored weekend dances and Jolley had his own regular Saturday night teenage dance at the Irving, Tx National Guard Army sponsored by Coca-Cola replete with live bands,he called it The Irving Teen A-Go-Go, and charity basketball games.   In 1966, the station promoted its own oldies collection, 'The KBOX Dusty Discs,' and produced a very slick weekly 'Forty From the Top' record survey.

Jolley even became the National Teen Chairman of the Danny Thomas Teenage March against Leukemia. He organized a KBOX concert that was held at Market Hall and the station promoted it as a benefit. The admission was $2.00 and all thirteen thousand teenagers, moms, dads and little kids enjoyed the music of Dallas Frazier, Tommy Roe, The Five Americans, Jon and Robin and more than twelve rock acts, while across town the KLIF Beach Boys concert had less than 3000 in attendance. Again the popularity of the station was peaking . (L) The KBOX Good Guys display the winning trophy following a basketball game won for another charitable cause. L-R: Jack West (Schell,) Ken Scott, Sam Pate, Ron Rice, Ron Jenkins (McAlister,) and Bill Ward. (R) The cover shot for KBOX's "Dusty Discs" album, photographed on top of Dallas' Southland Life Building. Bottom L-R: Terry Byrd, Ron Rice, Frank Jolley. Top L-R: Dan Patrick, Bill Holley, Bill Ward. Both photos courtesy Bill Ward

However, the changes at KBOX weren't enough. Gary continues: "The owners wanted more, and as PD Bill Ward stated in Billboard Magazine, it was a drag being viewed as the #2 rocker in town.  In an effort to make the station more attractive for a potential buyer, the station pondered changing to a country and western format."

This is a logical point to talk about the difference in power of the two mighty Dallas radio stations. On the surface it would seem as if all things were equal but they weren't. If you look under the label you'll find that Radio Station KLIF "The mighty 119!" belted out 50,000 watts in the daytime and 5,000 watts at night. While KBOX's 5 ,000 watt daytime signal dropped to 500 watts at night so proportionally KBOX always did more with less.

But KBOX's Top 40 presence was indeed noticed by others: Nighttime personality Frank Jolley, who served as music director for most of the mid-1960s, was selected Music Director of the Year for 1966 by Billboard Magazine