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10 Questions with ... Leigh Ann Adam
July 6, 2021
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I started at KPNY/Alliance, NE at 16. After graduation I headed to 99KG in Salina/KS. I was there for almost 2 years when the most amazing thing happened. Joel Folger was driving through town on his way from Dallas to Minnesota and heard me. Shortly after that, I got a call from him and ended up at KEGL. That was one of the best times in my life. We had a great time and a major battle with Y95. Four years later came Kiss Fm. It was an amazing thing to be part of as the station shot to #1 almost immediately. After 3 years I headed off to LA which was my dream. I spent 10 years there with a brief stint at B100, Star 98.7 and then ended up at KBIG where I enjoyed several years and had two babies. We ended up moving back to Dallas in 2005 so the kids could grow up near their grandparents. I did afternoons at KVIL for 10 years and now hosting my dream job at Star 102.1.
1. How would you describe your first radio gig?
An accident.
2. What led you to a career in radio?
In high school, I was taking a class called ‘Mass Media.’ We went on a tour of the two radio stations in our very small, Nebraska town. One of the stations offered a guest DJ night and the teacher said we would get extra credit if we did it. Let’s just say I needed the extra credit. So I signed up to be a guest DJ. But when it came time to do it, I freaked out and didn’t want to go but my mom made me. She said, ‘You made a commitment so you need to show up.’ So I went, I did the weather and a few song intros. I don’t know what they heard in me, but they asked me if I would want to work there part time. At first, I said no. Then I said no again. Later, I ran into the program director at the local 7-11 and he told me I should come in and fill out an application, which I ultimately did. I was hired, ran the ‘Rick Dees Countdown’ on weekends and absolutely fell in love with radio.
3. You’ve handled every possible air shift, and now host morning in Dallas. What’s it like for you to wake up market # 5 every morning?
It’s a great feeling because I fought for so many years in Dallas to get back to a morning show. I tasted the morning life at KBIG/Los Angeles, where I hosted the ‘Leigh Ann and Charlie Tuna’ show for several years, and I just love the energy and excitement of being on a morning show.
4. More women are in the first chair on morning shows now. Logically, this should be a no-brainer given your target audience. Do you feel that this is a concept that will continue to evolve?
I certainly hope so and, per the target audience, it absolutely should. I have been lucky, for the most part, because I was able to do mornings in Los Angeles. While it wasn’t mornings, I also did a morning-type show in the afternoon at KVIL with a partner here in Dallas. I have been very lucky to have had a lot of PDs -- especially my current PD at Star, Jay Shannon -- who have supported women in leading roles.
5. How did navigating the pandemic make you a better performer?
At first, when we were told we needed to start working from home, I went kicking and screaming. At that point, I had a co-host and I knew working apart would change the dynamic of the show. I decided to turn it into a positive thing and built a studio at home so we could produce quality shows, as if we were still in the regular studio.
It was a weird dynamic because I was doing a show from home, my husband was also working from home (except during normal hours), and my daughter was homeschooling. But the dynamic also reflected what everyone else in the country was going through. I think it actually helped create a real connection to what other people were going through at the exact same time.
6. What social media platforms work best for you these days?
Facebook used to be the big thing, but there’s been a shift. Personally, I like Instagram and Twitter, but my newest obsession is TikTok! Even though I watch TikToks every day, I have yet to post any content of my own. I think TikTok is absolutely brilliant. My husband would definitely say I have an unhealthy obsession with it.
7. “Local local local” has always been radio’s mantra. Have you started to get back out into the community and be with your listeners yet?
Absolutely, I got back into the community as soon as I could. While it’s not yet to the degree it was, it’s starting to get there. Even as early as Christmas, I hosted a social-distanced ‘drone show’ put on by Walmart, and it was one of the coolest things I have done in a long time. Memorial Day was the first time I had been on a stage introducing a band in over a year, and it was so much fun to see people out and about again. On the 4th of July, I hosted a fireworks show that is not only the biggest in Dallas but one of the biggest in the U.S. The coolest thing is the fireworks are set to music that you can only hear on Star 102.1.
8. You’ve interviewed not one, but two presidents. What were the circumstances where you interviewed Bill Clinton and Barack Obama?
When I was doing mornings in L.A. at KBIG, President Clinton called in, random selection, to encourage people to support his re-election. At first, I didn’t even believe it was him. We did a quick interview and there was no question that was off limits. At KVIL, doing afternoons, the same thing happened with President Obama. We received 15-minutes notice that President Obama would be calling in to encourage people to get out and vote. I really enjoyed it as he was very funny and opened up about how he was a nerd in high school. I love asking questions that no one else will ask to get people to go in directions they don’t usually go.
9. Who would be another dream guest that you’d love to have come sit across from you in the studio?
Honestly, if I could choose anyone, it would have to be Freddie Mercury from Queen. I always loved Queen’s music, but I am even more obsessed after seeing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’
10. Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?
Oh my, there have been so many. None who stand out more than Kidd Kraddick, though. I was 20 years old when I started at the Eagle in Dallas doing overnights. Kidd would have me stick around and do a bit on the morning show with him. He saw something in me and always encouraged me. A few years later, I was moved to middays and was still able to do bits with him. The Eagle flipped format and we were all let go. A few months later KISS-FM launched, and we both ended up working there -- Kidd in the morning and me in middays. Once again, I did little things on the show with Kidd. I actually had an opportunity to join the show but, at the same time, had the chance to follow a life-long dream to work in L.A. I remember when I left, Kidd wrote me a very funny poem that talked about how, when he met me, how horrible I was on the air. But he ended it with how proud of me he was for following my dreams. I’ll always be grateful for his support and encouragement.
Bonus Questions
With an unlimited budget and the venue of your choice, which 3-5 artists would you pull together for a Star 102.1 welcome back listener show?
Taylor Swift -- her talent to me is just mind blowing. Until I met her, I didn’t realize that she is genuinely kind. I had always heard she was nice but I didn’t know how authentically kind and nice she is until I met her. Plus, the fact that she is rerecording her music and taking on people who took advantage of her -- she is a badass standing up for herself.
Justin Bieber -- I have to say this one because my teenage daughter would never forgive me if I didn’t. I like Justin and his music, but she LOVES him. She’s been completely obsessed since kindergarten. She thought she would end up marrying him. Coincidentally, my daughter’s name is Hailey and there is now an actual Hailey Bieber. Not exactly how she hoped that would happen.
Def Leppard -- because I just love their music and they are one band that I have never been able to catch in concert.
Britney Spears -- I really want her to perform again on her own terms without being controlled. I think she would really amaze people standing on her own. #FREEBRITNEY
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