10 Questions with ... Kelli Gates

1) What was your first job in radio and early influences?

My first "big break" was on WKQQ/Lexington doing weekends when I was 19, but really the first job was at a very low-wattage daytimer station near my college in Richmond, KY, about 30 minutes from Lexington. Country on the AM and then flip the switch and announce more rock-oriented tunes on the FM. It was a very safe station, but a local record store owner in town convinced the PD there to let me have a Sunday night alternative show that he would sponsor. We called it the "Vinyl Frontier." So cheesy! He paid me $25 cash and $25 in records that I got to keep. This was around 1984-85, so playing bands like R.E.M and The Cure was still considered pretty "out there!" The show developed a strong following. People would tell me they would drive from Lexington to get close enough to hear it and just park the car and listen. I came in one Sunday night to see a note on the bulletin board telling me that I had been fired because the week before the owner's mother heard me introduce a Cure song with a title that offended her! But early influences were definitely a variety of Rock stations I grew up listening to in the Detroit area: WRIF, of course, WABX, WLLZ and W4 before switching formats. "Detroit Rock City" for sure! I remember Rockline with Bob Coburn so vividly. It was wild to eventually work in the same building with him in L.A. at KLOS.

2) Was there a defining moment that led to your radio career when you realized this is what I want to do for a living?

I would say when my Broadcasting professor at Eastern Kentucky University nicknamed me "The Female Arthur Penhallow," the legendary Detroit DJ known for his infectious delivery of the word "BABY!" That was quite the endorsement. I'd also say when I first got the job at WKQQ and trepidatiously asked the MD if he could get me tickets to see R.E.M. He did, and I'll never forget that they were waiting for me at will call along with backstage passes. I was hooked!

3) Can you give us a brief history of your radio career up until now?

Brief ... okay, I'll try! I've already mentioned the Kentucky beginnings. I left WKQQ to move to Vegas because I thought I had fallen in love with Wayne Newton's saxophone player while on vacation there! Worked at KOMP there, then love fizzled and I moved back to Ohio for a short stint at 97X, the station featured in Rain Man that keeps getting repeated by Dustin Hoffman. Then I got a call to that led to me becoming the PD at a new Alternative station in Columbus, CD 101 in '91. Such an exciting time for the burgeoning Alternative format! Then the owner switched formats to a Triple A, so I moved on to Toledo with my husband at the time, where I worked Rock and Oldies. Then I had the good fortune of timing to sign on and program an Active Rock station, BUZZ 106.5, before moving to California where I worked at a number of stations (KCAL, KGB, Y107) before finally landing at KLOS.

4) How many years did you work in mornings with Mark and Brian at KLOS/Los Angeles and how was that experience?

Twelve years! It was a dream come true to be on a syndicated morning show on such a legendary station. I have Rita Wilde to thank. She really believed in me and was always such a steady, encouraging mentor. My role with such a famous pair of guys evolved after gaining their trust on the air and it was a constant adventure to see what unexpected directions the show would take on each day. I learned just how much laughing in the morning meant to people, and how dedicated a listening audience can be. And of course, it didn't suck to meet all of the famous people that walked into the studio over the years. Singing with a leather clad Billy Idol at 8a is something I'll certainly never forget!

5) Congrats on your new gig doing mornings for WBVX (Classic Rock 92.1) in Lexington, KY. How did this new opportunity come together for you?

Unfortunately, my oldest sister who lived near Lexington had been given a terminal diagnosis, and I knew that spending time with her was the most important thing in the world for me. So, I ended up parting ways with the station I was doing mornings at in Northern California came back to KY. After she passed, I went back to NorCal to try and get back on the air where I had some possibilities, but nothing was coming together. At the same time, I experienced a health scare of my own, and my instinct just said to get in the car and drive back to KY to be near family again. I was able to get the medical care I needed, and at the same time randomly reached out to LM Communications, an independently owned radio group. It turned out they were looking to add a local morning show to their Classic Rock station, so it was another case of unique timing and opportunity.

Kelli & Steven Tyler

6) This is a return to the market where you began your career as part of the Kruser and Kelli morning show back in the '80s. How does it feel to be back in Lexington?

I am loving being back here! The city has changed a bunch and grown immensely, but I'm finding that there are so many people here who still remember the Kruser and Kelli Morning Show! And I am feeling a level or comfort and calm and familiarity that I haven't had in a long time. I love that the station is right across the street from Rupp Arena, a place where I had so many memorable rock experiences early in my career. And with Cincinnati and Louisville so close, there is one great concert after another in the area.

7) I know you just started in mornings there on July 2nd, but can you describe a typical morning show for you? What is the process and have you developed any new benchmarks at this point?

Well, it's definitely a "One-Woman Show!" I don't have the luxury of producers or partners or writers like I did in L.A., so I really have to use my imagination and resources to create a compelling show every morning. Thank goodness for all the wonderful prep services available and the handy-dandy YouTube to mp3 converter! Adding audio support from outside sources helps to create the sound of a bigger show. I strive every morning to pick topics that are timely but not alienating, and I guess I really depend my gut instinct to go with what I feel our audience will find engaging and entertaining.

A couple of benchmarks are my "Wheel O' Fun" where there's a variety of games to play depending on where the wheel stops each day. They include "Fill In The Bleep," "Triple True Or False," "Rock Stars Say The Darndest Things" and "Take A Wild Guess." That's probably my favorite because it's ridiculous in the fact that you can't look up the answer through Googling or on Wikipedia. It's only information that I know and obtained through interviews that I've done with famous names. For instance, "How many leather jackets does Jonathon Cain from Journey say he has in his closet at the moment?" Or "How many times does Joe Perry say the phrase 'you know' in 30 seconds?" After the correct answer is given, I play that part of the interview where the question and answer take place. (By the way, if you said 20 leather jackets and 14 'you knows,' you're correct!)

I'll also be incorporating a daily feature called "Rockbook ...The Story Behind The Song" which was developed during my time in Northern California by my GM there, Michael O'Shea. I'm narrating it live on my show now, but there are a large number of professionally produced versions that we are hoping to syndicate. On Fridays, I do a celebrity version with a twist. A famous name tells a story about a song that triggers a distinct memory for them. I have a bunch of these from people like Joe Perry, Peter Frampton, Ian Anderson and members of Cheap Trick, just to name a few. It's very unique content."

8) What is the ratio of music (songs per hour) to content on your morning show?

Eight to 10.

9) How active are you with social media like Facebook and Twitter and how has that benefitted your morning show?

I'm the first to admit that this an area I resisted for too long. I just liked the old school ways of doing things! But obviously, it's something you have to embrace to be really successful, so I'm getting much better at putting the links to content that I talked about on our website and Facebook page, or posting full interviews with parts that didn't make it onto the air during the show. Also, my boss Max is really savvy at timing Facebook posts to hit right after I talk about them on-air. I'm also going to be conducting a "quest" in the near future to find group of guys from when I was originally on the radio in Lexington that would skip school to come see me at any remote I was doing. I've always wondered what happened with them, and I certainly won't be able to track them down and ask for listeners' help in doing so without the assistance of social media.

10) Finally, what do you like to do for fun and relaxation when you are "not" in radio mode?

I love playing poker and studying the game. Something I definitely inherited from my parents. I also enjoy thrift store shopping and seeking out collectibles from the '60's. And now that I'm near family again, I can't get enough of playing with my great niece and nephew. They are five and two and are a riot. And, they LOVE Rock and Roll!