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10 Questions with ... Lady K
July 8, 2008
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NAME:Lady KPOSITION:MiddaysSTATION:KXBTMARKET:Austin, TXCOMPANY:Border MediaBORN:Phoenix, AZRAISED:Dewey, AZ (population 3,613)
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I started in Phoenix at KPTY. I started in research then promotions and then Rick Thomas put me on the air. Two years later I moved to KGLQ and six months later I moved to KQBT/Austin to do overnights then mornings with Mark McCray and later, Rick The Stick. After two years, I moved south to San Antonio to KBBT to do middays and then mornings with Xavier The Freakin Rican and Biggie Paul. I was there for five years and then I came back to Austin and KXBT to do the afternoon drive and now I run the midday scene in the ATX.
1. What was your last non-Industry job?
I worked at National Heritage Insurance Company. I had NO CLUE what I was doing.. I had a hook up at the temp service so she gave me the highest paying job she could find me... heehee... See it IS all about who you know. HA!
2. Why Radio?
Honestly, when I was little bitty Mini K, I wanted to be a bus driver... FOR REAL!! And I wanted it to be a purple school bus. My older sister, Mimi, was the one who wanted to knock Joan London off her bar stool and be the broadcaster. It was a real honest to God accident how I got into radio. I was going to a bunch of places applying for jobs when I was 17 and while I would get ready I would listen to "BK" in the Morning ( ya'll might know him as "Byron Kennedy") and I would always ask him to play a song to get me motivated. Alas, he never played it. One morning he shouted me out so I called in and he asked if I was still looking for a job. He told me there was a "research" job open. I'm a true smart ass, so I told him if that was code for "get me coffee and donuts" then I was NOT the one... He assured me it wasn't so I went, applied and was on the phones in three hours time. Almost twelve years later, I still CANNOT believe this is my job.
3. What's your favorite thing about living and working in Austin?
WOW! It's got to be life in Austin. There's nothing you can't find here. Whatever it is your feeling on any given day or night, you can hit the road and find it. That's what I love about living here.. Now working here, every jock in every market might feel this but there is just a different kind of love these people show. I'm not just a DJ to them. I'm part of their family. They don't call me up on the request line and say "Hi, is this the beat?" They call and say, "What's the deal? How's the new married life treating you?". I freakin' love that!
4. I just got hooked on NBC's new show, Wipeout. Is there a TV show you can't miss?
I'm a TV-aholic...but a "retarded one" I can't miss the re-runs of CSI Las Vegas (OMG...Gary Durdan... on or off crack is still sexy!) and CHARMED! When it comes to current shows it all starts in January! I'm an American Idol freak. I get obsessed with it then when they vote off my favorite (Carly Smithson), I vow never to watch it again. But then Tuesday rolls around and it's like Kryptonite, I can't NOT watch it.
5. What's your boss, Rudy Ramos' most endearing quality?
Hmmm, this is a tough one.. Just playin'. He's an Old school kind of guy so some of this new stuff ain't his thing but I think his funniest quality is when there's a new song that just hits him the right way he goes APE SH*T for it. Every time it comes on when he's in his office, he will run to the studio and tell me to " TURN THAT SH*T UP!" and just sing whatever portion of the words he has learned so far.. Right now he's lovin' on the Rick Ross, Avery Storm and Nelly " Here I Am" joint.
6. What's the most important thing that you bring to the Beat listeners?
I guess the fact that I'm not tryin' to be something that I'm not or not tryin' to put on a show. I don't exactly know how to explain it. I'm no better than anyone who has ever listened to me. I'm one of them. I don't drive a fancy car. I live at Big Lots and Dollar General and you can definitely catch me at Wal-Mart at 2 am. My family doesn't go on a family cruise for Christmas, we go to Temple, TX and sit in my mother-in-law's front yard. Everyone brings a chair and we start drinkin' before noon. We BBQ and chase the kids around. I've heard a lot of DJ's around the country and in the first few seconds of a break you can tell if they are real or if they are faker than Madonna's accent and are trying to be the big bad fabulous famous DJ behind the mic. The day I become that DJ will be the day I will need to find a new line of work.
7. Who do you consider to be your mentor(s)?
Rick Thomas, my very first PD in Phoenix. I was blessed to have him as my PD again in San Antonio for about a year as well. I love that man. Sherry Knight, the first female DJ I learned from. She is so talented. Also Duke LePort, Chris "Chris-Da-Furball" Pantier, Byron Kennedy, Big Daddy Victor Zaragoza, Eric "E Dawg" Valdez, Mario DeVoe and Krazy Kidd & Ruben S.
I have to mention my DAWG Mark McCray. He has taught me more than I ever could have ever asked for. He is the most amazing friend, teacher, fool, man, father. I should mention Preston Lowe. That man is insanely talented.
Other people that have been mentors are Duncan James, Rick Da Stick, Heather Martinez, JD Gonzalez, Dennis Coleman, Clay Culver and Angel Sonier.
I need to send a shout-out to Nuk Nuk, Rey Rey and Peanut.. LOL
8. How did you become a Green Bay Packer fan?
I didn't have a choice. My daddy was born and raised in Oconto, WI. My dad and his dad would go to watch the games way back when real men played football with leather helmets and hardly any padding on. Why did I just start sounding like the big voice guy from the NFL films.
My dad would sit with me and my sister Mimi on Sundays and he'd teach us all the plays, all the calls and we fell in love with our familys' history the more we saw him light up with every memory he would recount.
Wouldn't you know I would marry a die hard Cowboy fan (throwing up in my mouth).
9. What area of your radio "game" do you want to improve?
The pay! How do I do that? On the real, I am really a shy person which sounds crazy being a DJ but sometimes on stage at concerts or at clubs I freeze up if I'm not drinking. If I'm good and liquored up I'm ok. Yes, I have to work on that.
10. If you were to leave Radio today and you could choose any other occupation, what would it be?
I would definitely open a no kill shelter for animals. Just recently my co-worker and co-Packer Lover "Swerve The World Famous" and his wife invited me and my husband to join them on a visit to the Town Lake Animal Shelter here in Austin. We went knowing we already had a dog , a cat and a tank full of fish so we weren't bringing anything home, but we still sat and loved on the cats and it was really heartbreaking to see everyone walk in and just make a B-line to the kittens not even taking a glance at the older cats. So I started going to the shelter everyday after work just to sit with the older cats and show 'em love. Then I go let the dogs take me for a drag for a while. I know it's good for them because they get out and get human interaction but it's like therapy for me, too. And if that didn't work out I'd be a phone sex operator.
Bonus Questions
If you could pick any artist to perform at your wedding reception, who would you pick? Keep in mind, that they'd be required to do some "traditional" reception songs like The Chicken Dance.
Oh definitely Frankie J. I've known that boy forever! Even before the Kumbia Kings. II would Just LOVE to see him sing the Chicken Dance! I'd actually pay to see it. I wonder If I have any friends getting married soon. We need to make it happen!
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