QZVX would like to thank Gary “Shannon” Burleigh for his help in keeping us “in the loop” on all things KJR. From a personal viewpoint, Gary said upon Pat’s passing yesterday:
“He was always bigger than life and we were better for it. Who can look at a radio and not think about him? Who can look at an old 45 and not think about him? Who can hear the roar of a hydro and not think about him? Who can say Seattle or Northwest and not think of him? He was part of our identity.” Gary Burleigh
Lacitis was two years behind me at Lincoln High School in Seattle…His very attractive sister was in my class of 1965…She was a cheer leader…Eric eventually wrote for the school newspaper, then the very local Greenwood-Aurora Outlook….by the mid-70s, he had hit the “big-time”, working for the major Seattle newspapers for many years…He wrote an excellent story on Dick Balch, that off-the-wall car dealer in B urien, who often would giggle like a drugged-out maniac (kinda true) while he would bash a new car with a sledge hammer. He eventually got busted, but somehow recovered, assumed a more “normal” visage, and I believe he now is still alive, living in Tacoma. at around 90yo…I guess the Good really do die young!.lol.
I was at that Bumbershoot show. It was great. Support Northwest music. There are a lot of great artist.
I just happened on this while looking up Eric Lacitis. They published an article by him today in the Spokesman-Review and I remember him from the UW Daily as the only conservative voice (I hope I have that right right; if so, good for him, working for Seattle media). Anyway a good article on the KJR days. Here in Spokane we had KJRB and those were great days for popular music.
Today another rapper was killed. We had fights at the slab dances back in the day, but most of us had dads married to our moms at home, and the homicidal violence of today would have been unthinkable. I never knew of anyone taking any “recreational” drug except alcohol until after 1965. Abortion was illegal. There was not a culture of despair and death.
I seem to have something in my eye as I write this. I feel so sorry for so many young people in 2021 who don’t have stable homes in our unstable society. I think the only answer has to be a massive turn to following Christ Jesus, whose birth we are about to celebrate.
Puts it all in perspective. Pat O’Day was the major force in Top 40 radio for the Pacific Northwest.
Good article. Thanks for posting it, Steve.