Steve Baker

Episode 94: A tribute to Kerry Gray

97X, podcast

Kerry Gray was the program director at 97X in the late 80s/early 90s, and a radio “lifer.” He was a real live wire – super-energetic, enthusiastic, funny as heck… and also completely into the music. In fact, Kerry and Phil Manning teamed up to expand the back catalogue of the station, and they also launched the first ever “Modern Rock 500” in 1989.

In this episode, Julie Maxwell, Julie Maxwell, Jeff Rohrs, Mike Taylor and Steve Baker join Dave and Damian to share their remembrances, and the episode wraps up with some archival audio of Kerry and Brett Heartz on-air at 97X back in October of 1989.

Kerry also launched the radio career of “Bubba the Love Sponge” – whom Kerry met at a nightclub in Terre Haute, Indiana, then brought onto his show as an intern. In 2016, Kerry was on his way a new job as co-host of a syndicated morning show with Bubba in Florida when he was in a car accident. At the hospital, testing revealed multiple tumors on his brain… and Kerry battled brain cancer for a year before passing away in March of 2017 at the age of 50.

Very fitting that Kerry’s celebration of life was a dance party.

KERRY began his radio career at 15 and spent 30+ years in radio, which included WEQX/MANCHESTER, VT-ALBANY, NY, KBCO/DENVER, WEDG (103.3 THE EDGE)/BUFFALO, and CJXY (Y108)/HAMILTON, ON.  

KERRY had a larger-than-life personality and a really great heart. His presence made people around him want to be better. He was one of the sweetest and weirdest guys I ever knew.” — former WEDG Program Director James Kurdziel

Source

Kerry Gray, far left, tailgating for the Indy 500.

Dave Tellmann at left, with Kerry Gray and Bubba the Love Sponge (both leaning on car – Bubba in red jacket).

In the episode, we talk about Kerry’s car catching fire in the Oxford parking lot of 97X. Here’s the aftermath:

Brett Heartz and Kerry do their car show model impersonation.

Episode 93: Memories of the 97X station signoff in 2004

97X, Music, podcast, woxy.com

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly two decades since that fateful evening when Steve Baker said “goodbye to the future of rock and roll.” For current and former staffers and loyal listeners, it was like the death of a loved one. We reunited an all-star cast of folks who were at the station at the bittersweet end (Bakerman, Shiv, Barb, Mike Taylor, Sledge, Bryan J., Gentleman Jim Mercer) to share their memories of that time.

But we’re not just here to rue the day and mourn once again. There’s actually a future for “the future of rock and roll.” We’re getting the gang back together for one last heist Modern Rock 500 this May.

Read more here.

It’ll be just like old times. Maybe even better. It’s like getting a present from your old friends, in the present day. We can’t wait to share the music and the love with you!

Speaking of love, you gotta love the Bakerman’s “now and then” coda for the episode:

Episode 92: Day in Eden or Day from Hell?

97X, Music, podcast

“Day in Eden 1993” was the first concert that 97X produced. Things did not go as planned. Goo Goo Doll meltdowns, tainted food trays, wrestling moves, copious amounts of cheap beer and cheaper smokes, folk music slam-dancing…

Former staffers Steve Baker, Phil Manning, Jae Forman, Rob Ervin, Steve Roemer, Joe Sampson and Aaron Borns share their memories of that ill-fated afternoon – and reveal a couple of secrets along the way.

97X staffers and volunteers… in the calm before the storm

“Day in Eden” was an event created by the Cincinnati Park Board, and held in late-Spring/early-Summer at Eden Park in Cincinnati. In an effort to broaden the appeal of the event, they ask 97X to book bands for 1993. The lineup was:

  • Wailing Souls (a Grammy-nominated reggae band)
  • Goo Goo Dolls (pre-meteoric “adult alternative” fame)
  • The Judybats (folk-inflected alt rock band from Knoxville, TN)

The temporary stage for that year’s show was set up near Mirror Lake in Eden Park.

Note the bare feet on Johny and Robbie
A slam-dancing favorite
Sharks don’t care if the meat and cheese are touching.

Episode 57: Doug & Linda Part 2 (More Fun in the New Radio World)

97X, podcast

In the second part of our interview with 97X station owners Doug & Linda Balogh, we find out why Steve Baker was the soul of the station, Dave was Mr. Sunshine, and Linda was the lady behind the curtain. Doug also talks about “buyer’s remorse” at his welcome BBQ and Linda recalls the 97X mission statement and the baby in the file cabinet. Oh, and we hear about how the Rainman movie appearance happened… and how legendary record exec Howie Klein freaked out about it.

Photo from a 1997 article about 97X in Spin magazine.

Doug and Linda talked about how indispensable Steve Baker was. Bake could — and did– do it all for the station for more than 20 years.

The Bakerman in the old 97X studio
Gentleman Jim Mercer with Bake at a Miami University football game

Nowadays, Steve Baker is the Assistant Athletic Director/Director of Broadcasting for Miami University. Please read this post to learn more about just how amazing “The Bakerman” truly is. (Also, our interview with Steve is in Episode 4 of the podcast.)

Dave Tellmann in the production studio

Doug and Linda also talked about how Dave was always in a good mood. I couldn’t agree more. We had as much fun off the air as on, thanks to Dave, who was (and still is) always making us smile.

Kathie Lucas at right with her “baby in the file cabinet” daughter Sophie
Ad from Everybody’s News

The famous scene from Rainman:

Linda and Doug (center) with their children Marty (left) and Kristy (right). The award referenced above was presented by Ron “Jetson” Poore and Phil Manning

The Bakerman: Man of Many Talents

97X, podcast

Steve Baker was THE Voice of 97X for 20 years, from 1984 all the way through the bittersweet end in 2004, when he provided the poignant sign-off for the terrestrial station.

Steve also was — and still is — THE Voice of Miami Redhawks sports. He’s done play-by-play for Miami football and basketball broadcasts for 31 years. (In fact, he’s done it so long that he was THE Voice of the Miami Redskins back in a less enlightened time.) In my humble opinion, he’s one of the best play-by-play people in the whole wide world.

At 97X, Steve wore many hats: newsman, Breakfast Club host, station manager, engineer… if it needed to be done, Bake did it.

Baker at upper left… total (soft)baller! (front row is Rictile, Julie Maxwell and Jae Forman, back row is Bake, Bill Douglas, Phil Manning, listener Dan Mabry, and some ringer I can’t identify.

He’s still wearing many hats in his gig at Miami University, serving as Assistant Athletic Director/Director of Broadcasting. In addition to his play-by-play duties, Bake also coordinates all the broadcasts for MU sports, including tons of online programming.

But wait, there’s more… Bake’s so talented that he occasionally will sing the national anthem at Miami b-ball games, then do the play-by-play. Here’s photographic proof from a week ago, courtesy of former Breakfast Club co-producer (and now MU professor) Mighty Joe Sampson:

Killer pipes on the court
Killer pipes on the sidelines

Now that’s talent!

At an age when most people are content to veg out on the couch, the already-busy Bakerman managed to squeeze in college classes, and this past December he earned an Associates Degree in Humanities from Miami University. It was the culmination of a dream that started four decades earlier.

He had begun at Miami in the late 70s, but family circumstances pulled him away from his initial degree plans. Soon he began working in radio stations, leading to positions in Hamilton, Richmond (IN), Virginia, and Florida, before returning to Oxford and working at WOXY, the local station what would emerge as a national presence as “the future of rock and roll.”

Here’s an excerpt from our podcast interview with Steve where he talks about his journey.

Read this article for the full story of Steve Baker’s latest accomplishment. I love this line:

In another Middletown class, The History of Rock and Roll, it was Baker who often led the student discussion based on his years of experience.

It’s great that Steve is now an alum of the school to which he’s devoted countless hours over the past 30+ years.

And it’s totally fitting that the man who was THE Voice of a station that always challenged listeners with new music is still finding ways to challenge himself.

Here’s our Rumblings from the Big Bush podcast episode where we interviewed Steve, from January of last year:

Episode 4: Steve Baker

97X, podcast

THE voice of 97X

Dave and Damian chat with the legendary Steve Baker, who worked at 97X for 20 years in a variety of roles: news reporter, Breakfast Club host, station manager, play-by-play announcer for Miami University football and basketball, singer of jingles and National Anthems, etc. Steve’s voice also stars in the movie Rainman (“97X… BAM!… the future of rock and roll!”)