I grew up in Oswego, KS where my parents still live. After graduating from Oswego High School, I spent 2 years at Coffeyville Community College studying TV Technology and hosting the Football Coaches show. (I pray the videos never make it to the Internet. I was young and needed the scholarship money. God bless Billy and Marlon!)

After receiving my Associates degree in Communications, I then spent some time as a roofer and "Pizza Chef." I transferred to Pittsburg State University and spent 3 years finishing up my degree (God bless Rich Fry and Thimios Zaharopoulos). I finally graduated with my B.A. in B.S. which I use every day.

While at Pitt State my first job was videotaping practices for the World's Greatest College Football team, the Pitt State Gorillas. (Followed closely by Notre Dame, Oklahoma and now Texas A&M.) After that glorious National Championship season, I started the job that I've now had for close to 15 years. It's hard to believe that I've been a part of the KKOW family for over a third of my life. I started here in December of 1991, doing the overnight shift, and had no idea I would still be here.

Over these years, I've not only watched my career grow, but I've watched 96.9 prosper as well. We both started at the bottom of the heap and have risen above everyone's expectations. Living my life on-the-air has allowed me to be a part of your lives. I've shared in your joys and sorrows. You've been with me through the bad times in my life, like my near fatal car wreck, and two divorces. However, you've been there during the great times also, including the birth of my daughter, Lillian. (God bless her the most). I now spend much of my time away from work enjoying life. I spend most days playing with my daughter, or working out at Phase One Fitness, 822 North Broadway, Pittsburg, KS 66762. Phone them for membership information at (620) 232-9035. A HUGE note of thanks to trainer, Becky Nickalus for getting me into the best shape of my life. I highly recommend her training services to anyone. Thank you for helping me get my life back.

As my career has developed, I've offended a few people with my views on sex, stupidity, politics, children, country music, and life in general. To these parties, I'm sorry if you were vexed by what I said. I've never intended to enrage anyone. I prefer to look at it as taking an opportunity to make you think and feel and for me to share an opinion, something to which we are all entitled.

If you would like to share an opinion or view, (let me know what you think of our station, suggestions, likes, dislikes, etc.) feel free to e-mail me at thomwatts@kkowradio.com.

ALL comments will be reviewed and considered, good and bad. This is more than a job to me. It's my life. I think when I turn on that microphone every morning. I come to share time and maybe a little cup of coffee with you, my friends.

In 2002 I won an internship with 96.5 the Buzz, an Alternative Rock station in Kansas City. When my internship was over I was hired on at the former 61 Cuntry. I worked part time there for 2 years. But when I had the oppertunity to move back to Pittsburg and join the full time staff at "the Kow" I jumped at it!

I am so happy to be back in the town I fell in love with in school and I'm having so much fun here! I'm anxious to get involved with local theatre again, like I was in college. Visit the Pittsburg State University Theatre Department website or call Pittsburg Community Theatre at 620-231-8331 and support our local arts!! I'm also a big supporter of the local Rugby team (Go Gorillahead!!).

I recently married my best friend, The Canadian. He is a mechanical engineer (he's smart, eh?). And he just loves it when we make fun of his accent, eh? I don't know what he gets so upset aboot, the hoser. Oh yeah, he plays rugby. He's big, but cuddly too... kind of like a polar bear, eh?

No kids either, just Freeway, the cat with half a tail. Can you guess where she lost it? She's not real bright that one.

This is where I'm supposed to tell you a few things about me:

I love shoes. All kinds. More, more, more... The Canadian turned the laundry room into a second closet to hold them all... unfortunately we had a Shoe-nami when the shelves they were on fell off the wall. Luckily there were no casualties, phew!!

I also love the Daily Show with John Stewart. Why bother with real news when the fake stuff is so funny!?!?!?

I have a great time spending the midday bringing you the best music and country music news. Please call me and let me know your thoughts or if you just want to chat. You can e-mail me too at amy@kkowradio.com.

Favorite Stuff:
Movie: Clerks, The Big Lebowski, Fear and Loathing, Temple of Doom, Huckabees, The Breakfast Club, The Fisher King and Batman Begins. Oh and that one. Ya know, with that guy...
Books: Just finished Stardust by Neil Gaiman. That way I can be super nitpicky when I see the movie. Pretty much anything by him, George Carlin or Clive Barker Oh, and I'm a comic book geek.
TV: Family Guy, My Name is Earl, Heroes, Bones, Metalocalypse, The Office, and King of the Hill and King of Queens reruns
Country Song: This TIme Around by CCR or the RRB - Both rock. Also Pretty much anything by Josh Turner.

Back in 1983, Crook and Chase had heard of each other, but had never met. Lorianne was hosting her own show on the ABC television affiliate in Nashville and Charlie was hosting his own show on the competing NBC affiliate. (In all honesty, Lorianne had been a fan of Charlie's since her high school days when she and her cheerleading buddies listened to Charlie as a DJ on his radio show on WMAK). Charlie is quick to point out that is just a rumor, but Lorianne stands by her story.

Unbeknownst to either of them, while they were going about their business of hosting their TV shows, a famous producer by the name of Jim Owens was watching each of them on their respective stations. Jim had a hunch that Lorianne and Charlie might work well together as a team reporting on country music and its stars. At that time, there was no television show of any kind along that line.

In April of 1983, Jim arranged a meeting, bringing himself together with Crook and Chase at the Opryland Hotel. It was there that he told them of his idea for a syndicated TV show he was creating called This Week In Country Music that he would like for them to host. Lorianne and Charlie took an instant liking to each other, and one thing led to another. By June of that year, they had produced a pilot episode of the show, which Jim was successful in selling all across the nation. Crook and Chase debuted as a team in September of '83.

This Week In Country Music remained a popular syndicated show for two years, after which, the fledgling network TNN requested exclusive airing rights beginning in 1985. Crook and Chase remained on TNN until its demise as a country network at the end of 1999. During those 16 years, Lorianne and Charlie became two of the network's most popular and respected hosts, producing thousands of hours of programming, including The Crook and Chase Show, Crook and Chase Tonight, Music City Tonight with Crook and Chase, Celebrities Offstage, Funny Business, Today's Country, and countless award shows and specials.

Since teaming up in 1983, Crook and Chase have been involved in the production of television and radio programs on a continuous basis, making them one of the longest running broadcast duos in the business.

Much of their personal and professional history was documented in their 1995 book "CROOK AND CHASE: OUR LIVES, THE MUSIC, AND THE STARS".

Each week, they host the syndicated radio program, THE CROOK AND CHASE COUNTDOWN, which airs all across America. And they just launched a brand new daily radio show appropriately titled CROOK AND CHASE! Lorianne and Charlie both also produce and host various television projects individually, including Charlie's TENNESSEE MORNINGS on Fox 17 in Nashville, and Lorianne's OFF STAGE SPECIALS for GAC, Great American Country.

The road to success for Bob Kingsley began when, stationed in Keflavic, Iceland with the US Air Force, he auditioned for an announcer spot on Armed Forces Radio Station TFK. Following his Air Force stint, Kingsley honed his skills at several radio stations in such places as Tijuana, Nevada and finally moving to California. Tom Rounds at Watermark selected Kingsley to produce the up and coming radio program, American Country Countdown. While continuing as producer, he stepped in as the show's host and the rest is history. While Bob has shaped and defined the program over the years, he's quick to share the credit with his very able staff. "It's not just me," he says. "I'm very blessed to have several very talented people around me." The results are evident each and every week as new and exciting shows are broadcast with all the winning elements; an industry leading host, a team of experts behind the scenes, a seamless countdown of the National Country Top 40, enlightening information about everyone's favorite country music stars, exclusive interviews with the artists themselves and historical salutes to country music's heritage.

On the air internationally, for four hours a week, 52 weeks a year, no other air personality has exclusively promoted country music longer or with more pride than Bob Kingsley. Reaching millions of listeners on over 1,000 radio stations, Bob Kingsley has hosted the number one national music show in any format. Bob Kingsley has been named host of Billboard magazine's "Network/Syndicated Program of the Year: Country" for 16 consecutive years (1987-2002); the only air personality in any format to achieve this continued success. In October of 2001, Bob Kingsley was named as the first ever Country Music Association National Broadcast Personality of the Year. And, in 2003, he received the honor a second time.

Bob also hosts unique and interesting specials, including the extremely popular "Christmas In America with Bob Kingsley" and "Year-End Countdown."

"I try to leave people with a real picture of the stars who make the music," Kingsley says. "Whether it's a chart newcomer, a current superstar, or one of the all time greats, when listeners hear a record, I want them to think, 'that's the singer Bob Kingsley told us about'. It's certainly a great journey, and the best part is that it's never stopped being fun!"

I grew up and graduated high school in the small town of St. Paul (Kansas, not Minnesota!). St. Paul- The town known for it's beautiful church, awesome school and fantastic sports teams. I was a member of the 2000 and 2002 Eight-Man Div 1 football St. Championship teams. I also tried playing basketball but since I couldn't dribble or make any type of baskets, the only kind of on-court action I got was being the guy that shot the ball, when we did rebound drills in practice.

After high school I obtained an associates degree in communication from Labette County Community College. I currently live in Pittsburg and am trying to get a bachelors degree at Pittsburg State University. In my spare time I like to goof off and ply my Xbox 360. I also love going to the casinos and gambling away my paycheck.

You can finde me on Myspace

Favoirtes:
Song: Online by Brad Paisley
Movie: The Simpsons Movie
Book:The Da Vinci Code
TV Show:Family Guy

Probably the most interesting thing about me is the fact that I grew up in Nairobi, Kenya (that’s east Africa). My parents are missionaries and have been since I can remember. They now live in Tabora, Tanzania (also in east Africa). Even though I was raised and schooled overseas, it did all start for me right here in the good ‘ol USA, right here in the 4-state area actually. I was born in Springfield, MO on November 4th of ’79 (go scorpios) and all the angels sang. At least that’s what my mom tells me.

After graduating high school and leaving Africa in ’98, I made my way back to the states and settled for a while in Carthage, MO. I worked various jobs from Wal-Mart, to the Underground and sleeping on friends couches off and on for a couple of years until I found radio about 7 years ago. Facing one of my biggest fears of public speaking paid off and I wouldn’t trade this job for the world. I currently live in Joplin but will gladly make the drive here to Pittsburg as long as all you KOW fans will have me.

Finally, as far as hobbies go…I’m a huge fan of acoustic guitar. Sorry to all the other musicians out there but if every other instrument were to fall off the face of the earth, I’d make sure I had at least one sunburst Taylor or Gibson with mother-of-pearl inlay clutched tightly in my freckled hands. The other two loves of my life are my girlfriend of 6 years, Becky, aka Becks ‘n’ Efects, aka Tyrannosaurus-Becks (I only use that one when I know I’ve already made her mad) and my best bud Pilot. He’s a German Shepherd / Husky mix and is hands down the coolest dog this side of the Mason Dixon.