Ron Poore, a.k.a. “Jetson” was only at 97X for a year back in the late 80s, but he moved on to record labels, where he has continued to work tirelessly to get great music into people’s ears. Currently Senior VP of Alternative & Rock Promotion for the legendary Atlantic Records, Ron chats with Dave and Damian about how promoting a band called the Red Belly Boys actually got him his first gig at 97X, how a trip to New York City with Rock & Roll Grocer Frank Eavey changed his career trajectory… and how his son saved his life.
As a special holiday gift to you, check out the 97X in-studio performance from the Dave Matthews Band back in 1995, a session that happened thanks to Jetson’s ties to 97X.
What an awesome edition! Thanks for the bonus with Dave Matthews Band too!
Stumbled upon your site while searching for info about a cassette tape I unearthed in an old shoe box at the back of a dusty closet during pandemic inspired deep house cleaning, and WOW – what a blast from the past! Thanks for doing this.
Quick question: In the first of the sideways pics, who is that in the back between Johnny and Brett? Looks familiar, but drawing a blank on the name. And while I’m at it, what the frig was Johnny’s on-air name? That’s a blank spot right now, too.
Looking forward to listening to the rest of the episodes!
Hi J.B., glad you stumbled upon our podcast, and I hope you do check out the rest of the episodes. I can’t help on the name of the person in the photo, nor can I tell you Johnny’s on-air name. I was there in the late 80s/early-to-mid 90s and the only Johnny I recall was Johnny Beckett. But I did fix the photos so they are oriented correctly (or at least I hope I did).
Beckett definitely rings a bell for me.
I am also recalling now that Johnny (in the pic) used different handles, a la WKRP’s ‘Dr. Johnny Fever’. He may have even used different names while he was on WOXY…
Did you know Beckett in person?
Could the guy in the photo be Beckett?
I was around Oxford from 84-90. Some memories from that time remain crystal clear, while others were, apparently, left in the haze on the Party Patio. 😉
The photos look good. I don’t have to twist my neck anymore! Here’s a little soundtrack to go with the BoDeans one…
https://youtu.be/HCbiM6fhmJ0
The guy in the photo could be Johnny Beckett, I think he also went by “Johnny Crunch” when he did the Sunday evening “Massive Metal for the Masses” show. Love the BoDeans track, thanks for sharing!
Johnny Crunch! That’s it! (I was close with Johnny Crush, but I knew that was wrong.) And now that I remember that, I’m pretty certain he and Beckett were one and the same. Thanks!