Jim West Media
Home of Country Radio Veteran and Author Jim West
About Jim
Jim West began his broadcasting career in the early 70’s working part-time while serving in the U.S. Air Force. By the end of the decade, he would be working for Buck Owens and the Owens family at KNIX in Phoenix, Arizona.
Over the next 40 plus years, the experience and skills he learned at KNIX served him well in radio stations in cities like Indianapolis, Albuquerque, Baltimore and Tucson. He worked as an on-air radio personality as well as in programming and management positions in radio, television and satellite radio operations.
West is a two-time finalist for Nashville’s Country Radio Hall of Fame and a finalist for Large Market Country Music Association (CMA) Broadcast Personality of the Year. He served on the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Board of Directors and was inducted into the Greater Arizona Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019.
In retirement, West has become a music historian and author, and can be heard on Satellite and Internet radio stations in many areas of the country.
Jim West Media www.jwphoenix68@gmail.com and Keith Ritchie’s STUDIO 872 www.ombpro@msn.com offer customized freelance magazine articles and promotional videos for any business or application. Here is a sample; MESCAL MOVIE SET
Contact Jim at jwphoenix68@gmail.com
Books
KNIX – The Buck Owens Years
Winner of a Silver Telly Award for Best Promotional Video!
Imagine a radio station so successful that an entire nationwide music industry admired, celebrated and honored it as a “benchmark” of excellence for all other broadcasters to emulate. Imagine a radio station that countless air personalities set career goals to work at and never wanted to leave? A station so intimate that dedicated listeners become emotional with memories of their favorite air talent making a difference in their lives and made to feel like “family.” An award-winning station committed to its community. A ratings juggernaut that was number one for over a decade. And a place where aspiring country singers who became BIG stars knew they had “made it” when their music was added to its playlist! KNIX-FM in Phoenix, Arizona is that station.
Videographers STEVE WOOD–Steve Wood Voice & Video www.stevewood.com and KEITH RITCHIE Studio 872 www.ombpro@msn.com added their considerable video expertise in helping produce the award winning promotional video below. Special thanks to Becky Lynn Ottinger for her voice-over narration. www.BeckyLynnTalks.com
*Click KNIX video below
The Phoenix Sound – A History of Twang and Rockabilly Music in Arizona
In 1956, a fresh-faced Sanford Clark recorded “The Fool” with guitarist Al Casey at Floyd Ramsey’s small Phoenix recording studio. Written by local deejay Lee Hazlewood, the song became a top-ten Billboard hit nationwide and launched a new trailblazing era of Arizona music. Their success paved the way for other Phoenix acts and producers to chart national hits. Grammy-winning audio engineer Jack Miller started out in Ramsey’s studio, and Hazlewood produced rock hall of famer Duane Eddy’s debut album, Have ‘Twangy’ Guitar, Will Travel. These early artists pioneered a sound that inspired Arizona’s best musicians from Waylon Jennings and Buck Owens to Stevie Nicks and Linda Ronstadt. Join former radio and broadcast personality Jim West for the story and soundtrack to the early days of music in the Valley of the Sun.
Ray Odom – A Lifetime of Radio, Records, and Racehorses
Ray Odom was the voice and face of sports and country music in Arizona for almost 30 years! Writer B. Rhyan Cole (Beve Cole) www.bcole7@cox.net added her expertise and prose to eloquently paint the picture and tell Ray Odom’s illustrious story. Co-writer Jim West, a long time friend of the Odom family, assisted with deep research of book publishers, gathering of historic photos and setting up interviews with Ray Odom’s friends, family and business associates and confirming stories were accurate. All of our books are available at Amazon online. Ray has had many interesting people call him friend over the years and enjoys sharing stories and memories of a life well-lived. He put Arizona’s first all-country music radio stations on the air in the 1950s and produced weekly concerts at Madison Square Garden and the Riverside Ballroom featuring Grand Ole Opry stars like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Jim Reeves, and Hank Snow. Newcomers like Duane Eddy, Marty Robbins and Waylon Jennings took their first steps toward stardom opening for seasoned entertainers and appearing on television shows Ray produced. Ray Odom was a sports announcer, TV star and has owned and trained thoroughbred racehorses for close to 60 years. He has had many interesting people call him friend over the years and enjoys sharing stories and memories of a life well-lived.
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