- Coyote J
-
Coyote J (born Jim Battan in NYC) is a radio disc-jockey known for his screamo, wild-child 7-12 midnight show in the 1970s at WERC, a Birmingham TOP 40, and later at CHR Z-102 (WZBQ) in the 1980s. For 30 years he has been a popular personality in Birmingham, while making stops in Nashville (WKDA/KDF), San Diego (KPRI), Denver (KBCO), New Orleans (WQUE-Q93), and Mobile (WABB-FM). Mr. Calhoun has been a night-time/morning drive personality at several Birmingham radio stations and later in his career became known for his syndicated dark wave show, The Edge. Battan/Calhoun was part of the original air staff hired by WKDF, Nashville's Top rated progressive rock station, and WRAX (The X) the highest rated Alternative Rock station in Birmingham and in all of radio in the late 1990s.[1][2][3]
Contents
Nashville: WKDA-FM/WKDF-FM
The Switch from Automation to Live
WKDA-FM went live in the evening hours and on weekends with a progressive rock format in late 1969 and Battan worked on air under his real name, sometimes spelled Jim Baton, while still in high school; this came after a short stint on WKDA-AM where he worked under a number of different names. After flipping to KDF-FM Battan gained a reputation[citation needed] for being one of the first DJ's to champion heavy metal music, a genre not heard before. At KDF he showcased bands such as Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, King Crimson and other seminal progressive rock acts of the day. Mr. Battan did weekends, but also did 7-12 midnight in summer/autumn of 1970.
Pensacola
Mr. Battan went to WBSR AM in 1973 to do 7-12 midnight and experiment with a more in your face, brash, TOP 40 style that he became known for and would later bring to Birmingham, New Orleans and San Diego.
Birmingham
Mr. Battan began his Birmingham stints in late 1973 when he joined ERC-FM, employing the same format he had used at WKDF-FM Nashville; he was the first to air the classic LP, 'Brain Salad Surgery' by Emerson Lake And Palmer, and well as Kraftwerk's 'Autobahn'.
WERC AM — Coyote J (Calhoun) is Born
In 1975 Battan was hired by WERC to reinvent the wild child, night-time screamer genre in Birmingham. When WERC night time jock Chris Foxx (aka 'Superfoxx') abruptly quit over a contract dispute in late 1974, the company flipped Battan to WERC's AM from the FM and christened him Coyote J Calhoun (this time the name would stick) and set him loose on an unsuspecting public. WERC was a powerhouse, personality-driven, Top 40 and Coyote's wild on-air persona fit right in. From 1975 to 1979 Coyote J was enormously popular in Birmingham and scored the highest night numbers ever in his target demographic, a 46.6 in teens (ARB-1977). Coyote J also consistently won the 12 + audience during his reign. In one of his most controversial acts, Coyote J faked his own murder on-air, a stunt that led police and paramedics to storm the building expecting to find a knife wielding intruder inside. This led to a 5 day suspension, the first of many that would be handed down to the disc-jockey. In 1977 Coyote J incited a riot at a Pittman Junior High Pep Rally simply by showing up, unannounced, with DJ Russ Davis. Calhoun also wrestled a live black bear before a packed house at Boutwell Auditorium in 1976. The fight abruptly ended after Coyote hit the bear over the head with a folding chair, annoying its handlers. When asked why he did it, Coyote replied, 'he started it.' In 1979 near the end of WERC's dominance and with the demise of AM Top 40 radio in sight, staffers were at each other's throats and volatile arguments, fights and even gun play were not uncommon. 'We began as family; later we became The Manson Family', said Coyote.
L.A. and San Diego: The 1980s and the Switch to New Wave and Punk
In 1980, Coyote J. fled to Los Angeles to do comedy (he worked with the improv group 'The L.A. Connection'), but moreso, to be part of the fledging new wave and punk scene. It was in Los Angeles that Coyote sharpened his alternative music chops in the L.A. club scene. In 1981 Coyote moved to KPRI to do 7 to midnight and officially became one of radio's foremost provocateurs of new wave. In San Diego he was known for his obnoxious and rude night show, a brief period that Calhoun worked as a bona fide shock jock.
Back to 'Bama
In 1983, after a short stay in Denver, Coyote J left the West Coast to head back south with a bevy of new wave in tow and began playing this 'new music' throughout the southeast. Coyote took the specialty show gig at WAPI-FM Birmingham (95 Rock) and began spinning another generation's soundtrack: The Pretenders, A Flock Of Seagulls, Human League, Thomas Dolby, Duran Duran, U2, Talk Talk, The Cure, Wall Of Voodoo, Depeche Mode, Echo and The Bunnymen, and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark were a few of the seminal acts Coyote introduced on his new wave show.
In 1984 Coyote was transferred to WABB-FM Mobile, the sister station of I-95 (Dittman), where he did afternoons on the CHR and his new music show for PD Leslie Fram (99X Atlanta); That same year Calhoun won the 'Bobby Poe Air Personality of the Year' award.
New Orleans
In 1985 Coyote J landed the 7-midnight gig at WQUE-FM New Orleans. Coyote introduced an expanded version of his new wave/post-punk show and began to use the name The Edge. It was in New Orleans that Calhoun began to explore the dark wave, gothic, and industrial genres that were in their infancy as alternative began splintering into sub-groups. Coyote was the first DJ to air Ministry, The Sisters of Mercy, Clan of Xymox, Skinny Puppy, The Cult, Coil (band), among others, on commercial radio. Q-93 flipped to urban in late 1986 and Coyote was cut loose.
Back to Birmingham and 20 years of The Edge
Coyote J found himself back in Birmingham in the spring of 1987, once again employed as a night-time screamer for a new 'balls-to-the-wall' personality-driven CHR, WZBQ, Z-102 (going up against the other Top 40 powerhouse in town, I-95, as well as WKXX, KICKS 106). Calhoun reintroduced his Sunday night show as The Edge to Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and surrounding areas. While at Z-102 Coyote found himself in the middle of controversy once again, culminating with Calhoun getting sacked live on the air after he broke format and then took recorded calls from his program director and put them on the air to mock. Before it was over Coyote was being escorted out of the building by police officers who heard the ruckus on air and came to the station, sirens blaring. Coyote was reinstated after 'Save the Coyote' petitions got thousands of signatures, but finally he was let go for good in 1989 after insulting a client on the air. However, while at Z-102 Coyote introduced 'CJC SOUND COLLAGES' where the disc-jockey would take a 12 inch recording and remix it live on the air using unrelated samples, backbeats and distortion, many years before sampling became standard for modern music. Coyote later went on to use this method in the Birmingham Club scene throughout the 1990s where he became the foremost DJ of modern rock.
In 1989 Coyote J was hired by I-95, Z's cross town rival, who saw a big upside in exploiting his name if they could rein in all the on-air excesses. I-95 OM Randy Lane decided to make him part of their new morning team to replace the popular duo, Mark and Brian, who had left for KLOS Los Angeles. The Morning Wake Up Service with Andy Spinosi, Trey Matthews and Coyote J racked up number one ratings at I-95 for the next two years. I-95 decided NOT to resign the trio in 1992; when Coyote left I-95 his speciality show THE EDGE went with him.
In 1992 The Edge went into syndication. From 1992 to 2002 The Edge aired on dozens of Alabama outlets: WVNA-Muscle Shoals, WQEN Gadsden, WTGZ Auburn, WHHY Montgomery, Z102 Tuscaloosa, I-95 and WRAX Birmingham, among others. During the years 1992-1994 Coyote also co-founded and wrote comedy for JAB, a Birmingham satirical magazine, along with Andy Spinosi, Tim Spinosi and Frank Cummings (of 'Blondie' comic strip fame). JAB went to press eight times, sold out all issues, and then closed their doors in early 1995.
The X Years
In 1995, Coyote J was hired as one of the original air talents (along with Hurricane Shane) to help launch The X (WRAX-FM)in Birmingham, which in the latter 1990s became the most influential and highest rated alternative station in all of radio under the guidance of PD Dave Rossi. Coyote J stayed with The X until December 2006 when the station fell on hard times and flipped to Adult A/C.
In January 2007 The Edge re-debut in Birmingham on ROCK 99.5 in its usual Sunday night time slot.
Coyote J's contract for The Edge with ROCK 99/WZRR expired January 2009, at which time Coyote J pulled The Edge plug for good and retired the show. Calhoun explained that the audience for new rock had gone to the Internet and there was no reason to continue such a show on radio. However, Coyote returned to ROCK 99 to do a classic rock show in February 2009 marking the very first time in his 40 year career that he had worked for a station with an 'oldies' format, although Coyote's show leaned more hard rock. Coyote J. signed off ROCK 99 February 14, 2010 after spending 15 years with the Citadel Broadcasting company: the last song he played was 'The End' by The Doors.[citation needed]
In 2010 Battan began collaborating with the German dark wave band, Feeding Fingers and co-produced their third album, Detach Me From My Head. Battan plans on continuing his work with Feeding Fingers and songwriter Justin Curfman on their fourth album.[4]
References
- ^ http://blog.al.com/mcolurso/2008/09/live_from_the_edge_dj_coyote_j.html
- ^ http://www.bwcitypaper.com/Articles-i-2008-09-04-223707.113122-Hang-the-DJ.html
- ^ http://thealabamarecordcollectorsassociation.blogspot.com/2010/06/coyote-j-calhoun-speaking-at-june.html
- ^ http://www.myspace.com/104295722/blog
External links
- [1], AL.com: "Coyote J Never Plays it Safe"
- [2], Black & White City Paper, Birmingham, AL: "Hang the DJ"
- [3], "Going Over The Edge with COyote J." - Brimingham Weekly
- [4], "COYOTE J. CALHOUN
and the WSGN-WERC radio war of the 1970s"
Categories:- Living people
- American DJs
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