- Jim Ladd
Jim Ladd (born
January 15 1948 ), an Americandisc jockey ,radio producer andwriter , is one of the few notable remaining freeform rock DJs in United States commercial radio.fact|date=May 2008Unlike his contemporaries, Ladd personally selects every song he plays on his weeknight show on
KLOS-FM in Los Angeles. Station management gives him complete control over show content. He combines music with atmospheric sound samples and social commentary, often inviting listeners to participate on the air. Most of his music sets center around a theme or story-line, such as Wild Westoutlaw s, beautiful women or fast cars. He regularly adds appropriate listener requests to his themed sets; sometimes a request will inspire an entire set.He has two theme-based shows every week, on Wednesday and Friday nights. On Wednesday at midnight, he performs an hour-long, uninterrupted segment called "Headsets." This is a theme-based collage of music blended seamlessly together, with one song leading into the next, incorporating sound effects such as voice overs and quotes from movies relating to the theme. On this program Ladd creates what he calls the "Theater of The Mind" (headphones are recommended). A "Headsets" album, done in collaboration with
Billy Sherwood , is forthcoming.His second theme show on Friday night is called "Theme of Consciousness", where Ladd plays listeners' requests for songs based on a single theme, such as "Colors", "Fire", "Dance", etc. This show recreates what Ladd calls the "Tribal Drum", describing the communal effect of radio in his pioneering days of FM radio. His repertoire combines classic rock standards by artists like
the Beatles ,the Doors andLed Zeppelin with songs and artists not normally heard on commercial radio. As was once standard in radio, most of his broadcasts end with a long song, such as the Doors' "When The Music's Over,"Led Zeppelin 's "Achilles Last Stand" or evenPink Floyd 's 23-minute-long "Echoes."Ladd served as the inspiration for the 2002
Tom Petty album "The Last DJ " and its title trackfact|date=May 2008. In his career, he has become friends with many rock legends such asRoger Waters ,Tom Petty ,John Lennon , andJackson Browne , along with originalMTV veejayJ. J. Jackson and filmmakerCameron Crowe . (He played an all-night DJ in Crowe's 1989 film "Say Anything ".) Ladd appeared onPink Floyd bassistRoger Waters ' second solo album "Radio K.A.O.S. " as "DJ Jim," joined Waters on the tour that followed, and appeared in the three music videos for the album. Along the years, he has earned the unparalleled respect of the artistic and musical community, with the artist counting him "one of their own", while setting an example in integrity and professionalism within the music and broadcast industries.Ladd began his career in 1969 at
KNAC , a small Long Beach rock station. After two years there, he moved to Los Angeles stationKLOS . In 1974 he moved to KMET, known to its legions of listeners as "The Mighty Met", where he would remain for the rest of the 1970s and most of the 1980s while also hosting and producing "Innerview ", an hour-long nationally syndicated interview program that aired during the same period. After what many listeners and people in the industry perceived as a long steady decline in the station's output, attributed by most accounts to the station's decision to bring in consultantLee Abrams and the strict "album oriented rock" formatting he favored, KMET management shocked southern California and all of radio by abruptly dumping rock music, the call letters and the entire air staff in 1987, switching to anew age format with no DJs at all. For several years, Ladd did not work as a DJ because he refused to follow a playlist, as most station owners demanded, though he did work atKMPC andKLSX at various times in the 1980s and 1990s. He currently plays free-form rock music on KLOS weeknights from 8 pm to 1 am. His show routinely leads its time slot inArbitron ratings. In January 2007 his contract was renewed by his station, ensuring that LA's last Classic Rock station will remain on the air and survive (at least for a few years), as other such stations in markets across the country lose their audience and change format. Ladd is the lifeblood of LA Rock radio, fighting for free form radio, and the dignity of his audience. He has produced, written and narrated a number of nationally syndicated programs, including interviews, concert specials and album premieres.In 1991 Ladd released a semi-autobiographical book titled "Radio Waves: Life And Revolution On The FM Dial" (St. Martin's Press), based on his radio career and the rise and fall of freeform rock radio in LA, from the genesis of freeform on the West Coast through the demise of KMET in 1987. The names of many people and radio stations Ladd encountered during that two decade period were swapped for pseudonyms; however,
Raechel Donahue has said that she insisted Ladd use her real name and that of her late husbandTom Donahue in the book. David Perry, Ace Young (not to be confused with the "American Idol" contestant of the same name), Jack Snyder, Damion, and the late personalities B. Mitchel Reed andJ. J. Jackson , were also among those identified by their actual "air names".Most recently, Ladd has catered to his many listeners through his MySpace page, where he regularly interacts with members he refers to as "The Tribe." He often takes requests in the comment section, and has used the site as a source to become familiar with his listeners and promote free form radio.
Ladd received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7018Hollywood Boulevard onMay 6 2005 , where friendJackson Browne made a speech.fact|date=May 2008As of March 10, 2008, Jim's show is now available to stream worldwide Monday through Friday on the KLOS website, and his dream of spreading free form rock and roll all over the world has finally become a reality.
External links
* [http://jimladd.com Official site]
* [http://www.955klos.com/viewentry.asp?ID=162274&PT=Jocks KLOS biography page]
* [http://www.95.5klos.com/listingsEntry.asp?ID=230515&PT=onaircrew Interview with Insideradio.com]
* [http://www.440.com/namesl.html#_jladd Ladd's broadcast history from 440.com]
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