Bob Miller behind the morning microphone at KPAM

1979

Bob Miller’s final air gig on KPAM – AM 860 will Friday, Jan. 3 from
7 to 10 a.m. Ending a 10 year stint with the station. Thank you Bob
and good luck!

The Pacific Hardware and Steel Company Warehouse, located at 2181 NW Nicolai
in the Northwest Industrial District of Portland, was built in 1910 as a warehouse for
steel produced at the rolling mill which was located next door.

  
                                                                                                Photos: Dean Simmons

Besides promoting shows and co-starring with celebrities, Buddy Simmons 
worked as a disc jockey for KVAN in Vancouver, WA and KRDR in Gresham, 
OR where he was the program director as well. It is widely believed that 
he was the first person to play country music on the radio in the Pacific 
Northwest. He also had TV shows on three different stations, “Northwest
Jamboree” on KPTV 12, “Hoedown” on KATU channel 2, and “The Buddy 
Simmons Show” seen on KGW channel 8. 

 
Buddy behind the KRDR microphone in Gresham, Or

Willie ‘Buddy’ Simmons (February 3rd, 1926 – August 21st, 2012)

 
                                                                                                           (OSU collection)

Barney Keep posing with a box of chains in the KEX booth around the 1960s

Barney began his broadcasting career at KEX radio in 1943. He remained in the
”Keep Time” morning-drive slot for 35 years, retiring in 1979. Barney was a true professional in every sense of the word!

Barney (Byron William Keep/Jan. 9, 1917 – Feb. 19, 2000) rings the
“goodie gong” for the last time during his retirement party at the
Civic Theater in February of 1979. 

Bob Swanson (May 20, 1942 – Sept. 11, 2001)

The smooth, personable voice of Bob Swanson came to Portland’s KEX (1190 AM)
radio in 1967. He was an important part of his midday listeners daily lives until he
retired in 1994. Shoppers at Fred Meyer and Thriftway stores also heard his “voice
in the ceiling” announcing in-store messages. He also made many local commercials
and was a member of barbershop quartets. Bob left us way too at the age of 59 from
complications related to leukemia. He is still greatly missed!

Bob Swanson (left) with KEX legend Barney Keep back in the “real” 
radio days!