December 16, 2025 • 34 mins
Andy’s guest on the phone tonight? Acclaimed radio DJ “Shotgun Tom” Kelly, who’s discussing his new book, “All I Wanna Do is Play the Hits!” Kelly got his start in radio at the tender age of 16! You can hear him on SiriusXM’s 60s Gold. Andy took a call from a listener who was a big fan so that we could grieve together. We talk about eating kangaroo vs eating elk. The crew finds it weird that Aussies eat their national symbol.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I'm Andy Reesmeyer. Nice to be with you on this
Monday night. We're gonna lighten things up now. We've done
a lot of heavy news and now it's time to
just take a break to after eight o'clock. My next
guest is well known to the airwaves of southern California,
a career spanning AM, FM, radio, Internet, cable, kids TV,
(00:26):
so many more. Dj' Shotgun Tom Kelly, telling the story
of his life in a new book. All I want
to do is play the hits, the memoir from the
golden era of AM radio to his time at the
mighty k Earth one oh one to outer space with
his own show on Sirius XM's sixties gold Joining us
now once again on the airwaves of so cal is
(00:47):
the Shotgun Tom Kelly.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Good evening, Ah, good evening. Andy. Is so good to
talk to you again. Man, that was very nice. It
was a very nice build up there.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Oh good, I'm doing my best.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I got to interview you last week for this Route
sixty six documentary that we're working on for KTLA, and
you were so gracious spent some time with us talking
about that road, specifically in sort of the era of
AMFM music during that time. But I want to talk
about your story and your history and this exciting book.
(01:21):
All I want to do is play the hits I've
been reading it. I love TV, as you know, I
love radio. I love SoCal media. So this is right
up my alley, and anybody who grew up here, who
lives here, who listens to any of this stuff, like
what we're talking about right now, would be very interested
in this book. I want you to take us back
to that moment when you were a kid, when you
(01:41):
first looked through the window and you saw a DJ
and you said, this is something that I could do
with my life.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
You were like twelve years old, not.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Ten years old. Ten years old. Wow, I came all.
I used to go to Saint John Vacross Catholic School,
and I was a ten year old. My bike home
and my mother was a big radio fan. She was
listening to a COG Radio, your sister station down there
in San Diego. Oh yes, and so so she was
listening to KOGO and there's this guy by the name
(02:13):
of Frank Thompson. He was broadcasting on location in a
mobile trailer and so he was putting people on the air.
And so my mom says, Tommy, why don't you go
down and see if you'll put you on the air.
So I wanted to do it, my mom said, So,
I didn't know what I wanted to do at that point,
I didn't want to. I didn't know I was going
(02:34):
to be in radio. So I went down there, and
just like you said, Andy, I was looking through the
window and I saw the two turntables, and I saw
the microphone. I saw the man talking on the radio,
and he looked at me. He says, well, we have
a young man standing outside the Coco Mobile studio. Come
on in, dear young man. What's your name? My name's Tom.
(02:55):
What's school to go to? Tom? I go to a
Saint Jonathan Cross Catholic School. And let me well, Tom,
I've got four tickets to see the La t Birds
when they come to Westgate Park, which where the pod
Rays used to play. Andy, let me tell you I's
Fnny handed me a million dollars. I really, you know,
you know, I kiddusy way. I went home, Andy, this
(03:18):
is beautiful. I went home. My mother heard me on
the radio, and right then and there I knew I
wanted to get into this business. And I'm glad you
read that's in the book, because that's right out of
the book. All. By the way, it's all I want
to a lot of some of my listeners on Serious
Exam Channel seventy three back that I got one email
(03:38):
today we couldn't find your book because we went all
I want to do you know, ah, all, I wanted
w A n A w NNA.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
I know you almost you made it a call sign.
You just turned it into a lockout. I wanted to also.
You know what's funny is that you say that. And
I had a very similar experience in the early nineteen
ninety nineteen nineties in Indianapolis. The WIBC AM radio station
was on the Circle, which is the downtown area of Indianapolis.
(04:08):
The whole city is based around the center of the city,
which is a circle, and they had their studios there
and I remember going there and looking at the DJs
in the window and waving at them and trying to
get on the radio. And that's exactly the same thing
that happened to me as a kid and made me
sort of say, wait, there's something here I want to do.
That that looks cool. I want to be a part
of that. When did you it is magic? When did
(04:30):
you eventually then get to be an actual DJ? I
know that it was. Was it a Sunday morning show?
Is that what you your first time on the air
as an actual DJ?
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Well, my book I love that. Yeah. Well, first of all,
after I came back as a ten year old, I
built my own little radio station in my bedroom. Awesome,
and I had extensions figures out in the patio and
extensions figures over to the house next door, of the
house across the street. And so that was a drag.
(05:01):
You probably read that in the book. Yeah, So I
wanted to get a real transmitter. So I had a
friend of mine who was an electronical genius. He sold
me a twenty five walk transmitter was highly illegal. For yeah,
for five bucks, andy, five bucks, I was on the
air and I could broadcast from my house twenty five miles.
(05:23):
This is amazing.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
What year was this? And this was in San Diego?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Right, yes, San Diego? Yeah it was probably well, okay,
I was twelve thirteen years old.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
At what kind of stuff were you brought? Were you
playing songs? Were you making observations, hot takes about the
day's political events or what was going on in twelve
year old Tom Kelly's world.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Like my book, I was playing the hips there.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
You go, now that eventually that eventually got.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Shut down though, right, uh yeah, yeah, But I mean,
here's here's how it happened. I was. I went to
the radio station that I was hanging out of TV EO,
and they used to let me in the production room.
You're you know, you've been in a few production rooms.
And then I made tapes and so I took those
tapes and I played those on my illegal radio station.
(06:15):
Well you asked, just now how I got busted, right, yeah,
that's where we're going. Oh yeah, so anyway, I knew better.
It was going off pretty good. I even had a
trade out from a Mexican restaurant, you know, it was amazing.
And we take requests from a phone booth, you know,
(06:35):
that kind of stuate you don't don't want to call
your house. So we'd only go on at night. That
was the That was the If you go on in
that the FCC is only opened nine to five, right.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
It's a government organization, so maybe actually nine to two.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Yeah, there you go there, you got that, Andy. So anyway,
I'm in I'm in high school. Now I'm in study hall,
and I'm listening to the frequency we were on. The
eighty four eight is a clear frequency of Mexican channel,
and so that's a clear channel. And all of a
(07:10):
sudden I heard Stevie Wonder coming over in. You know,
I was listening to my transistor radio with the ear
plug in the study hall and I'm going, oh my god,
the Mexicans are using their channel. We've lost it. And
then my voice came on because my friend Rick put
on a cape. He didn't like to go out of
the air, just like to play takes, you know. So
(07:33):
that was like in the middle of the day. Well
that's when the FCC monitors, and that's when they found
the house. It wasn't at my house, it was my
friend Rick's house. And so anyway, the FCC guy came in,
flashed his badge to rich Dad and said, of your sons,
(07:54):
communication has violated the Communication Act of nineteen thirty four
by ten thousand dollars fine or five years in jail.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Way his dad went out with a sledgehammer and broke up.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
I bet I bet well, I'll tell you what ken
you Yeah, go ahead, go ahead. Well I was gonna say, yeah,
we're gonna we're gonna go to a commercial BREAKWAK Can
you stick around and we can talk a little bit
more about your time?
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Oh sure, alrighty, all right?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Coming up after the break, we're with a Shotgun Tom
Kelly talking about his illustrious career career here in Southern
California radio. When we come back, I want to talk
about how the name Shotgun Kelly came about, and also
what happened that you were able to succeed the real
Don Steele and how that experience really went on for
(08:43):
twenty years at k EARTH one a week.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Well he did, Yes, he did.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
There we go very fun, stick around here went more
with Shotgun Tom Kelly here on kf I AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Thanks for being with us tonight. Still on the phone
here with Shotgun Tom Kelly. We're talking about his new book.
All I want to do is play the hits been
reminiscent about the good old days and also the new
old days and the new good new good days.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
Tom. Is that fair to say, how would we how
would we say?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Well, sure, yeah, you know you alluded to my first job.
I got my first job in radio when I was
sixteen on Sunday morning at an FM station. Now, you know,
back in when I started AM stations with a big deal,
FM was just coming around his background music, so I was.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
Not a yeah, that's actually a CAFI.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
That's still how we think about things.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Kf I is a heck of a station. Man. My
dad used to listen to KFI all the time, Dick
sing Claire. You know the Polka party back of the
old days. You don't, you don't remember that. But KFI
has always been a giant.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Yes radio, I was here. My botox is just incredibly good.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Tom.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I want to ask, because you've been doing this for
such a long time, and I mean that with the
greatest amount of respect. It's incredible. You know, you could
only dream when you were a kid. I'm sure that
this many years later, you'd still be on the air,
still be doing what you love, and what obviously you've
known that you loved since you were a kid. I
wonder if you can reminisce for a second and just
(10:23):
think about all the people that you've met over the years.
What do you think makes a good broadcaster? Like, what
do you think that special thing is that makes people
tune in?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Like you? Andy? I started in radio. I loved radio,
but I wanted to get into TV and I wanted
to be a children's show host. So when I was
in bakers and then you know, you have to pay
your dues in this business, So I started out small markets,
you know, kyos and we said Bakersfield kafy, And that's
(10:58):
where I got my first television job. Every Saturday morning
is Nemo the Clown, Yeah, on the ABC twenty three
affiliate there. So I did that for a year. Then
that Charlie Van Dyke, Who's wait.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Hold, how does someone just become a clown?
Speaker 5 (11:17):
Like?
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Did you have any experience being a clown? Or do
you just like I could probably do that?
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Not at all, not at all. There was a TV
show and I had a radio I'm still on radio,
but on the weekends I was Nemo the Clown, and
I wanted I wanted to have a children's show. So
I did that for about a year until I got
the big break to go to San Diego, back to
my home town and become a boss jock on KGB
(11:43):
Boss Radio, and Charlie Van Dyke made that happen. And
then from a KGB I went across the street to
KGBQ and then B one hundred and I even worked
for Cogo, your sister's station down here for a while.
But I always wanted to be on television do when
a kid. So I heard that the McGraw Hills station,
Channel ten here was auditioning for a kid show and
(12:07):
it was going to be a national kid show. So
I auditioned for it. And when I walked in, one
of my all time great children's show heroes, Johnny Downs,
was auditioning for the same show. I said, Johnny, you've
got this gig. I'm out of here.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
That's tough.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Did on shotgun ford me a cup of coffee. You've
got just as much right to audition for words of
Papa decide. So anyway, we all went in and we
you know, auditioned with the kids, and I got the job.
And then then that ran for five years. In fact,
it was in your hometown on WRTV. That's Indianapolis.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
That's right still, I think, says a McGraw hill company
on the front of the building. On Meridian, even though
it's been owned by I believe Scripts for like twenty years.
But anyway, you know, it's a lot of money to
change the sign on in front of a building, you know.
I want to I want to go forward to in
time a little bit to the late nineties when Los
Angeles Radio came a call in because unfortunately the real
(13:10):
Don Steele, who of course was a legend here in
Los Angeles, who I know you listened to growing up,
he passed away in nineteen ninety seven and you filled
in and took over that role. Those were huge shoes
to fill as a fan. That must have been a
big deal to do that and must have been nerve
wracking for a little bit.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
It was Andy, I got to take it, you know,
I did it. Of course I was big in San
Diego because I had the kids showing said the words
of popping, and I was on KCBQ, some of the
biggest radio stations and said, and when I got the
call from Mike Phillips to succeed the real that's why
I want tot. You never can replace, no, the real
(13:52):
Don Steele, to succeed the real Don Steele, because he
was of a hero of mine. I idolized the guy.
I listened to him that he was on ninety three
KHJ you know pob o'real dobs fielding. God, this guy
was so good and so anyway, when I got the
nod to come up to uh succeed the real down Steele,
(14:17):
I said yes. And when they said what's going to
make you happy at me? How much money do you want?
Nobody's ever asked me that, you know, uh huh so
uh the money was incredible. I was in one of
the second biggest market in America, Los Angeles, and I
was scared to death on the first day I signed
(14:38):
on with Shotgun by Junior Walking from the All Stars.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
Of course, and it just fit.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
It just was a fit. And I remember I was
so scared. I had a boardop. Then we had boardops
back in those days.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Oh yeah, we got we got a board up here.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
It's Steffuje say hello there you.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Go end Hello, mister Shotgun Tom Kelly.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Oh you knowing man. Good to hear you man. And
so anyway, uh, I I didn't think of how am
I gonna last? I mean, everybody loved the reel down Steele.
Who is this Shotgun Tom Kelly Guy, and so I
did last. I lasted for twenty years in afternoon Drive
(15:22):
at King Earth. What I was wow at my jingle
shot Tom Kelly ones.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
You know, I will say I am. I am employed
by KFI.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
But I think one on one's got some of the
best best jingles you've ever heard.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I mean it's you know, well.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
They did, they did. They don't have them anymore. They
don't like him jingles. I guess that's so silly, but
those are the Johnny Man's. I always wanted a Johnny
Man jingle and that was the that was the one
I had at k Earth and it was just wonderful
and U to be able to you know when you
open that microphone, man to be able, I mean, k
ere just really pounded out kind of like KFI does.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Yeah, I mean it was and especially during a time
when you know, people didn't have that many options.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
This was before the Internet.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
It was before playlists and Spotify and Apple Music, and
you know, people I think were listening to music and
listening to the radio a lot. We were all on
the same page and there's something beautiful about that. You
made the transition, though to serious satellite radio where you
can of course still hear Shotgun Tom Kelly on Sixties
Gold What was that like for you?
Speaker 4 (16:25):
And you know it probably feels good to be able
to still do it.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Well, you know, I left k Erith because they didn't
they I'm a sixties guy. I like sixties music, and
so k Earth Kevin changed to you know, eighties and
ninety meg.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
So then I went back to San Diego and I
do a lot of voiceover and stuff like that. I
was the voice of the Chargers for a while, doing
all their TV promos and stuff like that until they
went to LA and then they fired me. But anyway,
but anyway, I went back to San Diego and uh
(17:06):
Lou Simon, who's the vice president of programming, said that
we want you to come over and be with us
and and so I did, and and I'm so glad
I did. And I've been there at Serious XM Channel
seventy three doing the night show for seven years.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Amazing, incredible. Well, we thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Ahead and by the way, by the way, I got
a national audience. Now, I got a lot of people
in Canada that like me and my hobby. If you
you haven't got to the back of the book yet, Uh,
it's my hobby is model trains.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
Amazing. That's a great, that's a great.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
I even, I even I even built a Tonight Show
set in my garage. You got to read about that.
But anyway this time, yeah, no, way, by way, So
it was folks. I just want to to sale here
before Andy pulls me off the air.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
No, no, I know what you're going for. Go for it.
It's all you baby.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Hey, my book, My book is a vanimal lot of Amazon.
All I want to that's w A n n A.
All I want to do is play the Hits. It
would be a delightful Christmas gift to somebody's family.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
How about that shotgun, Tom Kelly, You're welcome anytime. Thanks
for spending a little bit of time with us on
this Monday evening. All he wanted ever to do is
play the hits. And you can read all about that
in All I want to do is play the Hits.
It's on Amazon, it's in bookstores, and I think what's
cool about it is it that you know it's a
multimedia experience because you've got little QR codes throughout the
(18:40):
book where you can scan and listen to an aircheck
or listen to.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Oh yeah, that's another thing. That's that's that. Thank you
for bringing that up. There's twenty one QR codes like
when I got my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Hit the QR code with your phone and you're transported
to Hollywood Boulevard and me and Stevie Wanda thank you.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Okay, can I ask for a sign off for can
you say like, this is the Andy Reestmeier Show or
something like that.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Here, let's say to the Andy Reesemeyer Show. One of
the greatest guys around. I'll tell you then this guy
knows what he's doing and they sailoed the conway for me.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Of course, of course I tried to.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Get I tried to get on his show and he
didn't want me on.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Oh I don't believe that for a minute. Well, now
now that he sees it, we're doing it. I expect
you to be on it tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
So yeah, put a bugget is here. Hey, Andy, thank
you so much. Good luck on you on what you're
doing over at KTLA and the Root sixty six thing.
Thank you and thank you for having me on KFI.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
We have a caller who has been on the line
for forty minutes, and I am so sorry to Scott
because I couldn't bump shotgun Tom Kelly here. We had
him schedule. I wanted to make sure we had him
on write at eight o'clock. But now I promise I
will take your call. Scott is Colin was a big
(20:04):
fan of Rob Reiner, who, of course sadly was murdered
according to the l a p D. Along with his
wife yesterday by their son Nick. Scott, you wanted to
call and share some some thoughts though about the director
and actor.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
Well, I do, and.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
I just also you know that interview you just had
it was just amazing. Mary entertain thought it was my
pleasure to john hold for a day.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
And a half.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
I'm sorry for making you wait a day and a half,
but at least we made it worthwhile. But Scott, you know,
when we talk about Rob Reiner, we were really talking
about how his range as a director was just so incredible.
What do you remember about him and what struck you
about him?
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Well?
Speaker 7 (20:54):
Absolutely, I was thinking, you know, the days of like Mouie,
Theedters and going to a movie and lean enveloped by
darkness and captivated by one screen, you know, outdoor mills.
You don't have, you know, distractions. Oh yeah, where I
(21:16):
wonder if, like any of those movies that he directed,
or any of the movies really that we all love,
I don't think they would hold up as well with
the streaming services.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Yeah, you can bring up a good point, which I
think about a lot, is that with the algorithm driven
notions that everybody has, you know, do the risks that
were taken back in the day do they get taken
these days? And I kind of think that with all
the testing. I mean, I know Netflix does a lot
of ab testing with their content, and obviously things were
(21:52):
screened in the past and movies were changed and that
kind of thing. But you just feel like that there's
not really been anything like those movies these since they
were made, even when you go back to old Ron
Howard movies, go back to old Spielberg movies, Scorsese movies, Tarantino,
these movies that are that are daring and big budgets
really relatively speaking, I think it's a good point.
Speaker 7 (22:15):
Well. I think also that you know, if you pay
paradise and put up with a parking lot, and you know,
it's just sort of like maybe I can't see the
forest through the trees or whatever or whatever.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (22:34):
I think like a whole.
Speaker 6 (22:37):
Human uh timeline or history future has is really.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Altered.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
Yeah, And when you hear about someone like.
Speaker 7 (22:56):
The you know this murder, it's just such a tragedy
and I.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
No, I hear you, you know, and I can hear
the emotion in your voice, and I'm right there with you,
you know. I feel like the change that has occurred
in Hollywood since the pandemic, since the strikes, since the
internet whatever, that is the sort of macro trend, right,
that's the thing that we all know that's happening in
(23:24):
a slow motion background. But the individual moments, the death
of someone like this, who was such a scion of
that era. I think about the death of Sam Rubin
in the same way where they are their exemplary of
a time of Hollywood that made me want to come
here and be a part of it in some way,
(23:45):
shape or form. And to see that change, to see
those kinds of things happen, you know, it is it's tough.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
It's definitely hard, but I.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Appreciate you calling anything else that you like to add
on this Monday evening.
Speaker 7 (24:02):
Well also just also like a studio being sold, Yeah,
is sort of like why are they selling? You know what,
what's the purpose to sell? But it's I don't know,
it's putting a lot of people on edge, not necessarily,
(24:23):
you know, that's we're talking entertainment here. So it's really.
Speaker 6 (24:29):
Frivolous if you will.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Yeah, I think you're right, but it still is, you know,
it makes up the soul in a lot of ways
of Los Angeles, of Hollywood. You know, it's really we're
the only place historically that I think was defined by
the entertainment business. So I think I think your point
is is well taken and you're right, you know, And
I'll tell you what We'll leave on this why they're selling.
(24:51):
I have no idea somebody else making a lot more
money than I do is going to make a lot
more money because of it. And I think that that
is the unfortunate, the unfortunate story there. But I think people,
as long as they want to create, they always will
and I think that that's a good thing. But uh,
but uh, yeah, I appreciate you calling Scott. Thank you
(25:11):
so much. For waiting on hold there and uh yes,
yes for a year and a half. Please call back
any time and we'll try to get you on early.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
There he goes.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
A wonderful, you know, interesting interesting reflection there. And like
I said before, and I think Mark Ronnert, I hope,
I hope you feel the same way, Foosh Nikki. People
are always going to want to make stuff. It's part
of the human condition is to create. And I understand
that it's AI Land and the slop fest is upon
us and everybody's consolidate and nobody's watching anything. But I think,
(25:45):
I think that there is there is hope that as
long as we live and want to consume, others will
want to make.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
Well, yeah, let's hope. So I mean, as a writer
myself that the thing is, you're you're always looking for
new outlets because the market's always changing. And AI is
really throwing a monkey wrench into the works despite the
fact that nobody wants it. It's being pushed on us
by people who stand to make and or lose a
ton of money. But the rest of us are like,
we hate this. But meanwhile, you know, I'm still I'm
(26:20):
ruminating on your interview with shotgun Tom. Oh yeah, we
really need nouns in front of our names. Oh yeah,
because this is what I've been missing my whole career.
Some catchy handle for the radio.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
That's right. I meant to ask him, where did shotgun
come from?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Well?
Speaker 5 (26:36):
I think he mentioned a song at the beginning, so
maybe it wasn't firearms. But like me, perhaps you could
be like you know, I flingshot Andy Reesemyer. Yeah, it
would be something dorky like that shooter Mark Ron. It'd
be non lethal for sure.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Yeah, Nikki asked him. I believe when we got him
on the phone, are you related to I'm.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Sorry to do your accent. What did you ask him?
Speaker 8 (26:56):
I asked him if he was related to a machine
gun kill? Same loss.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
That's true. Shotgun Kelly and machine gun Kelly.
Speaker 8 (27:06):
Do you know what he said to me? He said,
google me.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
He has got such a voice as we as we
go to break here, toss up back to Ronner. I'm
gonna play a real quick moment from nineteen ninety nine
k Earth one on one?
Speaker 4 (27:24):
Can am I allowed to play this? I am right,
Just do it and ask permission later.
Speaker 9 (27:32):
Ka Earth one on one shot got Tom Kelly had goody,
you knew what's going on? I got six fifty right now,
everything going okay?
Speaker 1 (27:39):
You rude went all rights dandy, saying Gabriel.
Speaker 9 (27:41):
Valley Medical Center has several opportunities for volunteers, including gardening
and grounds maintainings. Did you like to share your time
and challenging skills give us a call right here at
k Earth one O one.
Speaker 5 (27:54):
I would listen to that guy read the ingredients on
a soup camp.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
I mean he's talking about the Say Gabriel Gardening Vault
and teering to garden in the San Gabriel Valley and
he made it sound like it was a coronation.
Speaker 5 (28:05):
Yeah, he should be the one doing the side effects
things on the pharmaceutical commercial. Great idea, because that would
make them all sound much more appealing.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Yes, absolutely, Well maybe we will experiment with that on
the next time we talked to him. I'll try to
do we got to get him back. Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand, so.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
We're all clear. He said kangaroos and then we played
the sound of a didgeridoo.
Speaker 8 (28:31):
Yeah, that's cultural appropriation.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah, are we are we ready to write a letter
from the Australian people or something about like what.
Speaker 8 (28:39):
I volunteer his tribute?
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Okay, great wall that means you're sacrificing yourself. Yes, okay, good.
I just want to make sure we're all on the
same page here.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Yes. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (28:46):
If you're gonna make best reality jokes about another culture,
get it right.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Get the kangaroo digerido. I wonder who put that promo
together that look ahead.
Speaker 8 (28:53):
As they say, not an Australian fush was it?
Speaker 3 (28:56):
You?
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Definitely wasn't me. No, you would have done it right.
You would have put sound aangaro there. Yeah, there you go.
Which is they make sounds we all know. Oh they're
so filthy. Oh asmr gross. I love it when I
watch they beat each other up. They seem miserable.
Speaker 8 (29:13):
It doesn't happen. It's just it's just not I've tried.
I've chased after them in the outback and they just
casually hop away.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Yeah they don't.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
They don't stand there and punch you in the face,
not at all. What is it about kangaroos that I mean?
I understand we associate them with Australians in Australia very
heavily but when you're there, is it like, oh, yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
A kangaroo or is it is it normal? Or is
it also celebrated?
Speaker 8 (29:41):
What kangaroos in general? Yeah, I mean we ate them.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
So so yes they're celebrated, but as a sacrificial I like.
Speaker 8 (29:52):
Them, I personally love them, but they are considered a piste.
Speaker 5 (29:56):
You say you like them, you mean you like the
way they taste, or you like their company.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
Like their company. I'm a vegetarian. If you go to
like the the wildlife sanctuaries, they're really docile and they
just lay there. And I actually have photos of myself
spooning them on the ground when they like to lay
or sexy when it's very hot, so you can just
lay with them.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
Well, now I want to spoon a kangaroos.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Yeah, and also wait to let me hold on a second,
let's go back they and also I found they this
is apparently what they sound like?
Speaker 8 (30:31):
Is that a horny kangaroos?
Speaker 4 (30:33):
Is that while you're spooning them? Is that the sound
they make?
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (30:35):
Right, that doesn't make that sound.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
That's if I go to bed without a breathewrighte strip on,
That's what that sound is? Just snoring from the other room.
I want to ask this question about eating kangaroos.
Speaker 8 (30:47):
Okay, we've had this, I've talked about it on air before.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Yeah, but like what do we were like in burgers?
Like what is the meat prepared? It's you're just like I, oh,
you get.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
Me, get me? Okay.
Speaker 8 (31:01):
So Mexican food in LA is like Thaie food in
Australia because we're so close to Asia. So you can
go to Thai restaurants and have like a like a
kangaroo kai like a tig green car and sea room
made with kangaroo meats?
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Is it like chicken? Like, how would you.
Speaker 8 (31:20):
Apparently it's like venice and people barbecue them.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
That is so foul because they are too cute to eat.
Speaker 8 (31:28):
You eat elk, They're cute.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
I eat elk.
Speaker 8 (31:30):
Don't Americans eat elk?
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Basically hunters do.
Speaker 8 (31:35):
Why don't you guys eat bears?
Speaker 4 (31:38):
Or do you can't catch a bear?
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Try to good luck getting a bear to eat.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
I think it's because cows and pigs are so compliant
with the whole food industry, and chickens and chickens as well. Yes,
I think that if we ran out of that and
then we started to get. I mean, the elk thing
seems like that would require a lot of effort to
create elkberg.
Speaker 4 (32:01):
I mean, I just don't think a lot of people
are eating elk so we but we also.
Speaker 8 (32:04):
Eat our e mews and EMUs and kangaroos. They appear
on our coat of arms, so I think we're the
only country in the world that eats our coat of arms.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
Yeah, all should just stay down there. It's an island
of savages.
Speaker 8 (32:16):
It's great.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
I feel bad because of obviously the news of the weekend.
I don't I don't want to rag on on down Under.
But that is a strange That is a strange thing
to learn, because I would say you seem generally.
Speaker 10 (32:30):
Normal what Australians are to do it Well, no, no,
Australia as a car I'm saying, you know, you know,
it doesn't seem like an exotic culture that's way different
than other Western cultures.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
So that's why it's kind of surprising to me to
hear you're eating kangaroo.
Speaker 8 (32:46):
Well, we're kind of a wild culture, so why wouldn't
we eat the local wildlife.
Speaker 4 (32:50):
I guess that's true. All you guys are are are
are the the exiled right from England.
Speaker 8 (32:57):
Traditionally, like people always make that joke with the Kolenvix,
but you have to remember that they also sent the
Jaalas down there, so a lot of the people is
just descended from the Jala's. Then no fun, all right,
no fun?
Speaker 11 (33:11):
Then from bango paintings to Viking ships. I'm Marino Boyle
on the next Extrict. You know, kids do the darngest things.
But we've got the Extra Angle the thirteen year old
who went on a cyber auction shopping spree to the
tune of two point eight million dollars. Willi's parents have
to pay the price for this deadbeat bidder and meet
the Lisa Kudro lookalike who will go to extremes become
(33:32):
a star in her own right more than news, The
Extra Angle.
Speaker 8 (33:35):
Next Extra to night at seven only on NBC four.
Speaker 12 (33:40):
This is Paul Mulier in the Channel fourtieth Ron, coming
up tonight at eleven. Every daydream about the perfect house
and everything you would have in it that you ever
thought of a home you could call on the telephone
and have your hot cut heat up or kitchen appliance
to start preparing your meal. We've got that dream home
right here in the south left.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
I'm waiting for Tom Kelly, waiting for shot good Tom.
I'm just hearing Paul, this was done. I was like this.
I was like, if I just let it roll, eventually
it will make sense. And here I am almost a
minute into it and it's still not hitting well.
Speaker 12 (34:08):
There were two hundred voice activated, all remote controlled features.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
It could even measure your body fat.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
See what could be in your future.
Speaker 5 (34:16):
Everything seems so great back then, didn't it. Well dystopian
if that's what you mean, Yeah, measure your own body fat.
I'm Paul Moyer.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
I don't want to the.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Channel four news. It's KFI A six forty. We're live
everywhere on the iHeartRadio
Speaker 1 (34:29):
App KFI AM six forty on demand
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I'm Andy Reesmeyer. Nice to be with you on this
Monday night. We're gonna lighten things up now. We've done
a lot of heavy news and now it's time to
just take a break to after eight o'clock. My next
guest is well known to the airwaves of southern California,
a career spanning AM, FM, radio, Internet, cable, kids TV,
(00:26):
so many more. Dj' Shotgun Tom Kelly, telling the story
of his life in a new book. All I want
to do is play the hits, the memoir from the
golden era of AM radio to his time at the
mighty k Earth one oh one to outer space with
his own show on Sirius XM's sixties gold Joining us
now once again on the airwaves of so cal is
(00:47):
the Shotgun Tom Kelly.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Good evening, Ah, good evening. Andy. Is so good to
talk to you again. Man, that was very nice. It
was a very nice build up there.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Oh good, I'm doing my best.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I got to interview you last week for this Route
sixty six documentary that we're working on for KTLA, and
you were so gracious spent some time with us talking
about that road, specifically in sort of the era of
AMFM music during that time. But I want to talk
about your story and your history and this exciting book.
(01:21):
All I want to do is play the hits I've
been reading it. I love TV, as you know, I
love radio. I love SoCal media. So this is right
up my alley, and anybody who grew up here, who
lives here, who listens to any of this stuff, like
what we're talking about right now, would be very interested
in this book. I want you to take us back
to that moment when you were a kid, when you
(01:41):
first looked through the window and you saw a DJ
and you said, this is something that I could do
with my life.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
You were like twelve years old, not.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Ten years old. Ten years old. Wow, I came all.
I used to go to Saint John Vacross Catholic School,
and I was a ten year old. My bike home
and my mother was a big radio fan. She was
listening to a COG Radio, your sister station down there
in San Diego. Oh yes, and so so she was
listening to KOGO and there's this guy by the name
(02:13):
of Frank Thompson. He was broadcasting on location in a
mobile trailer and so he was putting people on the air.
And so my mom says, Tommy, why don't you go
down and see if you'll put you on the air.
So I wanted to do it, my mom said, So,
I didn't know what I wanted to do at that point,
I didn't want to. I didn't know I was going
(02:34):
to be in radio. So I went down there, and
just like you said, Andy, I was looking through the
window and I saw the two turntables, and I saw
the microphone. I saw the man talking on the radio,
and he looked at me. He says, well, we have
a young man standing outside the Coco Mobile studio. Come
on in, dear young man. What's your name? My name's Tom.
(02:55):
What's school to go to? Tom? I go to a
Saint Jonathan Cross Catholic School. And let me well, Tom,
I've got four tickets to see the La t Birds
when they come to Westgate Park, which where the pod
Rays used to play. Andy, let me tell you I's
Fnny handed me a million dollars. I really, you know,
you know, I kiddusy way. I went home, Andy, this
(03:18):
is beautiful. I went home. My mother heard me on
the radio, and right then and there I knew I
wanted to get into this business. And I'm glad you
read that's in the book, because that's right out of
the book. All. By the way, it's all I want
to a lot of some of my listeners on Serious
Exam Channel seventy three back that I got one email
(03:38):
today we couldn't find your book because we went all
I want to do you know, ah, all, I wanted
w A n A w NNA.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
I know you almost you made it a call sign.
You just turned it into a lockout. I wanted to also.
You know what's funny is that you say that. And
I had a very similar experience in the early nineteen
ninety nineteen nineties in Indianapolis. The WIBC AM radio station
was on the Circle, which is the downtown area of Indianapolis.
(04:08):
The whole city is based around the center of the city,
which is a circle, and they had their studios there
and I remember going there and looking at the DJs
in the window and waving at them and trying to
get on the radio. And that's exactly the same thing
that happened to me as a kid and made me
sort of say, wait, there's something here I want to do.
That that looks cool. I want to be a part
of that. When did you it is magic? When did
(04:30):
you eventually then get to be an actual DJ? I
know that it was. Was it a Sunday morning show?
Is that what you your first time on the air
as an actual DJ?
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Well, my book I love that. Yeah. Well, first of all,
after I came back as a ten year old, I
built my own little radio station in my bedroom. Awesome,
and I had extensions figures out in the patio and
extensions figures over to the house next door, of the
house across the street. And so that was a drag.
(05:01):
You probably read that in the book. Yeah, So I
wanted to get a real transmitter. So I had a
friend of mine who was an electronical genius. He sold
me a twenty five walk transmitter was highly illegal. For yeah,
for five bucks, andy, five bucks, I was on the
air and I could broadcast from my house twenty five miles.
(05:23):
This is amazing.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
What year was this? And this was in San Diego?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Right, yes, San Diego? Yeah it was probably well, okay,
I was twelve thirteen years old.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
At what kind of stuff were you brought? Were you
playing songs? Were you making observations, hot takes about the
day's political events or what was going on in twelve
year old Tom Kelly's world.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Like my book, I was playing the hips there.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
You go, now that eventually that eventually got.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Shut down though, right, uh yeah, yeah, But I mean,
here's here's how it happened. I was. I went to
the radio station that I was hanging out of TV EO,
and they used to let me in the production room.
You're you know, you've been in a few production rooms.
And then I made tapes and so I took those
tapes and I played those on my illegal radio station.
(06:15):
Well you asked, just now how I got busted, right, yeah,
that's where we're going. Oh yeah, so anyway, I knew better.
It was going off pretty good. I even had a
trade out from a Mexican restaurant, you know, it was amazing.
And we take requests from a phone booth, you know,
(06:35):
that kind of stuate you don't don't want to call
your house. So we'd only go on at night. That
was the That was the If you go on in
that the FCC is only opened nine to five, right.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
It's a government organization, so maybe actually nine to two.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Yeah, there you go there, you got that, Andy. So anyway,
I'm in I'm in high school. Now I'm in study hall,
and I'm listening to the frequency we were on. The
eighty four eight is a clear frequency of Mexican channel,
and so that's a clear channel. And all of a
(07:10):
sudden I heard Stevie Wonder coming over in. You know,
I was listening to my transistor radio with the ear
plug in the study hall and I'm going, oh my god,
the Mexicans are using their channel. We've lost it. And
then my voice came on because my friend Rick put
on a cape. He didn't like to go out of
the air, just like to play takes, you know. So
(07:33):
that was like in the middle of the day. Well
that's when the FCC monitors, and that's when they found
the house. It wasn't at my house, it was my
friend Rick's house. And so anyway, the FCC guy came in,
flashed his badge to rich Dad and said, of your sons,
(07:54):
communication has violated the Communication Act of nineteen thirty four
by ten thousand dollars fine or five years in jail.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Way his dad went out with a sledgehammer and broke up.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
I bet I bet well, I'll tell you what ken
you Yeah, go ahead, go ahead. Well I was gonna say, yeah,
we're gonna we're gonna go to a commercial BREAKWAK Can
you stick around and we can talk a little bit
more about your time?
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Oh sure, alrighty, all right?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Coming up after the break, we're with a Shotgun Tom
Kelly talking about his illustrious career career here in Southern
California radio. When we come back, I want to talk
about how the name Shotgun Kelly came about, and also
what happened that you were able to succeed the real
Don Steele and how that experience really went on for
(08:43):
twenty years at k EARTH one a week.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Well he did, Yes, he did.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
There we go very fun, stick around here went more
with Shotgun Tom Kelly here on kf I AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Thanks for being with us tonight. Still on the phone
here with Shotgun Tom Kelly. We're talking about his new book.
All I want to do is play the hits been
reminiscent about the good old days and also the new
old days and the new good new good days.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
Tom. Is that fair to say, how would we how
would we say?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Well, sure, yeah, you know you alluded to my first job.
I got my first job in radio when I was
sixteen on Sunday morning at an FM station. Now, you know,
back in when I started AM stations with a big deal,
FM was just coming around his background music, so I was.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
Not a yeah, that's actually a CAFI.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
That's still how we think about things.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Kf I is a heck of a station. Man. My
dad used to listen to KFI all the time, Dick
sing Claire. You know the Polka party back of the
old days. You don't, you don't remember that. But KFI
has always been a giant.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Yes radio, I was here. My botox is just incredibly good.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Tom.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I want to ask, because you've been doing this for
such a long time, and I mean that with the
greatest amount of respect. It's incredible. You know, you could
only dream when you were a kid. I'm sure that
this many years later, you'd still be on the air,
still be doing what you love, and what obviously you've
known that you loved since you were a kid. I
wonder if you can reminisce for a second and just
(10:23):
think about all the people that you've met over the years.
What do you think makes a good broadcaster? Like, what
do you think that special thing is that makes people
tune in?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Like you? Andy? I started in radio. I loved radio,
but I wanted to get into TV and I wanted
to be a children's show host. So when I was
in bakers and then you know, you have to pay
your dues in this business, So I started out small markets,
you know, kyos and we said Bakersfield kafy, And that's
(10:58):
where I got my first television job. Every Saturday morning
is Nemo the Clown, Yeah, on the ABC twenty three
affiliate there. So I did that for a year. Then
that Charlie Van Dyke, Who's wait.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Hold, how does someone just become a clown?
Speaker 5 (11:17):
Like?
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Did you have any experience being a clown? Or do
you just like I could probably do that?
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Not at all, not at all. There was a TV
show and I had a radio I'm still on radio,
but on the weekends I was Nemo the Clown, and
I wanted I wanted to have a children's show. So
I did that for about a year until I got
the big break to go to San Diego, back to
my home town and become a boss jock on KGB
(11:43):
Boss Radio, and Charlie Van Dyke made that happen. And
then from a KGB I went across the street to
KGBQ and then B one hundred and I even worked
for Cogo, your sister's station down here for a while.
But I always wanted to be on television do when
a kid. So I heard that the McGraw Hills station,
Channel ten here was auditioning for a kid show and
(12:07):
it was going to be a national kid show. So
I auditioned for it. And when I walked in, one
of my all time great children's show heroes, Johnny Downs,
was auditioning for the same show. I said, Johnny, you've
got this gig. I'm out of here.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
That's tough.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Did on shotgun ford me a cup of coffee. You've
got just as much right to audition for words of
Papa decide. So anyway, we all went in and we
you know, auditioned with the kids, and I got the job.
And then then that ran for five years. In fact,
it was in your hometown on WRTV. That's Indianapolis.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
That's right still, I think, says a McGraw hill company
on the front of the building. On Meridian, even though
it's been owned by I believe Scripts for like twenty years.
But anyway, you know, it's a lot of money to
change the sign on in front of a building, you know.
I want to I want to go forward to in
time a little bit to the late nineties when Los
Angeles Radio came a call in because unfortunately the real
(13:10):
Don Steele, who of course was a legend here in
Los Angeles, who I know you listened to growing up,
he passed away in nineteen ninety seven and you filled
in and took over that role. Those were huge shoes
to fill as a fan. That must have been a
big deal to do that and must have been nerve
wracking for a little bit.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
It was Andy, I got to take it, you know,
I did it. Of course I was big in San
Diego because I had the kids showing said the words
of popping, and I was on KCBQ, some of the
biggest radio stations and said, and when I got the
call from Mike Phillips to succeed the real that's why
I want tot. You never can replace, no, the real
(13:52):
Don Steele, to succeed the real Don Steele, because he
was of a hero of mine. I idolized the guy.
I listened to him that he was on ninety three
KHJ you know pob o'real dobs fielding. God, this guy
was so good and so anyway, when I got the
nod to come up to uh succeed the real down Steele,
(14:17):
I said yes. And when they said what's going to
make you happy at me? How much money do you want?
Nobody's ever asked me that, you know, uh huh so
uh the money was incredible. I was in one of
the second biggest market in America, Los Angeles, and I
was scared to death on the first day I signed
(14:38):
on with Shotgun by Junior Walking from the All Stars.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
Of course, and it just fit.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
It just was a fit. And I remember I was
so scared. I had a boardop. Then we had boardops
back in those days.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Oh yeah, we got we got a board up here.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
It's Steffuje say hello there you.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Go end Hello, mister Shotgun Tom Kelly.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Oh you knowing man. Good to hear you man. And
so anyway, uh, I I didn't think of how am
I gonna last? I mean, everybody loved the reel down Steele.
Who is this Shotgun Tom Kelly Guy, and so I
did last. I lasted for twenty years in afternoon Drive
(15:22):
at King Earth. What I was wow at my jingle
shot Tom Kelly ones.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
You know, I will say I am. I am employed
by KFI.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
But I think one on one's got some of the
best best jingles you've ever heard.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I mean it's you know, well.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
They did, they did. They don't have them anymore. They
don't like him jingles. I guess that's so silly, but
those are the Johnny Man's. I always wanted a Johnny
Man jingle and that was the that was the one
I had at k Earth and it was just wonderful
and U to be able to you know when you
open that microphone, man to be able, I mean, k
ere just really pounded out kind of like KFI does.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Yeah, I mean it was and especially during a time
when you know, people didn't have that many options.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
This was before the Internet.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
It was before playlists and Spotify and Apple Music, and
you know, people I think were listening to music and
listening to the radio a lot. We were all on
the same page and there's something beautiful about that. You
made the transition, though to serious satellite radio where you
can of course still hear Shotgun Tom Kelly on Sixties
Gold What was that like for you?
Speaker 4 (16:25):
And you know it probably feels good to be able
to still do it.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Well, you know, I left k Erith because they didn't
they I'm a sixties guy. I like sixties music, and
so k Earth Kevin changed to you know, eighties and
ninety meg.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
So then I went back to San Diego and I
do a lot of voiceover and stuff like that. I
was the voice of the Chargers for a while, doing
all their TV promos and stuff like that until they
went to LA and then they fired me. But anyway,
but anyway, I went back to San Diego and uh
(17:06):
Lou Simon, who's the vice president of programming, said that
we want you to come over and be with us
and and so I did, and and I'm so glad
I did. And I've been there at Serious XM Channel
seventy three doing the night show for seven years.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Amazing, incredible. Well, we thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Ahead and by the way, by the way, I got
a national audience. Now, I got a lot of people
in Canada that like me and my hobby. If you
you haven't got to the back of the book yet, Uh,
it's my hobby is model trains.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
Amazing. That's a great, that's a great.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
I even, I even I even built a Tonight Show
set in my garage. You got to read about that.
But anyway this time, yeah, no, way, by way, So
it was folks. I just want to to sale here
before Andy pulls me off the air.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
No, no, I know what you're going for. Go for it.
It's all you baby.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Hey, my book, My book is a vanimal lot of Amazon.
All I want to that's w A n n A.
All I want to do is play the Hits. It
would be a delightful Christmas gift to somebody's family.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
How about that shotgun, Tom Kelly, You're welcome anytime. Thanks
for spending a little bit of time with us on
this Monday evening. All he wanted ever to do is
play the hits. And you can read all about that
in All I want to do is play the Hits.
It's on Amazon, it's in bookstores, and I think what's
cool about it is it that you know it's a
multimedia experience because you've got little QR codes throughout the
(18:40):
book where you can scan and listen to an aircheck
or listen to.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Oh yeah, that's another thing. That's that's that. Thank you
for bringing that up. There's twenty one QR codes like
when I got my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Hit the QR code with your phone and you're transported
to Hollywood Boulevard and me and Stevie Wanda thank you.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Okay, can I ask for a sign off for can
you say like, this is the Andy Reestmeier Show or
something like that.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Here, let's say to the Andy Reesemeyer Show. One of
the greatest guys around. I'll tell you then this guy
knows what he's doing and they sailoed the conway for me.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Of course, of course I tried to.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Get I tried to get on his show and he
didn't want me on.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Oh I don't believe that for a minute. Well, now
now that he sees it, we're doing it. I expect
you to be on it tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
So yeah, put a bugget is here. Hey, Andy, thank
you so much. Good luck on you on what you're
doing over at KTLA and the Root sixty six thing.
Thank you and thank you for having me on KFI.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
We have a caller who has been on the line
for forty minutes, and I am so sorry to Scott
because I couldn't bump shotgun Tom Kelly here. We had
him schedule. I wanted to make sure we had him
on write at eight o'clock. But now I promise I
will take your call. Scott is Colin was a big
(20:04):
fan of Rob Reiner, who, of course sadly was murdered
according to the l a p D. Along with his
wife yesterday by their son Nick. Scott, you wanted to
call and share some some thoughts though about the director
and actor.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
Well, I do, and.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
I just also you know that interview you just had
it was just amazing. Mary entertain thought it was my
pleasure to john hold for a day.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
And a half.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
I'm sorry for making you wait a day and a half,
but at least we made it worthwhile. But Scott, you know,
when we talk about Rob Reiner, we were really talking
about how his range as a director was just so incredible.
What do you remember about him and what struck you
about him?
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Well?
Speaker 7 (20:54):
Absolutely, I was thinking, you know, the days of like Mouie,
Theedters and going to a movie and lean enveloped by
darkness and captivated by one screen, you know, outdoor mills.
You don't have, you know, distractions. Oh yeah, where I
(21:16):
wonder if, like any of those movies that he directed,
or any of the movies really that we all love,
I don't think they would hold up as well with
the streaming services.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Yeah, you can bring up a good point, which I
think about a lot, is that with the algorithm driven
notions that everybody has, you know, do the risks that
were taken back in the day do they get taken
these days? And I kind of think that with all
the testing. I mean, I know Netflix does a lot
of ab testing with their content, and obviously things were
(21:52):
screened in the past and movies were changed and that
kind of thing. But you just feel like that there's
not really been anything like those movies these since they
were made, even when you go back to old Ron
Howard movies, go back to old Spielberg movies, Scorsese movies, Tarantino,
these movies that are that are daring and big budgets
really relatively speaking, I think it's a good point.
Speaker 7 (22:15):
Well. I think also that you know, if you pay
paradise and put up with a parking lot, and you know,
it's just sort of like maybe I can't see the
forest through the trees or whatever or whatever.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (22:34):
I think like a whole.
Speaker 6 (22:37):
Human uh timeline or history future has is really.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Altered.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
Yeah, And when you hear about someone like.
Speaker 7 (22:56):
The you know this murder, it's just such a tragedy
and I.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
No, I hear you, you know, and I can hear
the emotion in your voice, and I'm right there with you,
you know. I feel like the change that has occurred
in Hollywood since the pandemic, since the strikes, since the
internet whatever, that is the sort of macro trend, right,
that's the thing that we all know that's happening in
(23:24):
a slow motion background. But the individual moments, the death
of someone like this, who was such a scion of
that era. I think about the death of Sam Rubin
in the same way where they are their exemplary of
a time of Hollywood that made me want to come
here and be a part of it in some way,
(23:45):
shape or form. And to see that change, to see
those kinds of things happen, you know, it is it's tough.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
It's definitely hard, but I.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Appreciate you calling anything else that you like to add
on this Monday evening.
Speaker 7 (24:02):
Well also just also like a studio being sold, Yeah,
is sort of like why are they selling? You know what,
what's the purpose to sell? But it's I don't know,
it's putting a lot of people on edge, not necessarily,
(24:23):
you know, that's we're talking entertainment here. So it's really.
Speaker 6 (24:29):
Frivolous if you will.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Yeah, I think you're right, but it still is, you know,
it makes up the soul in a lot of ways
of Los Angeles, of Hollywood. You know, it's really we're
the only place historically that I think was defined by
the entertainment business. So I think I think your point
is is well taken and you're right, you know, And
I'll tell you what We'll leave on this why they're selling.
(24:51):
I have no idea somebody else making a lot more
money than I do is going to make a lot
more money because of it. And I think that that
is the unfortunate, the unfortunate story there. But I think people,
as long as they want to create, they always will
and I think that that's a good thing. But uh,
but uh, yeah, I appreciate you calling Scott. Thank you
(25:11):
so much. For waiting on hold there and uh yes,
yes for a year and a half. Please call back
any time and we'll try to get you on early.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
There he goes.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
A wonderful, you know, interesting interesting reflection there. And like
I said before, and I think Mark Ronnert, I hope,
I hope you feel the same way, Foosh Nikki. People
are always going to want to make stuff. It's part
of the human condition is to create. And I understand
that it's AI Land and the slop fest is upon
us and everybody's consolidate and nobody's watching anything. But I think,
(25:45):
I think that there is there is hope that as
long as we live and want to consume, others will
want to make.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
Well, yeah, let's hope. So I mean, as a writer
myself that the thing is, you're you're always looking for
new outlets because the market's always changing. And AI is
really throwing a monkey wrench into the works despite the
fact that nobody wants it. It's being pushed on us
by people who stand to make and or lose a
ton of money. But the rest of us are like,
we hate this. But meanwhile, you know, I'm still I'm
(26:20):
ruminating on your interview with shotgun Tom. Oh yeah, we
really need nouns in front of our names. Oh yeah,
because this is what I've been missing my whole career.
Some catchy handle for the radio.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
That's right. I meant to ask him, where did shotgun
come from?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Well?
Speaker 5 (26:36):
I think he mentioned a song at the beginning, so
maybe it wasn't firearms. But like me, perhaps you could
be like you know, I flingshot Andy Reesemyer. Yeah, it
would be something dorky like that shooter Mark Ron. It'd
be non lethal for sure.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Yeah, Nikki asked him. I believe when we got him
on the phone, are you related to I'm.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Sorry to do your accent. What did you ask him?
Speaker 8 (26:56):
I asked him if he was related to a machine
gun kill? Same loss.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
That's true. Shotgun Kelly and machine gun Kelly.
Speaker 8 (27:06):
Do you know what he said to me? He said,
google me.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
He has got such a voice as we as we
go to break here, toss up back to Ronner. I'm
gonna play a real quick moment from nineteen ninety nine
k Earth one on one?
Speaker 4 (27:24):
Can am I allowed to play this? I am right,
Just do it and ask permission later.
Speaker 9 (27:32):
Ka Earth one on one shot got Tom Kelly had goody,
you knew what's going on? I got six fifty right now,
everything going okay?
Speaker 1 (27:39):
You rude went all rights dandy, saying Gabriel.
Speaker 9 (27:41):
Valley Medical Center has several opportunities for volunteers, including gardening
and grounds maintainings. Did you like to share your time
and challenging skills give us a call right here at
k Earth one O one.
Speaker 5 (27:54):
I would listen to that guy read the ingredients on
a soup camp.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
I mean he's talking about the Say Gabriel Gardening Vault
and teering to garden in the San Gabriel Valley and
he made it sound like it was a coronation.
Speaker 5 (28:05):
Yeah, he should be the one doing the side effects
things on the pharmaceutical commercial. Great idea, because that would
make them all sound much more appealing.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Yes, absolutely, Well maybe we will experiment with that on
the next time we talked to him. I'll try to
do we got to get him back. Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand, so.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
We're all clear. He said kangaroos and then we played
the sound of a didgeridoo.
Speaker 8 (28:31):
Yeah, that's cultural appropriation.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah, are we are we ready to write a letter
from the Australian people or something about like what.
Speaker 8 (28:39):
I volunteer his tribute?
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Okay, great wall that means you're sacrificing yourself. Yes, okay, good.
I just want to make sure we're all on the
same page here.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Yes. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (28:46):
If you're gonna make best reality jokes about another culture,
get it right.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Get the kangaroo digerido. I wonder who put that promo
together that look ahead.
Speaker 8 (28:53):
As they say, not an Australian fush was it?
Speaker 3 (28:56):
You?
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Definitely wasn't me. No, you would have done it right.
You would have put sound aangaro there. Yeah, there you go.
Which is they make sounds we all know. Oh they're
so filthy. Oh asmr gross. I love it when I
watch they beat each other up. They seem miserable.
Speaker 8 (29:13):
It doesn't happen. It's just it's just not I've tried.
I've chased after them in the outback and they just
casually hop away.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Yeah they don't.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
They don't stand there and punch you in the face,
not at all. What is it about kangaroos that I mean?
I understand we associate them with Australians in Australia very
heavily but when you're there, is it like, oh, yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
A kangaroo or is it is it normal? Or is
it also celebrated?
Speaker 8 (29:41):
What kangaroos in general? Yeah, I mean we ate them.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
So so yes they're celebrated, but as a sacrificial I like.
Speaker 8 (29:52):
Them, I personally love them, but they are considered a piste.
Speaker 5 (29:56):
You say you like them, you mean you like the
way they taste, or you like their company.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
Like their company. I'm a vegetarian. If you go to
like the the wildlife sanctuaries, they're really docile and they
just lay there. And I actually have photos of myself
spooning them on the ground when they like to lay
or sexy when it's very hot, so you can just
lay with them.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
Well, now I want to spoon a kangaroos.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Yeah, and also wait to let me hold on a second,
let's go back they and also I found they this
is apparently what they sound like?
Speaker 8 (30:31):
Is that a horny kangaroos?
Speaker 4 (30:33):
Is that while you're spooning them? Is that the sound
they make?
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (30:35):
Right, that doesn't make that sound.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
That's if I go to bed without a breathewrighte strip on,
That's what that sound is? Just snoring from the other room.
I want to ask this question about eating kangaroos.
Speaker 8 (30:47):
Okay, we've had this, I've talked about it on air before.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Yeah, but like what do we were like in burgers?
Like what is the meat prepared? It's you're just like I, oh,
you get.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
Me, get me? Okay.
Speaker 8 (31:01):
So Mexican food in LA is like Thaie food in
Australia because we're so close to Asia. So you can
go to Thai restaurants and have like a like a
kangaroo kai like a tig green car and sea room
made with kangaroo meats?
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Is it like chicken? Like, how would you.
Speaker 8 (31:20):
Apparently it's like venice and people barbecue them.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
That is so foul because they are too cute to eat.
Speaker 8 (31:28):
You eat elk, They're cute.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
I eat elk.
Speaker 8 (31:30):
Don't Americans eat elk?
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Basically hunters do.
Speaker 8 (31:35):
Why don't you guys eat bears?
Speaker 4 (31:38):
Or do you can't catch a bear?
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Try to good luck getting a bear to eat.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
I think it's because cows and pigs are so compliant
with the whole food industry, and chickens and chickens as well. Yes,
I think that if we ran out of that and
then we started to get. I mean, the elk thing
seems like that would require a lot of effort to
create elkberg.
Speaker 4 (32:01):
I mean, I just don't think a lot of people
are eating elk so we but we also.
Speaker 8 (32:04):
Eat our e mews and EMUs and kangaroos. They appear
on our coat of arms, so I think we're the
only country in the world that eats our coat of arms.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
Yeah, all should just stay down there. It's an island
of savages.
Speaker 8 (32:16):
It's great.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
I feel bad because of obviously the news of the weekend.
I don't I don't want to rag on on down Under.
But that is a strange That is a strange thing
to learn, because I would say you seem generally.
Speaker 10 (32:30):
Normal what Australians are to do it Well, no, no,
Australia as a car I'm saying, you know, you know,
it doesn't seem like an exotic culture that's way different
than other Western cultures.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
So that's why it's kind of surprising to me to
hear you're eating kangaroo.
Speaker 8 (32:46):
Well, we're kind of a wild culture, so why wouldn't
we eat the local wildlife.
Speaker 4 (32:50):
I guess that's true. All you guys are are are
are the the exiled right from England.
Speaker 8 (32:57):
Traditionally, like people always make that joke with the Kolenvix,
but you have to remember that they also sent the
Jaalas down there, so a lot of the people is
just descended from the Jala's. Then no fun, all right,
no fun?
Speaker 11 (33:11):
Then from bango paintings to Viking ships. I'm Marino Boyle
on the next Extrict. You know, kids do the darngest things.
But we've got the Extra Angle the thirteen year old
who went on a cyber auction shopping spree to the
tune of two point eight million dollars. Willi's parents have
to pay the price for this deadbeat bidder and meet
the Lisa Kudro lookalike who will go to extremes become
(33:32):
a star in her own right more than news, The
Extra Angle.
Speaker 8 (33:35):
Next Extra to night at seven only on NBC four.
Speaker 12 (33:40):
This is Paul Mulier in the Channel fourtieth Ron, coming
up tonight at eleven. Every daydream about the perfect house
and everything you would have in it that you ever
thought of a home you could call on the telephone
and have your hot cut heat up or kitchen appliance
to start preparing your meal. We've got that dream home
right here in the south left.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
I'm waiting for Tom Kelly, waiting for shot good Tom.
I'm just hearing Paul, this was done. I was like this.
I was like, if I just let it roll, eventually
it will make sense. And here I am almost a
minute into it and it's still not hitting well.
Speaker 12 (34:08):
There were two hundred voice activated, all remote controlled features.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
It could even measure your body fat.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
See what could be in your future.
Speaker 5 (34:16):
Everything seems so great back then, didn't it. Well dystopian
if that's what you mean, Yeah, measure your own body fat.
I'm Paul Moyer.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
I don't want to the.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Channel four news. It's KFI A six forty. We're live
everywhere on the iHeartRadio
Speaker 1 (34:29):
App KFI AM six forty on demand
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!