Catching "Hot and Nasty" on KNAC for the first time in 1971 was a wake-up call that a new and exciting force had taken the mellowed-out, spacey world of underground/progressive rock by storm. KNAC was soon playing "When Electricity Came to Arkansas","Lord Have Mercy On My Soul", and "Uncle Lijah". I just knew for sure that this hot new band, Black Oak Arkansas, had given the music world a kick in it's collective butt. When the opening riffs of "I Could Love You" shot out over the airwaves at me, I ran out and bought that first BOA album with a few weeks' saved-up lunch money. Very wise purchase. And so began the fun ride with BOA.

My first concert just had to be BOA. When my friend and I used to tell my parents that we'd been "given tickets to a bluegrass festival put on by somebody called Black Oak Arkansas" (what a safe name for such a hot band), they gladly chauffered us to those BOA "cultural events". After the shows, we always made sure to wipe the sweat off of ourselves real fastidiously, while waiting for the ride home. Fortunately, BOA regularly performed in my home town, at the Long Beach Auditorium and Long Beach Arena. Getting treated to those unbelievably hot, high-energy BOA shows made me very spoiled. BOA shows were always way more than satisfying.

About that first BOA show I went to, we got treated to every song from the first album, including "I Could Love You" (Whoa! Too, too great!) plus most of the songs from their soon-to-be-released new album, "Keep the Faith". BOA shows were the only concerts I was interested in attending. I stayed happy and skinny.

The good times of my life seemed to always take place while BOA music played. When I needed energizing, I just put BOA on the turntable. More times than I want to remember, I've relied upon BOA's words of wisdom to get me through sad times. I still turn to BOA music today, twenty-something years later, for fun, energy, and comfort. The songs are timeless classics.

I got my first job, at KNAC, because KNAC always sponsored the BOA concerts. What better way to get to meet them? It turned out that I got to meet every 70s band except BOA. I went to more concerts than I can count. In my opinion, no band could ever match the wild energy and sheer fun of a BOA show.

Fast forward to late 1977 or early 1978. Black Oak had just released "Race With the Devil". It was getting heavy air-play on KNAC. JD came by for a live interview. Part of my job was to be the one who chatted with the artists while the studio was readied for the interview. This time, though, everything was already set-up early. I pretty much just got to see JD come in the door, shake his hand, tell him I was a big fan, and exchange a little small talk, before he was whisked into the studio. I'd already met and chatted with just about every band that toured in the 70s. Strange, I had never felt so shaky and nervous before. Sure, JD was quite an impressive eye-full, but there was something else, very powerful, beyond his sexy outward appearance. JD's interview was fantastic. JD was really UP and excited about the new band, new album, and upcoming show in Orange County. As for me, so much for my big chance to meet and talk with JD.

A few days later, we got word that JD wanted to come back to visit, and be DJ for the afternoon!!

Nothing was going to keep me from talking with JD this time. I didn't care if I got fired. Luckily, the boss left early that day.

JD and his Capricorn label PR man entered KNAC. JD was so refreshingly down-to-earth and unpretentious.

Over his perfectly toned hot body, JD wore a tight-fitting white fine-gauge V-neck sweater, sleeves pushed up, baring his forearms. He wore nothing under it but his thick mat of straightish, light-brown chest hairs, visible at the V-neck. The white sweater was tucked into tight-fitting jeans cinched with a leather belt. He wore brown biker-type boots (not sure on type of boots). Height-wise, he is eye-to-eye with me, and I'm 5'10", so, he could be up to around 6' tall. Add to this picture, his sky-blue eyes, handsome face, and straight golden mane, the longer tresses brushing his belt in back. The mere sight of him was enough to render me speechless, with my heart pounding up in my throat.

Having met him a week or so prior, I was already mentally prepared for his jaw-dropping good looks. This time, though, I was determined to rise beyond my case of nerves, in order to enjoy his extremely powerful charisma. Because, more than his magnificent appearance, I believe his extreme appeal comes from his very powerful inner essence. That is what I'm trying to put into mere written words.

It was quite amusing to observe the effect JD had upon my co-workers. You see, I was the biggest Black Oak Arkansas fan at the radio station. Just prior to his visit, some of my co-workers had fun teasing me about "my idol/boyfriend coming to visit me". Ha Ha... Funny, after JD arrived at KNAC, and, as each of my male and female co-workers were introduced to him, they felt immediately drawn to be near him. It ended up that around six of us tagged along with JD into the studio, to hang with him while he spun tunes that afternoon.

JD was relaxed and 'ready as hell' to put on a great radio show. After receiving a very brief lesson in queueing up tunes, and a few basics of running the control board, JD quickly seemed very much at ease behind the microphone, in the driver's seat, running his own radio show. We made sure to schedule as few commercial breaks as possible for the hours he would be on-the-air. We had all positioned ourselves around him, so as to not be in the way. Although, one female (not me) positioned herself closer, to where she could stare directly at his crotch the whole time! No lie! I'm sure JD must have noticed her eyes never leaving that area.

JD's on-air DJ voice totally blew me away. He used a superb combination of smooth, mellow, and laid-back, yet with a huge bonfire burning just below the surface. I was quite impressed with his musical taste. He spun all the cool tunes. As I recall, he played lots of acid, hard, and progressive rock, with nothing slow or lite. Sadly, I can only specifically remember "Purple Haze" by Hendrix. I do remember that all the tunes were very appropriate to the party happening in the studio. I was rocking-out the whole time.

Very soon into his show, JD was in complete control. He had no problem keeping all the fun party chit-chat going with all of us while the tunes spun. But, he never once let a tune end, and get away from him. He was right on time in getting the next tune playing, seamlessly. About an hour into his show, he started answering the constantly-ringing request line. The phone sat about a foot away from him. Since it was a speaker phone, we all enjoyed some of the listener's shocked reactions to unexpectedly having JD answer the request line. However, many of the callers didn't understand, or realize, to whom they were robotically mumbling "Hey man, play Freebird for me". Note: "Freebird" was the all-time #1 requested song at KNAC. It seemed like some listeners would be ecstatic to hear nothing but "Freebird" 24-hours a day, non-stop. I'm sorry to admit this, but, I am so sick of that tune! I'll take "Simple Man" anytime, instead.

During an especially long tune (probably Freebird), I took the opportunity to sit near JD to "express my feelings on all that BOA has meant to me". It was a miserable attempt. Halfway through my dissertation, the nerves took over. I resorted to saying exactly what I didn't want to say, something to the effect of: "I know every Black Oak Arkansas song by heart, every word, every breath, and they mean so much to me." (gag me, puhh-leeeze!!). What I remember very clearly, though, is the soft, concerned, understanding look on JDs face, and in his blue eyes, as he very intently looked into my face while I blushed and struggled for words. He seemed truly touched by what I was attempting to convey. JD's emotional expression during those moments is forever burned onto my heart. Although his extreme sexual magnetism can't be ignored, this guy is SO MUCH MORE than some hot body.

What I'm attempting to explain here, is the incomparably great FEELING of being around JD. He's such a laid-back, down-home comfortable person to relax and party with, yet, he's extremely exciting at the same time, all without any big ego to deal with. I could easily picture him as being my best friend. JD is an extraordinary, rare type of powerful person. Men and women alike are drawn to him like a magnet. JD had an unexpectedly tremendous impact on all of us KNAC employees that day. We had a great time with our new friend, JD.

After JD signed-off the air, we all lined up to bid our personal good-bye-it's-been-fun stuff. He stopped to chat with each of us. As he made his way towards me, I was all prepared to present him with my "grand, heartfelt, final words". He stopped in front of me and locked his eyes on mine. As I blinked and drew a breath to speak, he kissed me. Ah, well, so much for my speech. The very milli-second his lips touched mine, I immediately felt something fly out of my chest (soul??), and soar up towards the high ceiling, then out the large, sunny, studio window. It looked (yes, LOOKED) sort of like a white dove breaking free, then soaring. I have no idea how I was reacting on the outside. I just know that something unique and unexplainable had just happened. I've definitely felt the sexual-electricity-kiss-thing before, but this was much different than that. I don't remember anything after that, but I know he left the building with his Capricorn label PR man.

Two nights later, the sold-out SRO Black Oak show was totally GREAT. All of us in the crowd enjoyed ourselves to the max. During what I remember to be an intermission in the Black Oak performance, I visited the restroom. While there, someone came up to me and said, "That Black Oak is getting me SO TURNED ON!". I shared a knowing laugh and nod with her, thinking to myself, "If you only knew, IF YOU ONLY KNEW!"