Bud Andrews
Encyclopedia
Curcy Hendricks Andrews, Jr., known as Bud Andrews (born July 5, 1940), is a retired deejay
at Radio
KDAV
in Lubbock, Texas
, who in 1970 is said to have "discovered" the Mississippi
-based humorist Jerry Clower
.
in Fannin County
in northeast Texas
, and the former Ollie Lee Townsend (1907–1993), who grew up on a ranch
in Plains
near Brownfield
in West Texas
. Andrews graduated in 1958 from Monterey High School
, one of his classmates having been the actor
Barry Corbin
. He attended Texas Tech University
in Lubbock but did not graduate.
He then launched his broadcasting career in October 1960. He has been affiliated with stations KSEL AM 950, KLLL AM 1460, KKAM AM 1340, KCBD AM 1590, and KFYO AM 790, where for sixteen years he was both program director and music director. He spent six years as general manager and co-host of the "Big Ed in the Morning Show" with Edwin "Big Ed" Wilkes
on KRFE AM 580. In addition to his morning show, Andrews also voiced many commercials
carried on KDAV.
salesman, Andrews spotted Clower as he spoke to a luncheon group in Lubbock and suggested that the fledgling comedian cut a record of his monologue
. The result was Clower's "The Coon Hunt" on MCA Records, which was later awarded a platinum album for sales in excess of $1 million at the retail
level. Andrews handled Clower's first five albums.
In 1975, Andrews produced "Phone Call from God" by Jerry Jordan, a gospel
singer from Brownfield, the seat of Terry County west of Lubbock. This recording subsequently received a gold record from MCA, the recognition of the sale of one million records. Jordan is also an artist
, who maintains a gallery in Taos
, New Mexico
.
Thereafter, through Southern Track Records of Atlanta
, Andrews produced Robert W. "Bob" Murphey, an attorney
and country comedian
from Nacogdoches
in east Texas. Murphey, a nephew
of former Texas Governor
Coke R. Stevenson
, was also a former sergeant-at-arms of the Texas House of Representatives
.
on May 11, 1970, Andrews, while at KFYO, was awarded a Presidential Citation from U.S. President Richard M. Nixon for outstanding public service during the disaster.
Radio Station Ownership
Andrews was a partner-founder (along with Billy B. Reynolds, Charles "Charlie" Wilson, and DRA, Inc., which included the Brownfield lawyer Jim Rudd, in the Brownfield FM now known as 104.3 KSTQ-FM. The application was filed in mid-1980 and granted after a hearing in 1984. The station signed on as KKTC, and the company was known as BBC Brownfield Broadcasting Company. Andrews and Reynolds had worked at KFYO (AM) and had noticed that the former news director of KLVT (AM), Del Kirby, had started a station called KHOC (FM), now KJDL-FM, in Levelland
, the seat of Hockley County west of Lubbock. The two broadcasters offered to buy the station but were unsuccessful. Other staff at KFYO (Roger Hiveley or Chuck Kinney, or perhaps David Stewart who is known to have worked at KFYO in this time frame) made them aware of other FM outlets available in other towns, Ralls
, Floydada
, and Brownfield. Of those choices, Brownfield was the largest community.
KKTC went on air with a country format and studio on the square in Brownfield. The initial ownership was Bud Andrews and Bill Reynolds, each 26 percent interest. Charlie Wilson, an electronics teacher at Lubbock Independent School District
and the founder of KLSD (FM) (now KOHM) and the engineer who combined KJAK and KHOC, held 24 percent. So did DRA, Inc., which included partners of the law firm of Jim Rudd, also a Democratic
member of the Texas House of Representatives
.
The station was not an instant success because start-up costs were much higher than expected. Partners expected to come up with necessary equipment underperformed, and the two partners who actually worked at the station disagreed on operating policy, whether to live in the town and how to sell ads on the station. Reynolds soon bought out Andrews' interest. Wilson was bought out by a man named Dennison whose son worked at the station and had a car dealership in Hobbs
, New Mexico. About a year later, Dennison bought out Reynolds and then held some three fourths of the station.
Andrews returned to KFYO as program director and worked there throughout the 1980s.
On March 15, 2008, Andrews was featured on a segment of Bob Phillips
's television series Texas Country Reporter
, with the emphasis on the discovery of Jerry Clower and the recording of "The Coon Hunt" by Jerry Clower on MCA records in Hollywood, California
. Andrews received a Platinum Album for sales exceeding one million units.
, Colorado
; Chance Andrews (born 1964), an employee of the City of Lubbock in Facilities Management, and Shirl Andrews Chidester (born 1965), a retired nurse from Lubbock.
In 2004, Andrews married the former Carolyn Harkey.
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
at Radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
KDAV
KDAV
KDAV is an AM radio station licensed to Lubbock, Texas, broadcasting an oldies format which focuses on 1950s and early 1960s pop, rockabilly, mild doo-wop, and country oldies....
in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, who in 1970 is said to have "discovered" the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
-based humorist Jerry Clower
Jerry Clower
Howard Gerald "Jerry" Clower was a popular country comedian best known for his stories of the rural South. He was often nicknamed "The Mouth of the South", although this title has also been used for other individuals.Clower began a 2-year stint in the Navy immediately after graduating high school...
.
Early career
Andrews (first name pronounced SER CEE) was born in Lubbock to Curcy Andrews, Sr., originally from Honey GroveHoney Grove, Texas
Honey Grove is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. Honey Grove is regarded as "The Sweetest Town in Texas." The population was 1,746 at the 2000 census....
in Fannin County
Fannin County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,242 people, 11,105 households, and 7,984 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 people per square mile . There were 12,887 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...
in northeast Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and the former Ollie Lee Townsend (1907–1993), who grew up on a ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
in Plains
Plains, Texas
Plains is a town in and the county seat of Yoakum County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,450 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plains is located at .....
near Brownfield
Brownfield, Texas
Brownfield is a city in Terry County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,940 at the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Terry County near Lubbock in West Texas.-Geography:...
in West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
. Andrews graduated in 1958 from Monterey High School
Monterey High School (Lubbock, Texas)
Monterey High School is a 5A high school located in central Lubbock, Texas, United States. Monterey is part of the Lubbock Independent School District. Established in 1955, Monterey was the third high school to be established in Lubbock, after Lubbock High School and Dunbar High School...
, one of his classmates having been the actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Barry Corbin
Barry Corbin
Leonard Barrie Corbin, known as Barry Corbin , is an American actor with more than one hundred film, television and video game credits.-Early life:...
. He attended Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in Lubbock but did not graduate.
He then launched his broadcasting career in October 1960. He has been affiliated with stations KSEL AM 950, KLLL AM 1460, KKAM AM 1340, KCBD AM 1590, and KFYO AM 790, where for sixteen years he was both program director and music director. He spent six years as general manager and co-host of the "Big Ed in the Morning Show" with Edwin "Big Ed" Wilkes
"Big Ed" Wilkes
Edwin "Ed" Wilkes , known professionally as Big Ed Wilkes, was a popular radio personality in Lubbock, Texas, who combined humor with hard news reporting on his own morning talk show on station KRFE ....
on KRFE AM 580. In addition to his morning show, Andrews also voiced many commercials
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
carried on KDAV.
Producer
Andrews and Wilkes were the first producers ever to place Clower on a record. Originally a fertilizerFertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
salesman, Andrews spotted Clower as he spoke to a luncheon group in Lubbock and suggested that the fledgling comedian cut a record of his monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
. The result was Clower's "The Coon Hunt" on MCA Records, which was later awarded a platinum album for sales in excess of $1 million at the retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
level. Andrews handled Clower's first five albums.
In 1975, Andrews produced "Phone Call from God" by Jerry Jordan, a gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
singer from Brownfield, the seat of Terry County west of Lubbock. This recording subsequently received a gold record from MCA, the recognition of the sale of one million records. Jordan is also an artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, who maintains a gallery in Taos
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
Thereafter, through Southern Track Records of Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Andrews produced Robert W. "Bob" Murphey, an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and country comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
from Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
in east Texas. Murphey, a nephew
Nephew
Nephew is a son of one's sibling or sibling-in-law, and niece is a daughter of one's sibling or a sibling-in-law. Sons and daughters of siblings-in-law are also informally referred to as nephews and nieces respectively, even though there is no blood relation...
of former Texas Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Coke R. Stevenson
Coke R. Stevenson
Coke Robert Stevenson was the 35th Governor of Texas from 1941 to 1947. He was the only 20th century Texan politician to serve as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, as Lieutenant Governor, and then as governor...
, was also a former sergeant-at-arms of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
.
Presidential citation
After the Lubbock TornadoLubbock Tornado
The 1970 Lubbock tornado was a tornado event that occurred in Lubbock, Texas, on May 11, 1970. It was one of the worst tornadoes in Texas history, and occurred exactly 17 years to the day after the deadly Waco Tornado...
on May 11, 1970, Andrews, while at KFYO, was awarded a Presidential Citation from U.S. President Richard M. Nixon for outstanding public service during the disaster.
Radio Station Ownership
Andrews was a partner-founder (along with Billy B. Reynolds, Charles "Charlie" Wilson, and DRA, Inc., which included the Brownfield lawyer Jim Rudd, in the Brownfield FM now known as 104.3 KSTQ-FM. The application was filed in mid-1980 and granted after a hearing in 1984. The station signed on as KKTC, and the company was known as BBC Brownfield Broadcasting Company. Andrews and Reynolds had worked at KFYO (AM) and had noticed that the former news director of KLVT (AM), Del Kirby, had started a station called KHOC (FM), now KJDL-FM, in Levelland
Levelland, Texas
Levelland is a city in Hockley County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,542. It is the county seat of Hockley County. It is located on the Llano Estacado, west of Lubbock. Major industries include cotton farming and petroleum production...
, the seat of Hockley County west of Lubbock. The two broadcasters offered to buy the station but were unsuccessful. Other staff at KFYO (Roger Hiveley or Chuck Kinney, or perhaps David Stewart who is known to have worked at KFYO in this time frame) made them aware of other FM outlets available in other towns, Ralls
Ralls, Texas
Ralls is an agricultural community in Crosby County, West Texas, United States, named after John Robinson Ralls, who, with the help of W.E. McLaughlin, laid out the townsite in July 1911...
, Floydada
Floydada, Texas
Floydada is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,038 at the 2010 census.-History:According to the Texas State Historical Association, the community of Floydada, originally named Floyd City, was established on 640 acres of land donated by James B....
, and Brownfield. Of those choices, Brownfield was the largest community.
KKTC went on air with a country format and studio on the square in Brownfield. The initial ownership was Bud Andrews and Bill Reynolds, each 26 percent interest. Charlie Wilson, an electronics teacher at Lubbock Independent School District
Lubbock Independent School District
Lubbock Independent School District was established in 1907. Accredited by the Texas Education Agency, LISD is the largest school district that serves the city of Lubbock, Texas . The Lubbock Independent School District covers and contains nearly of school properties that are owned by the local...
and the founder of KLSD (FM) (now KOHM) and the engineer who combined KJAK and KHOC, held 24 percent. So did DRA, Inc., which included partners of the law firm of Jim Rudd, also a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
.
The station was not an instant success because start-up costs were much higher than expected. Partners expected to come up with necessary equipment underperformed, and the two partners who actually worked at the station disagreed on operating policy, whether to live in the town and how to sell ads on the station. Reynolds soon bought out Andrews' interest. Wilson was bought out by a man named Dennison whose son worked at the station and had a car dealership in Hobbs
Hobbs, New Mexico
Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 28,657 at the 2000 census.Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lea County.-Geography:...
, New Mexico. About a year later, Dennison bought out Reynolds and then held some three fourths of the station.
Andrews returned to KFYO as program director and worked there throughout the 1980s.
Current activities
Andrews was formerly teamed with William Ralph "Bill" Clement (born 1948), on the "Bud and Billy C. Show" on KDAV on weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. CST. Andrews retired in October 2010 after fifty-one years in broadcasting and record production. He still resides in Lubbock.On March 15, 2008, Andrews was featured on a segment of Bob Phillips
Bob Phillips
Robert Leon Phillips, known as Bob Phillips , is an American television journalist best known for his long-running program Texas Country Reporter...
's television series Texas Country Reporter
Texas Country Reporter
Texas Country Reporter is a weekly syndicated television program hosted and produced by Bob Phillips. It airs in all 22 Texas media markets, generally on weekends, and reruns are broadcast nationally on the satellite/cable channel RFD-TV...
, with the emphasis on the discovery of Jerry Clower and the recording of "The Coon Hunt" by Jerry Clower on MCA records in Hollywood, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Andrews received a Platinum Album for sales exceeding one million units.
Personal life
Andrews is divorced from the former Shirley Herndon of Lubbock. The couple has three children: Michael Todd Andrews (born 1963), a feedlot night foreman in GillGill, Colorado
Gill is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office in Weld County, Colorado, United States. The Gill Post Office has the ZIP Code 80624....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
; Chance Andrews (born 1964), an employee of the City of Lubbock in Facilities Management, and Shirl Andrews Chidester (born 1965), a retired nurse from Lubbock.
In 2004, Andrews married the former Carolyn Harkey.