On Air Staff
Kelly Cox
Kelly Cox spent her formative years calling a number of cities home, among them New Orleans, Louisiana, Parsons, in southeast Kansas, along with Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City in Mexico.
Her radio career began in 1977 in East Texas at KSPL-AM and FM Diboll-Lufkin. It was a great place to start under the tutelage of local legend Phil Parr and Kelly moved quickly from overnights to afternoon drive. A rock and roller, she found that learning about country music as well as radio broadcasting was a joy.
Great storytelling and great music are intertwined in all types of music, and providing the programming for a community of listeners is a special way of life indeed! Kelly remained at KSPL for sixteen months learning the art of the DJ along with newscasts, remote broadcasts and all aspects of commercial and station production. A few voice-over, print and television opportunities sweetened the experience.
Moving to San Jose, California in 1979, Kelly was fortunate to be hired on by Mikel Hunter Herrington, the fiercely independent programmer at the raucous rocker KOME. The original ideas and cohesive, fun staff were a tremendous eye-opener for Kelly and a great place to delve into the famously deep library.
Kelly worked on-air as well as in the research, production and promotion departments, running the station’s well known merchandise operation and finishing with her own shows on middays (1981) and evenings (1982).
A hiatus from radio to manage family business in Puerto Vallarta ended when Kelly started her higher education at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas. Moving to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB Kelly was enticed back into radio at KCQR, a then new rock station in the market.
Working nights under Program Director Rick Williams until she received her degree in 1991, Kelly moved up to afternoons and finally added production director to her responsibilities. The station’s sale and format change to Spanish while Kelly vacationed in Hawaii closed her KCQR chapter in 1994.
Kelly found interesting work at David Perry’s then new acquisition, talker KQSB. But the part-time position ended when she moved to Ventura to be nearer to L.A.
In October of ’94 the opportunity to join the airstaff at the legendary KLOS in Los Angeles put Kelly on top of the world. A faithful listener since arriving in Santa Barbara, Kelly relished the part-time position given her by PD Carey Curelop and covered shows around the clock along with every Saturday and Sunday broadcasts including nearly ten years as host of Local Licks. Kelly has also lent a hand as production assistant over the years and is currently heard on the Mark & Brian show filling in for newslady Kelli Gates as well.
Outside of radio, Kelly has enjoyed music as a singer and percussion player around the Santa Barbara-Ventura area with her husband Tommy Quayle’s bands’ various incarnations. Kelly has produced her own CD of Children’s music and some sweet classic rock “lullabies”. And she derives her sweetest inspiration caring for their music-loving young son. That, as all mothers and single fathers will tell you, is the real full time job, and joy!
In her latest endeavor, Kelly is thrilled to be part of Westwood One Radio Networks. Jeff Gonzer, Program Director of the Adult Rock and Roll format at WWO has tapped Kelly to host on a part-time basis.
