John Boy and Billy
Genre | Talk, Comedy, Politics, Sports |
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Running time | 4 hours per episode, Monday through Friday |
Country of origin | United States |
Language(s) | English |
Home station | WRFX (Charlotte) |
Syndicates | Premiere Networks Fox News Radio |
Hosted by |
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Starring |
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Created by |
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Directed by | Jeff Kent |
Produced by | Jackie Curry-Lynch |
Recording studio | Charlotte, North Carolina |
Original release | November 8, 1986 – present |
Website | TheBigShow.com |
John Isley (born August 15, 1956) and Billy James (born August 31, 1957), known as John Boy & Billy, are American
The format consists of talk segments intermixed with music, contests, and skit-based humor. The two lead hosts serve as a
The duo frequently interviews musicians, comedians, NASCAR drivers, professional wrestlers, and other public figures, such as Robert Earl Keen, Killer Beaz, Manny Pacquiao, Stephen Curry, Rodney Carrington, James Gregory, Pat McCrory, and the late Tim Wilson. The show also markets a line of Bar-B-Que sauces (named John Boy & Billy Grillin' Sauce).
History
For more than five years, John Boy and Billy hosted the morning show at Top 40 WBCY 107.9 FM in Charlotte. Their comic talents made them number one with the station's 18 to 34 listeners. But John Boy quit in February 1986, while Billy stayed for a month and a half, partnering unsuccessfully with Bob Lacey and Jim "Catfish" Prewitt.[1][2]
Competing station
John Boy was arrested at a night club October 21, 1990, and charged with
Early in 1993, news came out that John Boy and Billy were being asked by
By August 1994, the show was heard on 14 radio stations, most of them playing rock. Two of the stations were
On July 6, the show added KZPS in Dallas, which was the largest radio market yet, #7 at the time. Till that time, its largest markets had been Orlando, Florida, and Nashville, Tennessee, but now John Boy and Billy had the potential to be mentioned alongside Stern and Don Imus in the radio syndication business. (KZPS has since discontinued the show, but the network currently has six affiliates in Texas.) John Boy hoped to be heard in the North, too, though many doubted that would work.[9]
By 1996, the show was heard on 28 stations in 10 states.[10] In June of that year the first country station to air the show was WMTD-FM in Beckley, West Virginia.[11]
In 1999, John Boy and Billy were being heard on 65 rock stations in 18 states, but the show was expected to dramatically increase its potential audience when the producers added the option of country music. WHSL in Greensboro, North Carolina, which was owned by Capstar Broadcasting (same as WRFX and the John Boy and Billy Network), was one of the first country stations in the network. Prophet Systems Innovations, also owned by Capstar, developed the technology to easily allow different musical programs between talk segments. About three rock songs were played per hour, though country songs tended to be shorter and there might be more of them. Macon Moye, vice president and general manager of the John Boy and Billy network, said the addition of country music would allow the show to be heard in northern states where the show would not fit a rock format. Sean Ross, editor of Airplay Monitor, cautioned that the show might be "too edgy and too male" for some country stations, but Tom Taylor, editor of the M Street Daily Fax of Nashville, Tennessee, believed the show had great potential to expand.[12]
By 2002, 110 stations carried the show. At this time,
In 2008 the show gained its first
The show is now
Discography
John Boy and Billy released a number of albums between the 1990s and the 2000s.
Main albums
- Economically Priced First Album (1988)
- Head Cleaner (1990)
- Straight, White & Southern (1991)
- Big Ol' Hairy Album (1992)
- Two For the Show (1993)
- Love Ya…Mean It (1994)
- Southern Exposure (1995)
- Dixie Diner (1996)
- A Barrel of Laughs (1997)
- Silly Season (1997)
- Rocket Science (1998)
- Radioland (1999)
- Freakshow (2001)
- Rough Cuts (2002)
- Karl Childers: Potted Meat (2006)
- American Goobers (2007)
- Karl Childers: Potted Meat Rides Again (2007)
- Ike at the Mike (2008)
- Songs We Love To Sing (2008)
Compilations
- Christmas Album (1996)
- Nerve-Wrackin’ Christmas Part 2 (2001)
- John Boy & Billy: Best of 20 (2001)
- Big Ol' Hairy Christmas (2005)
Box sets
- John Boy & Billy in a Box (unavailable; consists of the first four albums listed above)
Other events
John Boy and Billy have a "Comedy Classic Weekend" every year at The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, where they make public appearances along with the crew and guest comedians.[16]
References
- ^ a b c Jeff Borden, "John-Boy, Billy Back to Tweak Charlotte's Airwaves", The Charlotte Observer, November 9, 1986.
- ^ Tim Funk, "John Boy's Broadcast BlueBob Laceys: From Gumby to Jimmy Swaggert, Anything's Fair Game for WRFX Radio's Johnny Frank Isley, But Recent Events Have Taken a Bite Out of the Fun," The Charlotte Observer, November 1, 1990, p. 1B.
- ^ Jeff Borden, "WJZR Trades Old Format for New Sound, Name", The Charlotte Observer, April 15, 1986.
- ^ Jeff Borden, "WRFX Radio to Reunite John Boy and Billy Team", The Charlotte Observer, August 21, 1986.
- ^ Foon Rhee, "John Boy Anti-Drug Spot Airs", The Charlotte Observer, November 23, 1990.
- ^ Tim Funk, "Deal Keeps Duo on Air in Charlotte", The Charlotte Observer, February 25, 1993.
- ^ Tim Funk, "14th Station Picks up John Boy and Billy", The Charlotte Observer, August 25, 1994.
- ^ David Poole, "WRFX Cans Morning Show, but Retains Format", The Charlotte Observer, January 5, 1995.
- ^ Tim Funk, "John Boy and Billy's 'Big Show' Hits the Big Time - Dallas", The Charlotte Observer June 28, 1995.
- ^ Tim Funk, "More Stations Soon May Hear 'Bob, Sheri Show'", The Charlotte Observer, February 8, 1996.
- ^ Jeri Rowe, "Mouths of the South", Greensboro News & Record, December 17, 1996.
- ^ Bill Keveney, "'Big Show': Today Country Stations, Tomorrow the Whole Country?", The Charlotte Observer, April 7, 1999.
- ^ Mark Washburn, "Song After Sniper News Offends Fans - 'Another One Bites the Dust' Was Already Scheduled, Producer Says", The Charlotte Observer, October 23, 2002.
- ^ Théoden Janes, "How do John Boy & Billy do a morning show in the afternoon? The Charlotte Observer". Archived from the original on 2019-10-08. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- ^ Late Risers Podcast
- ^ On the Grove Park Inn Calendar of Events[permanent dead link]
External links
- Official Website
- Robert D. Raiford at IMDb
- Jeff Pillars at IMDb