RIP Tennessee Midnight Ramblr

#7
#7
volinbham said:
Saturday night DJ out of Johnson City
Click to expand...

I think that the original was ripped off. It reminds me of the ass clowns in Oklahoma that stole Leroy Mercer from John Bean. "Roy D. Mercer"... they claim it's a coincidence. Yeah right.

I'm not sure who the original (real) Tennessee Midnight Rambler is from the mid 1970s. His name might be Mike James. Most of the YouTube stuff isn't the original. I'm not sure who died and if he was the original TMR. I'm pretty sure that the guy in the clown make-up isn't the real TMR. WQUT might have the trademark on Tennessee Midnight Rambler and created a fake replacement version.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: GordonC
#8
#8
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/24519997/


http://m.topix.com/forum/city/johnson-city-tn/TQNJ4R8PE5N7953C1/midnight-rambler-web-site


https://m.facebook.com/WQUT1015/

Best I can tell, Mike James was the original TMR. I think that WQUT might have owned the character though. James quit after a couple of years as the persona conflicted with his religious beliefs. Then he might have brought it back several years later, but Citadel or Cumulus fired him. I had heard from a Knoxville radio guy that there were multiple TN Midnight Ramblers at WQUT. So the guy in the clown face paint might or might not be Mike James... it sounds different from the original. But that could be because he was just older. The face paint guy sounds like a cross between a TV preacher and a wrassler.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: feathersax and GordonC
#9
#9
The Real Midnight rambler was on from mid 70s thru early 80s. That youtube video up there is mine and that's from original recording from 1981 I do believe. When they brought him back as a ressurection show in the late 90s early 2000 I had my doubts it was him. I know this thread is old but I did remember when he died. I actually talked to one of his kids that lives in GA. Yes his name was mike james..and yes I'm 60 years old and I probably know as much about the real Rambler as anyone. That goes as far as driving to wqut and trying to get in the building when he was on LOL
 
  • Like
Reactions: StarRaider and volinbham
#10
#10
tnridge said:
The Real Midnight rambler was on from mid 70s thru early 80s. That youtube video up there is mine and that's from original recording from 1981 I do believe. When they brought him back as a ressurection show in the late 90s early 2000 I had my doubts it was him. I know this thread is old but I did remember when he died. I actually talked to one of his kids that lives in GA. Yes his name was mike james..and yes I'm 60 years old and I probably know as much about the real Rambler as anyone. That goes as far as driving to wqut and trying to get in the building when he was on LOL
Click to expand...

thanks for sharing - it was hard to get reception in Knoxville but loved the show.
 
#11
#11
I know, weird bump...

It was Mike James. In the mid to late 70s, my buds and I used to listen to the show every Saturday. It was rock-n-roll and what you wished radio was like all the time. He'd play stuff that NEVER got airplay. He'd play whole sides of albums. We'd sit up half the night partying with the show.. I remember going to the radio station a couple of times during the show and seeing the dude, in character, on top of the building... šŸ¤£

Good times, long gone....
 
  • Like
Reactions: ArdentVol, FallBranchChick, StarRaider and 6 others
#12
#12
m1al said:
I know, weird bump...

It was Mike James. In the mid to late 70s, my buds and I used to listen to the show every Saturday. It was rock-n-roll and what you wished radio was like all the time. He'd play stuff that NEVER got airplay. He'd play whole sides of albums. We'd sit up half the night partying with the show.. I remember going to the radio station a couple of times during the show and seeing the dude, in character, on top of the building... šŸ¤£

Good times, long gone....
Click to expand...

I taped a show and I'd give anything to have that tape back. His reading of commercials was great too.

To the "never got airplay" comment I agree. The tape I'm referring to had Buckle Down from the Red Hot Chili Peppers first album. Also had Delivering the Goods from Judas Priest



 
  • Like
Reactions: ArdentVol, GordonC and m1al
#13
#13
volinbham said:
I taped a show and I'd give anything to have that tape back. His reading of commercials was great too.

To the "never got airplay" comment I agree. The tape I'm referring to had Buckle Down from the Red Hot Chili Peppers first album. Also had Delivering the Goods from Judas Priest



Click to expand...

He played a lot of early Judas... Rock a Rolla, Sad Wings, Sin After Sin, Stained Class. You NEVER heard that stuff on the radio. I used to have tapes of the show, they're long gone now...
 
  • Like
Reactions: ArdentVol, StarRaider, GordonC and 1 other person
#14
#14
Old post, but it was indeed Mike James. I knew him but lost touch with him (had no idea he passed away). Around 2003 or so I was working in Florida at a radio station. We had new owners and while talking with the guy who bought our station I mentioned the Rambler. He said "Mike James!". We both knew him and the owner gave me his contact info. We chatted on the phone and had the idea for him to do a show on our station Saturday nights. He would record a two hour show and send it to me each week on CD. Usual stuff, lots of Priest and crazy antics but I guess the Florida listeners never caught on and it only lasted a couple of months. Wish I still had those CD's he made because they were custom made for the station I was working at the time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: m1al
#15
#15
I remember when WKGN switched to AOR in the mid 70s, odd for an AM station.I got to know several of the DJs there. It lasted about 3 or 4 years before the owners switched formats again. The program director moved to an FM station in Atlanta and had a long run with the AOR format.
 
#16
#16
Wow I remember listening to this guy when my old college roommate took me up to North Greene / Baileyton to visit his folks back around 1979
 
  • Like
Reactions: ArdentVol
#17
#17
I was with him and Cramer (pd) when this concept was originally discussed and put to bed. The show started in late spring \ summer 1974. I was a friend with several of the DJ's and used to do remotes with them (Stoned Toad) and party. I moved on from the area that fall and lost contact with them. Sad to hear of his passing as we had alot of fun during that time of my life.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EasternVol and StarRaider
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top