KLLL-FM (96.3

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...

) is a

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

station licensed and broadcast in

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...

, owned by

Alpha Media Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἄλφα, ''álpha'', or ell, άλφα, álfa) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph , which ...

Group through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC. Its studios are located in south Lubbock on Avenue Q west of

Interstate 27 Interstate 27 (I-27) is an Interstate Highway, entirely in the US state of Texas, running north from Lubbock to I-40 in Amarillo. These two cities are the only control cities on I-27; other cities and towns served by I-27 include (from south ...

, and its transmitter is located separately two miles away south of the studios.

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

is a notable former personality of KLLL, working there before joining

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...

on tour. When Buddy died, Jennings returned to KLLL, which had been taken over in 1958 by Sky Corbin and his brother, Slim. The ''

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal ''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal'' is a newspaper based in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is owned by Gannett. History ''The Lubbock Avalanche'' was founded in 1900 by John James Dillard and Thad Tubbs. According to Dillard, the name "Avalanche" ...

'' described the Corbins as "a force locally and were influential throughout the industry". Sky was a manager and

disk jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...

for some twelve years; Slim was a personality on the station. Slim was the advisor and confidant of Jennings. When Jennings took his band, the Waylors, to

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, where he became a local sensation, Slim moved his band to Scottsdale, where the two would be close enough to maintain their friendship. Slim was in

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, when Jennings got his break.Elvis E. Fleming, "Long Before Luckenbach", '' West Texas Historical Review'', Vol. LXL (2014), p. 72. The Corbins co-authored songs recorded by Jennings and Holly. They participated in some of the recording sessions at the

Norman Petty Norman Petty (May 25, 1927 – August 15, 1984) was an American musician, record producer, publisher, radio station owner, and considered to be one of the founding fathers of early rock & roll. Biography Petty was born in the small town of Clo ...

studio in

Clovis Clovis may refer to: People * Clovis (given name), the early medieval (Frankish) form of the name Louis ** Clovis I (c. 466 – 511), the first king of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler ** Clovis II (c. 634 – c. 657), ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

. One song co-written by Jennings and Sky Corbin was "Young Widow Brown", recorded by Jennings and

Frankie Miller Francis John Miller (born 2 November 1949) is a Scottish rock singer-songwriter and actor. Miller wrote for and performed with many recording artists and is best known for his 1977 album ''Full House'', the singles "Be Good To Yourself", " D ...

in 1960. KBFM, the forerunner to KLLL, began in 1958 as an easy listening station. It transmitted an SCA (Subsidiary Communications Authority) to transmit Muzak brand background music. The transmitter was located at the Great Plains Life Building (now known as Metro Tower) at Broadway and avenue M. Studios were originally at 2442 14th street, but were shortly moved to the fifth floor of the same building as the transmitter and antenna. The station was founded by a Mr. Blankenship. KLLL (AM) was in the same building with its studios on the top (20th) floor. In 1968, KLLL's owners, the Corbins, bought KBFM. It kept its call letters, stayed easy listening by day but carried the country format of KLLL at night when the 1460 AM daytimer signed off. KBFM changed to KLLL in 1971, the year after the

1970 Lubbock tornado Portions of Lubbock, Texas, were struck by a powerful multiple-vortex tornado after nightfall on May 11, 1970, resulting in 26 fatalities and at least $135 million in damage. It was in its time the costliest tornado in U.S. history, dam ...

. The studio building was damaged and the station relocated to the former KSEL studios on East Broadway; KSEL had moved to 84th and L where at the site of the new channel 28 KSEL-TV (now

KAMC KAMC (channel 28) is a television station in Lubbock, Texas, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Mission Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of CBS affiliate KLBK-TV (cha ...

). KLLL moved to 50th and L in 1976. The Corbin family hired

Jerry "Bo" Coleman Gerald Marlin "Jerry Bo" Coleman (born July 1, 1936) is an American former radio personality. Born in Wilson, Texas, the son of Grover and Christeen Coleman. Coleman worked on cotton as a teenager. He worked at the RC Bottling Company. He atte ...

as a radio host and made him a stockholder. In 1978, the Corbins sold KLLL AM/FM to Lubbock County Broadcasting, owned by James Thrash and John Frankhouser. Thrash and Frankhouseer in turn sold the company in 1987 to Pinnacle Broadcasting. KLLL is currently owned by a privately held company

Group.

References

External links

KLLL-FM's official website
{{Authority control LLL-FM Country radio stations in the United States Privately held companies based in Texas Alpha Media radio stations