Old Seattle Radio Saturday: big jim martin, R.I.P.

He was a radio man’s radio man.

Big Jim Martin, jock at KOL, KING, KJR, and KIXI FM, has died from complications from gall bladder surgery. He was 71.

“Radio guys really dug him,” says KPLU's John Maynard. “He was street-smart with a magnetic, charming personality. You knew there was a sweet spirit behind this longshoreman, gangsta-wannabe, tough guy.”

They called him big because he was -- six two or three, 225 lbs, but he had a voice that made him seem even bigger.

Buzz Barr hired Jim McMartin at KOL in 1965, and remained his close friend until the end of his life. Barr even gave him his name. “He had,” Barr says, “one of the real great voices in radio.“ But problem was that KOL had a morning guy named Dave McCormick. “I asked [Jim] to drop the ‘Mc’ and go with Martin because I didn't want an all-Irish radio station.” 

(photo: Buzz Barr)

Another problem for Big’s employers — first Barr, then Pat O’Day — was that he didn’t live anywhere. He took phone calls at the Everett YMCA, or a highly irregular Union Street hangout called Bob’s Chili Parlor. “It drove me nuts,” says Barr. It was rumored that Jim had a mailbox on the hood of his car.

Chuck Bolland says, “While he was the warmest person you'd ever want to know, there was the side of him that made him a loner. It was natural he preferred the all night shift.”

The World-Famous Tom Murphy remembers that on the long, six hour haul of the KJR overnight, Jim would play “long tracks and sometimes the entire side from the albums by AOR artists of the day like Country Joe & the Fish.”

(photo: Tom Murphy)

Those long musical interludes enabled him to grab time in the parking lot in his green Gremlin (with seat covers famously made from Levi’s) to be with his bottle of Jack Daniels.

The hippies loved Jim, says Murphy, “They were up all night and Jim played ‘their music.’ I don't think Jim cared as much about those artists as he did the length of their album tracks. There wasn't much 7 or 10 minute Tommy James and the Shondells material available.” 

(photo: Chuck Bolland)

Jim dealt with his alcohol demons decades ago, but nothing stifled his love of gambling. Maynard tells of getting a call from Jim at 2 in the morning. “‘I need a hundred bucks,’ he said.” He had a game up in the Northend. “I just need another hundred to get back in,” he said. "I’m going to bed," said Maynard. Jim said, “Just leave it under the mat.” " I did," says Maynard, "and next morning, it was gone.”

Murphy says, "Larry Lujack and I did suggest to Pat O'Day that he hire Jim at KJR from KOL because we both thought he was very good. Of course Pat made up his own mind….” and lured him away in 1966.

In 1967, O’Day hired Barr at KJR, putting him and Big Jim back together. “We became like brothers — my best friend in radio for over forty years.”
 
Barr had a chance in 1970 to take over KING1090 and took Big with him. “We went Top 40 rock & roll against Pat O’Day which was like going against Donald Trump in real estate — a no-win situation.”

(When the KING gig was over, Barr went to Aberdeen and bought into a radio station and Jim stayed on at KING. “… until, Barr says, “his parents passed away and left him some big bucks. Jim continued his joy of gambling in retirement.”)
 
Danny Holiday grew up with McMartin in a South Everett neighborhood. “He was 4 years older than I so we didn't hang out until he came to KOL in 66.” Holiday, and everyone who worked around him remember Jim’s offbeat sense of humor, and his talent for practical jokes.

(photo: Danny Holiday)

“The beautiful thing about the guy was he was real,” says Bolland. He was never ‘on’ as 'Jim the DJ.' He did his work on the radio and did not 'perform' for you during a conversation. He had a real wit which is what you heard and not a string of one-liners.”

Barr says, “He was a great disc jockey as anyone would tell you but he wanted to work all night because loved to gamble in the day time. He was very intelligent but, like James Cagney, he loved to hang out with what we may call the gangsters of Seattle…”

(photo: John Maynard)

Here are a few of the many stories flying around Radio Duffer Central after Big Jim’s death last week.
 
John Maynard:

Big Jim and the late Jerry Kaye were in a 9th floor Vancouver, BC hotel room  which overlooked a phone booth on the street. They’d snagged the number of the phone therein, so as they looked on, gave it a jingle. A passerby picked it up, and, using their big radio voices, they convinced him they were jocks from CKNW with a $10,000 cash call. If he could get the “lady of the house” to answer a question, he’d be a bigwinner. Jeez, the guy says, I’m not at home…” Big Jim said, “all you need is to get a lady to answer the question.” From above, they watched the man flag down a female passerby who was excited by the opportunity that had so serendipitously befallen her. When she got on the phone, however, Big (or Jerry) made a very direct request for her carnal affections. It was all great 1970’s fun; they cracked up watching as she slammed down the phone, and stormed off shaking her fist at the dumb-founded patsy.

Chuck Bolland

One Friday night I was having a drink with Jim Martin at Bob's Chili Parlor, downtown Seattle. We were sitting at the bar, about 8 o'clock, and a boxing watch came on the TV which got a lot interest from the patrons, especially several who were sitting at the bar for that reason. Jim and I watch and Jim made the comment to me, "thy guy in the black trunks is really getting pounded." I responded with, don't bet on it, the other guy is just laying back waiting for his move. The fighter in black won't finish the last round." Jim wanted to bet a drink on it so I took the bet and a few minutes later the guy in the white trunks went down. Channel 13 ran the fights on Friday nights and everyone had grown up with the Friday Night Fights on radio, usually from Madison Square Gardens. These TV Friday night fights were actually occurring, I believe on Tuesday nights in L.A.  I only knew this because at the time I was doing some free-lance work for a Seattle fight promoter and the "guy in the black trunks" was on a local fight card the next month. Earlier in the week the promoter told me the guy we signed had just won a fight in L.A. I remembered the name and Jim walked in to it. Anyway, Jim knew he'd been had, for a drink. He took it to the next step and soon Jim was calling someone he knew in L.A. every week, getting the names of the winners and we'd meet at Bob's, sit at the bar and start a lively debate between the two of us over the possible outcome of what ever fight was on at the moment. Very quickly the other patrons at the bar jumped in,  as Jim knew they would, and wanted a piece of the action. Small wagers were placed. We didn't go every Friday night, but for months Jim and I never paid for a drink or a meal. It was Jim who could pull it off, even losing an occasional wager to keep it real. He knew just what to say to pull them in. This was a crowd that would bet on anything. Jim never enticed them, they just walked right in. Large bets were never accepted. Jim had a sense of fair play in that as long as it was small it was just a clever con job that would actually be appreciated by the patrons at Bob's.
  After my days at KJR I only saw Jim once, a reunion at Andy's Diner a few years ago and it didn't take long before we were talking about the days at Bob's Chili Parlor and the friday night fights.

Dick Curtis

Many years ago "Big Jim" was living with a male roommate. Jim at the time didn't know the guy was dealing pot. After he found out Jim asked the guy to move out, but one day before he did, the cops pounded on their door. Both Jim and the roommate scurried around trying to figure out what to do. The roommate finally just answered the door. In the meantime Martin hid in the bathtub with the shower curtain drawn in front of him. Jim told me he thought to himself, "It's an old trick but it just might work." It didn't! Both were busted. Since Jim really hadn't done anything wrong, he was free to go. It was a different outcome for his roommate.

Tomorrow: Pat O’Day speaks.  

Comments

[sparky]

This is an awesome piece of writing, Mr. Hood. What a character...LOVED the boxing story.

[Slow Joe]

great work. I worked at Bethlemhem Steel in those days. Me and a buddy would meet Big Jim for a beer after work at a Harbor Island dive I can't remember the name of. He was a God. He'd make book on his mother's deathbed.

[Puget Sound for KS]

a wonderful part of northwest radio history.

here is his voice in action

here--enjoy the memories

[joanie]

Very interesting. So many stories and yet he remains a mystery. No family? Gangster connections? I don't remember him I'm sorry to say.

[WJE]

Slow Joe:

The "Harbor Island dive" may have been the illustrious Blew Eagle, owned by Lou Dickinson. "The Blew" was one of a collection of colorful (and somewhat disreputable) joints in the KOL/KJR Duwamish Waterway neighborhood, including The Chelan Cafe, Nifty's, Harbor Island Tavern, and Riverside Gardens next to the Spokane Street Bridge. All were frequented by KOL and KJR guys over the years.

[Rick Oldenburg]

I worked with Big Jim at KING. I did 10PM-2AM as Rick Donovan. I was pretty green beginning my time in Seattle; Big Jim knew that and did his best to intimidate me with his best longshoreman demeanor. It didn’t work, but gave us plenty to laugh about as we became
colleagues and friends. I will say that with his early night activities he was NEVER early
for his shift. I jingled at the top of the hour and started a song without intro . . . by the time the song ended Jim was generally in the hot seat, adjusting headphones and ready to get into his four-hour shift. He had a great voice, an easy-going style and a perpetual grin on his face that was impossible not to like. I have nothing but fond memories of my work with Jim. He will be missed.
Rick Oldenburg

[Duffman]

Nice stuff, Bla'M.

[Santos]

More like this, Hood.

[Bill K]

I listened to Big Jim when he was on KVI in the late 80's and saw him at the Wednesday night dances at the Holiday Inn in Renton. Since i worked many nights at my 7 - 11 I would listen and call in and just shoot the sh-- with him. He could shoot it, clean it and serve it on a platter beter than anyone I ever met.