Bill Holley

KOIT went on the air in January 1959 as KYA-FM, duplicating the Top 40 music programming of its sister AM. In September 1966, the stations were acquired by Avco Broadcasting of California, and KYA-FM was rechristened as KOIT. Howard Kester was named general manager of KYA and KOIT in February 1967, at which time KOIT was programming a Progressive Rock format. In mid-1970, KOIT's format was changed to a mainstream Country & Western music format.

Bill Holley, a cousin of rock'n'roll icon Buddy Holly (born Charles Hardin Holley), broke into radio at KSST (1230 AM) in Sulphur Springs, Texas, in 1958, while in his sophomore year at East Texas State College in Commerce.

1970

Holley on KYA in San Francisco August 25, 1968
[ LISTEN ]. (57:42)

In the early 1960s, Holley rose to popularity as "The Night Creature" on KBOX (1480 AM) in Dallas, then, in 1962, became one of the "Good Guys" at Miami's WFUN (790 AM), where he worked alongside future KYA program director Dick Starr. He moved on to Denver's KIMN in 1965 and 1966, then returned to KBOX in Dallas in June 1966, where he was the last disc jockey heard prior to the station's switch from Top 40 to Country in 1967.

KYA's Tom Campbell and Bill Holley interviw John Lennon on May 29, 1969. [ LISTEN ]. (9:37)

The short interview heard here was released in the Bay Area by the radio station as “The KYA 1969 Peace Talk” on a 45-r.p.m. two-sided record.

Following his time at KYA and KOIT, Holley returned to WFUN/Miami, then came back to the Bay Area as afternoon personality on Oldies KIQI (1010 AM) in San Francisco.

Bill Holley passed away from a heart attack in March 1995.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Bay Area Radio Museum, Internet Archive