The University of Texas at San Antonio
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Biff Byford Interview
No full textThis oral history interview was conducted by Gregory Peek as part of The Joe Anthony Project. Summary of the interview by Gregory Peek: "Biff Byford is the lead singer for the British hard rock and heavy metal band Saxon. In this conversation he discusses the band’s popularity in San Antonio Texas, which came as quite a surprise. He talks about the first time he went to the radio station KISS FM and met with Joe Anthony who interviewed him and according to Mr. Byford was quite knowledgeable about a whole list of British hard rock and heavy metal bands who had not yet migrated to the market in the United States. Mr. Byford asserts that because the band was playing on heavy rotation in San Antonio other stations in other markets for example Los Angeles picked up on those trends. He gives homage to San Antonio in the song lyrics for “This Town Knows How to Rock,” as an acknowledgment of San Antonio’s important role in the band’s history.
Interview with Stacey Young-McCaughan, 2019.
No full textStacey Young-McCaughan talks about her perceptions of life, culture, activities, and changes in San Antonio
Interview with Kathryn Walker
No full textOral history with Kathryn Walker from Central Valley in California. She enlisted in the Army in 1994 at the age of 24 after she graduated college and after she got married. She went to boot camp 11 days after her wedding, and she says that she preferred to work and be with men because they were easier to work with. Walker served in the Army from 1994-2017
Shandon Sahm Interview
No full textThis oral history interview was conducted by Gregory Peek as part of The Joe Anthony Project. Summary of the interview by Gregory Peek: "Shandon Sahm is a multi-instrumentalist artist, currently residing in Holland. He is the son of famed San Antonio singer and songwriter Doug Sahm (of Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornadoes fame). Shandon is the former member of several bands including local San Antonio band Pariah, and Arizona alternative rock band the Meat Puppets. He also collaborated with Gibby Haynes, whose former band the Butthole Surfers was also local to San Antonio. He talks about Joe Anthony’s relationship with his and father and his older brother Shawn Sahm. Joe Anthony helped promote both Shawn’s band Prezence, and Shandon’s band Pariah. He talks about his musical background starting in the blues clubs with his dad but then the hard rock and heavy-metal influence in San Antonio nurtured under Joe Anthony’s direction. He remarks on how his dad Doug Sahm knew Joe Anthony from the 1950s and references Joe Anthony’s stint in the Army. His strongest radio memories of Joe Anthony are from the early 80s, where he was on KMAC/KISS and then KESI. He talks about Joe Anthony’s independence and ability on the radio airwaves to play what he wanted to take chances on new music. He involved the audience regularly in selecting music that went on the air. Sahm thinks that contributed to his popularity and longevity. He talks about the changes in musical taste in the 90s away from glam and hair metal towards grunge and alternative. He laments the status of current commercial radio with its programed playlists and unwillingness to take chances on new artists.
Burke Shelly Interview
No full textThis oral history interview was conducted by Gregory Peek as part of The Joe Anthony Project. Summary of the interview by Gregory Peek: "Burke Shelly is the bassist and lead singer of the Welsh hard rock band Budgie. In this interview Mr. Shelly discusses the role that Joe Anthony and KMAC-KISS-FM had in promoting and building an audience for his band in San Antonio and Texas more broadly. He comments on Joe Anthony’s legacy of breaking bands that were not well known in helping to advance their careers like Trapeze and Legs Diamond. He talks about some of his early musical influences and exposures, including classical music and big band. He discusses his musical education including his decision to take up playing the bass guitar. He recalls the times they played in San Antonio including gigs at Sunken Gardens Theater. Also some interactions with San Antonio fans. He considers Texas to be one of the best markets for the band and gives the credit to Joe Anthony and KMAC-KISS.
Interview with Klaus Meine, 2019.
No full textThis oral history interview was conducted by Gregory Peek as part of The Joe Anthony Project. Summary of the interview by Gregory Peek: "Klaus Meine is the lead singer and songwriter for the German rock band the Scorpions. The Scorpions are a Hanover-based hard rock and heavy metal band that went on to international fame. San Antonio radio DJ Joe Anthony first started playing Scorpions songs on the radio beginning in 1975. When the Scorpions first came to the United States in 1979 they played two shows in San Antonio opening for Ted Nugent. Klaus Meine recalls that San Antonio was one of the earliest U.S. cities to embrace their sound and rates the city as one of the best touring destinations for hard rock and heavy metal acts.
Interview with Magdalena Alvarado, 2019.
No full textMagdalena Alvarado shares her perspective about life in San Antonio, including her thoughts on politics, cultural change, education, and her experience as a Latina woman in the city
Interview with Griselda Margarita Lechler, 2019.
No full textGriselda Margarita Lechler speaks about the notions of “community” and equality. She has spent 25 years in San Antonio and was able to provide a conscious awareness of her surroundings and feelings towards the area. She firmly believes the city, while “large” in population, still holds onto a strong connection to the “small town feel.” She believes this supports the notion of community and the idea of embracement. The interview was positive, filled with excitement about the city’s growth – both over the time she has resided here and moving into the future
Brian Volmer Interview
No full textThis oral history interview was conducted by Gregory Peek as part of The Joe Anthony Project. Summary of the interview by Gregory Peek: "Brian Vollmer is the lead singer of the Canadian band Helix. Their music was first played on KMAC\KISS in 1979, where Joe Anthony favored the track “You’re a Woman Now.” The interview subject talks about his musical influences growing up, including singing in the church choir at the local Catholic school in his discovery of rock music in high school. He talks about early encounters with Joe Anthony including radio interviews, the first time they played San Antonio, and Joe Anthony’s knack for finding obscure and relatively unheard artists who eventually went on to a measure of success (especially Canadian bands). Also discusses the state of classic rock music and unwillingness of contemporary radio to play new music, unlike in Joe Anthony’s day.
Art Villareal Interview
No full textThis oral history interview was conducted by Gregory Peek as part of The Joe Anthony Project. Summary of the interview by Gregory Peek: "Art Villareal is an artist and multi-instrumentalist who has played in a variety of bands central to the hard rock and heavy metal community of San Antonio, Texas. In this interview Mr. Villareal discusses his formative years listening to and playing music, the influence that the radio station KMAC\KISS had on the tastes of his siblings and himself, and the success that disc jockeys Joe Anthony and Lou Roney had in introducing new and unheard bands to the San Antonio market. Of particular importance was the emergence of the New Wave of Heavy Metal British bands like Iron Maiden, Saxon, etc. He also talks about bands from the local hard rock and heavy metal scene that was inspired by KMAC\KISS including his formative band Slayer, later known as SA Slayer. He discusses local music venues where his bands played including the Villa Fontana, the Cameo theater, Alamo draft house in Austin, and Liberty Lunch also in Austin. It also talks about the legacy of hard rock and metal bands in San Antonio who continued to tour, sometimes internationally, and continue to record music. The annual Keep it True festival hosted in Germany has invited several SA and Texas hard rock and heavy metal bands from this era to play their stages.