It's the end of an era. As of January 25, 99x will no longer be on air. The 99.7 FM frequency is being given to what is now Q100, a top-40 rock format. The X will transition to 100.5, sans its morning show, marking the end of Leslie Fram's 15-plus-year run on the station's Morning X show.
For those of you who grew up in Georgia, listening to the Morning X was akin to watch SNL on Saturday night. It's just what you did. You tuned in to the legendary Barnes, Leslie and Jimmy morning show so that you could catch a few stellar lines and maybe hear the first spin of "Jeremy."
And then there was 99x Resurrection Sunday, which played chic rock and folk rock and folk infusion and was the first place I heard "Silent All These Years" by Tori Amos. I remember leaving Jenn's house and driving down a lonely stretch of road with Tori's voice reverberating through the old '92 Taurus and thinking, "Yeah."
99x sponsored the Counting Crows concert at Chastain Park Amphitheatre where I met Adam Duritz - who gave me his autograph while denying me me a hug. Somewhere, I still have photo of Niki, Tempe, Heather and me with the 99x poster we absconded with.
The X hosted the Jingle Jam that Sarah McLachlan headlined at the Gwinnett Civic Center where we had fifth-row seats.
And there was also Live X, which produced some amazing acoustic sets over the years.
99x has apparently fallen on hard times while I've been away. With the rise of satellite radio and the faltering popularity of alt rock against top-40 pop coupled with the departure of Barnes and Jimmy from the Morning X and difficulty finding a successful replacement combo, it looks like it's finally jumped the shark. Goodbye, 99x. Thanks for the memories.
* For you OC kids, I couldn't find the old logo - the bright yellow 99x on the black background. You know what I'm talkin' about!
Monday, January 21, 2008
99aXed
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 cat calls:
Man. I hate when great radio stations just up and die. It's like a favorite store going out of business.
99x was definitely an integral part of my high school experience. I haven't listened to the radio in GA for so long, I didn't even realize that it was still on the air. It's sad to see good stations go. . . goodbye, 99x!
Um, hello - what about when it was Power 99! I still have a t-shirt that says Power 99, and it's all full of holes and crap but I still love it.
First Fox97, now this. What's next, Magic102?
Power 99! OMG! Blast from the past. That was before it went alternative, right?
You know, Magic 102 was bought by Cox News this week. As was Bulldog 103.7 and a couple of AM frequencies. Format is supposedly staying the same, but you never know...
I am now thoroughly depressed. Sometimes, if I was really lucky, I could manage to get 99X in Chattanooga. What will ATL be without 99X? I shudder to think.
Post a Comment