Listen "Hearing from 'The Voice' of LA"
Episode Synopsis
It's hard to believe a full decade has passed since the quintessential voice of Lower Arkansas announced not only his retirement but also his departure from Magnolia for eastern Tennessee. After more than 60 years with Magnolia Radio—KVMA and KFMV as they were known—Ken Sibley turned off the mic, hung up the headphones and left the studio. He and Carol moved to Collierville, TN, where three of their five grandchildren lived, of course with their parents. Ken had held nearly every leadership position imaginable in church, city and county, in addition to his work in radio. He's a great bus driver and excellent story teller to boot, which landed him a short tenure as a charter bus driver in the Memphis area. He drove me on my first children's church camp trip to Siloam Springs and loves to describe the forlorn look on my face when he dropped me and 20 rowdy kids off for the week. I caught up with Ken through the miracle of modern technology and enjoyed the virtual stroll down memory lane. We reminisced about people we worked with and some of the programs that aired back in the day. Today's generation can't appreciate The Friendly Show, The Mary K Show, I Remember When, Hospital Calling. A few folks remember some of the commercials that aired through the years: Bill Bigley's "Throw away your plumber's friend and call your friendly plumber Broadway" was a fixture in the '50s and '60s; the Magnolia Insurance spot that began with "The Fire Alarm has sounded in Magnolia!" If you've never heard Ken's radio voice, here's your chance to be introduced. If you've been missing that friendly patter, then here's a shot of nostalgia for you.
More episodes of the podcast Life in LA Today
Stories from the man behind the chair
14/10/2025
Cruisin' for a worthy cause
23/09/2025
This country store lives on!
27/08/2024
Meet the mayor of West Lamartine!
08/05/2024
Eyewitness encourages all to see eclipse
30/03/2024
Making the (economics) message clear!
16/01/2024
Adapting to the pace of life in L.A.
23/10/2023
40 years of faithfulness to the vision
16/08/2023
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.