Imagine a party with friends from all over the region. I'm talking Roanoke to Raleigh. That's what we have every Saturday night at 8 on WAKG. This is where the "Real Country" begins. These are the artists that pioneered today's country sound before it was cool. That's why we call it the "Cool Classics." You'll hear the best from the 60's, 70's & 80's... including Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams Jr (the early stuff too,) Conway Twitty, Ronnie Milsap, Tanya Tucker, Tammy Wynette, George Strait, Alabama, and more. And of course we take your "Cool Classic" requests. So think about your favorite "classic" song, get a bunch of friends together, grab your "beverage of choice," and party with us on Saturday night.

 

"Big" Jon as he's affectionately called is a hometown boy who has seen the inside of just about every radio station in Pittsylvania County. Weekends as a child were spent working in his grandfather's backyard garden on E. Thomas street in Danville. At dusk, "Big" Jon and his cousin would catch "lightning" bugs before making it a point to watch Bo, Luke, Uncle Jesse, and cousin Daisy on TV. Although he was a kid when it all happen, he remembers who shot J.R. and being "Country When Country Wasn't Cool."
"Big" Jon's father can take the credit for Jon's taste in music. WAKG was always on the radio pumping out the country sounds of the late 70's and 80's. Jon can even sing you some old WAKG jingles if you ask him! Many summer afternoons were spent on the carport swing with the sounds of "Big" Don (Jon's father) strumming out tunes on the flattop that were popular by John Denver, Don Williams, Mel Street, Buck Owens, and others. The family's record collection included Don Gibson, B.J. Thomas, Loretta Lynn, Connie Smith, and more. Jon's own record collection as a child included Earl Thomas Conley and Sawyer Brown (which were bought at G.C.Murphy) John Anderson's million selling "Wild and Blue" album, Merle Haggard, "That's the Way Love Goes," and Ronnie Milsap.
Downtime for "Big" Jon is spent being a father to his three beautiful girls: Amanda, Abby, and Ashliegh. Occasionally he does get to sleep. Occasionally. :P

 

Cool Classic Close-up
Behind every artist is an interesting story of how they became a star. It's never an easy road and "Big" Jon brings you "Close-Up"with your favorite artist every Saturday night. Each hour you'll hear how they went from humble beginnings to super stardom and what they're doing now. If you have an artist you'd like to know more about, just let us know.

Flashback
Do you remember what was happening when your favorite song was on the radio? We do and take you back every Saturday night.

Forgotten 45
What ever happened to the Rovers? Do you remember the song, "If It Wasn't for Memories?" Who did that? How big a hit was it? "Big" Jon digs up those songs on Saturday nights.

Classic Country News
If you find it hard to keep up with what's going on with your favorite "Cool Classic" artist, then tune in Saturday nights at 8.

Story Behind the Song
Country songs are often known as "story songs." They also have their own stories. Who inspired the Merle Haggard song "Sing Me Back Home?" What song did Bill Anderson write on the roof of a Georgia hotel while in college? Do you know which Patsy Cline song was an old fiddle tune with no lyrics to start with? Find out Saturday nights on the "Cool Classics."

Saturday Night Cool Classics with "Big" Jon... 8pm on 103.3 WAKG.