(1998) Robert L. Scott’s Love For Radio Spanned 30-Year Career

Apr 22, 1998/Carole Beers (Seattle Times) — Robert L. Scott made news in the mid-1970s as Seattle’s first African-American deejay on a Top-40 radio station – KJR-AM (950).

In a 30-year radio career, he filled a variety of jobs at other stations.

But he brought imagination and intensity to whatever he attempted, says his wife of 13 years, Vivian Phillips, whose “True Colors” show is aired on local television stations.

Mr. Scott died April 15 of heart failure. He was 44.

There was no way radio would not be part of Robert L. Scott’s life.

As a child riding around Seattle in his parent’s car, he would stare at radio towers. He always had music stations playing.

At age 14, he talked the manager of the University of Washington’s radio station KUOW-FM (94.9) into letting him host a weekend jazz show. By year’s end, he also was hosting a show on the now-defunct black-owned radio station KYAC-AM/FM…

Frank Barrow, KYAC program and music director, hired him.

“He reminded me a lot of myself when I started,” Barrow said. “When other guys were out playing basketball, I was bugging people at radio stations.”

By the time he graduated from Rainier Beach High School, he was a KYAC morning host. He became program, music and news director, filling an air shift, then doing the news under his alias, “Jack Friday.”

Later he was a newsman for KOMO-AM (1000), sales manager for the former KKFX (K-FOX) and announcer for KEZX-AM (1150) and the defunct KZAM. He was a deejay at KJR, when the station had a Top-40 format, from 1972 to 1974.

Most recently he worked for Entercom Seattle, handling sales for Classic KING-FM (98.1) and KNWX-AM (770). When Mr. Scott moved into sales, he became a reliable connection for black-owned businesses…

“I’m a whole lot more open on the air that I am in person,” he once told a newspaper reporter. “I feel freer and happier.”

A K-FOX/KYAC tribute station RAINIER AVENUE RADIO