Norm Gregory’s good friend, Gary “Shannon” Burleigh, sent to QZVX a video that Norm made about a year and a half prior to his passing. This aircheck captured Norm’s last air shift at KZOK-FM. This was from June 1979. At the time, the station was owned by Sterling Recreation Organization. Norm was moving on, he had taken another gig in Portland. But we all know he was at heart a Seattle guy.
The audio quality is excellent and you’ll hear the voices of Norm, Bob Hovanes and others. Norm fleshed out his soundtrack with some great personal photos he collected in his time at KZOK.
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Two Voices Remembered
Mike B Barer • September 13, 2026
Holvanes and Norm may be a team in the great beyond. Sonics have left, too. KZOK, still around.
KJR-FM
Steven Smith • September 8, 2026
Norm worked for a short time at KJR-FM prior to KOMO. I worked for SRO for many years. Knew several of the KZOK managers. The company usually had a head of the broadcast division…Rod Louden, Bruce Johnson, Jack Bankson and Cliff Hunter…and SRO owner Fred Danz and VP Jerry Vitus were not timid. I suspect that any format change Norm carried out came from the top down. He might have taken the fall for lack of success. SRO cranked through managers. I knew Norm earlier, when he was the KZOK PD, and I know he loved the late 70s rock format and the tight connection with Heart.
Norm turned KZOK in a Soft Rock format
Kento • September 8, 2026
When Norm came back to become GM of KZOK, he changed the format to Soft Rock, but it failed and cost Norm his job. I think shortly after that he became afternoon personality on KOMO and was highly successful and was there over a decade.
Jason Remington • September 1, 2020
KZOK has a larger playlist now. I believe around 200 songs, from the sound of it. 🙂 Zeppelin ad nauseum
Edgar Bennett • September 1, 2020
I understand that Norm could not get along with the new GM. He came back 10 months later to be the new GM at KZOK.
Jack D. Bell • September 1, 2020
As I remember, KZOK was sort of the “oldies station for aging hippies!”….I have often wondered as to why there are no stations playing the “real” oldies…you know, from the 50s and early 60s….My guess is, the target audience for such music is dying off!…Yikes!…Anyway. I got tired of hearing Stairway to Heaven every other hour, and stopped listening to KZOK in the 80s.
Steven Smith • September 1, 2020
According to Tom Murphy and Dick Stark….Norm stood 6-5.
Jack D. Bell • September 1, 2020
I do remember Norm’s mellow voice…man, he must have been tall, he towers over everyone in those photos…why did he move to Portland radio?….contract issues, ratings, etc?…and it sounds like he expired at an early age?