Terry Nelson is from Modesto, CA. His radio career began at KFIV (K5), Modesto. Bob De Leon recalls meeting Terry for the first time. When he first started at K5, Bob was working on the air from 8:00pm to 1:00am. K5 used to sign off at 1:00am, and come back on the air at 6:00am. Within the year, they went to 24 hours a day programing, so Bob’s shift was from 8:00pm – 12 midnight, and a brand new DJ by the name of Terry Nelson started working from 12 midnight to 6:00am. Gary Culver, Program Director, asked Bob to assist the “new” DJ in getting used to the equipment and familiar with station’s operations. Bob describes Terry as being one of the wittiest and funniest people he had met! Not only that, he had an infectious laugh. Bob said when he was listening to Terry’s show and Terry started laughing, he would start laughing too, it was unavoidable. Bob has many stories about Terry Nelson and their experiences at K5, but he sums it up by repeating what everyone who has known Terry says, he was a super talented air personality…a good, honest, fun-filled friend.
After KFIV Terry graced the air at many stations with his infectious laugh and impeccable timing. He did stints at KJOY, KROY, KRAK, KXOA, KHYL, KCTC, KFI and KFRC in California and WXLO in New York.
Terry passed away unexpectedly but peacefully at home on May 26, 2020.
Terry Nelson – 1972- KJOY 1280, Stockton (Courtesy of the Nelson family: Constance Nelson, Tricia Nelson-Milburn, Natasha Kapali)
Terry Nelson – Compilation of airchecks through the years from WXLO, New York, KROY, Sacramento, KFI, Los Angeles and KFRC, San Francisco (Many thanks to Bryan Simmons for sharing these memories of Terry with the Modesto Radio Museum).
Terry Nelson – KXOA, Scaramento – 1980 (Courtesy of the Nelson family: Constance Nelson, Tricia Nelson-Milburn, Natasha Kapali)
Terry Nelson at KFRC, San Francisco in 1980 (Courtesy of the Nelson family: Constance Nelson, Tricia Nelson-Milburn, Natasha Kapali)
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After KFIV Terry graced the air at many stations with his infectious laugh and impeccable timing. He did stints at KJOY, 
This is Rick Myers. With love I called him “Terry Nelson, M.G.F., my great friend.” It seems everybody thought Terry was their great friend; he had the innate quality of likeability. That likeability spoke through the microphone. We worked at KFIV in ’68 and ’69. Terry thought “Radio Rick” was a cute name, and that’s all he called me, and it caught on. Fifty-two years later, my friends still call me Radio. Thanks, Terry
In ‘72, he’s at KROY, and I’m in the Air Force, stationed at Mather. Of course, we hung out together. One day, Chuck Roy, the program director, assigns Terry the job of writing the station’s flip cards, promoting contests, DJs, and on-air features. So, Terry says “Hey Radio, you want to write these?” He knew I was dying to do anything related to radio. He would give me the topics, and from the barracks, I’m writing the most-clever liner cards I could. Chuck Roy thought Terry was a genius, and I was sort of back in radio. Thanks, Terry.
He wrote me thank you letters. He wrote the way he talked, “Hey, what do ya know, Radio?”
He invited me to their wedding. Terry made people feel so special. I tell this story often: In the reception line, he saw me and my date, and it was “Wow! Look at you two! You look like Hollywood celebrities. Man, you make our wedding look even better. Thanks for being here!! You’re making this wedding look like a big deal!” Terry said stuff like that, and he said it all the time. He lived that way; he lived that way all the time. Forever, he is Terry Nelson, my great friend. Thanks, Terry.
—Radio Rick Myers
I hung on to these airchecks for decades. When Terry passed it seemed like the right time to air them out so to speak, nice to hear them here.
Bryan Simmons I have been working with Constance Nelson to get these up on the Modesto Radio Museum site, she mentioned that the airchecks were from you. Thank you so much for sharing these memories with all of us.
You’re welcome, it’s just nice to know that others will get to hear one of the smoothest to ever crack a mic.
High dereck wearing my name is mike throne a long time native modesto i used to listen to kfive when it was rock
Do u know if they are going to
Put streams of old music and djs online
Hi Michael. Thanks for your interest in the Modesto Radio Museum. At this time we have no plans to stream old music or DJ’s but you never know what the future might bring.
I loved listening to these! Thx so much for sharing. I’m 56 and grew up listening to Terry on KROY, KFRC, and KXOA. I have some fun audio to share: as a junior high schooler in the late 70’s, I called Top 40 stations across the US, and asked DJ’s to do a station ID for me over the phone, so I could record it. They all gave me permission, including Terry. My goal was to get Dancin’ Danny Wright, who had left Sacto to be in Seattle at KJR. I’ll upload it to YouTube and then get you the link.
Jim, It’s nice hearing from a true lover of radio, and of our own Terry Nelson. Terry was instantly likeable; I know of at least a dozen people who considered Terry to be their best friend. Your collection of Station IDs from jocks around America was a great idea. We’d love to hear them. “Airchecks” is one of the Museum’s most-reviewed sections. Thanks again to Derek Waring for retrieving, editing, and digitizing these true radio treasures; I’m sure it was a labor of love. Let us know when your Station IDs are available.
–Rick Myers, Museum President
As a teen, I used to call in to his show on 99X in NY. He was a really nice guy to me and my sister. I found him a few years later after moving to LA and spoke with him; he remembered us. It was great chatting with him again. I’m sad to see that he’s gone.