Radio Daze

Warning: That resonant baritone voice booming out of the KTYD airwaves may trigger pangs of déjà vu for long-in-the-tooth Santa Barbarans. Yes, that is the comforting and wit-lined sound of Zeb Norris, one of the pioneering voices of Santa Barbara’s beloved “classic rock” station — founded in the heyday of the FM “album rock” revolution, before the term and concept of “classic rock” was even a gleam in our eyes. 

Norris began his radio life and career at the then-fledgling KTYD back in May 1976, and after years of traipsing around America’s radio and literal landscape, he has made a grand homecoming return. His journey through an assortment of radio jobs, from Sacramento to Spokane to San Francisco and Vermont for the past 18 years, steered him back to Santa Barbara recently, lured back to the fold with the offer of a job at KTYD. 

“New England is so beautiful and charming,” he said, “with a deep sense of community. We had a great time, but my wife is born and raised in Santa Barbara, so not long ago, we came back here for non-work-related reasons for a change, and then the new KTYD gig magically opened up.

“I actually started my alleged career at KTYD in 1976, and now I’m coming home. What a long, strange trip it’s been.”

One morning last week, Norris and his affable Morning Mojo drive partner and veteran KTYD presence Lin Aubuchon were diving into psychedelic rock gems (“White Rabbit,” “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida”) while fielding answers to the question “What animal can a python eat whole?” The prize for the lucky public winner calling in was tickets to see Chicago in the Vina Robles Amphitheater. No, it wasn’t a capybara or a pig — although Norris graciously conceded that a pig had less hair, so would go down easier. 

I had to get back to word work before discovering the actual answer (as happens to working morning radio listeners), but it was comforting to hear Norris’s voice once again. Morning drive radio, on real time/human-driven terrestrial airwaves, remains a last bastion of community interface, and the Zeb and Lin show is a warming welcome mat to Santa Barbara’s morning.

Tracing his roots, Norris spoke about being born and raised in Berkeley, “which was politically tumultuous and musically exciting.” Among seminal experiences, he remembers winning tickets to see the Beatles, in what turned out to be their final live performance, at Candlestick Park in 1955. “That was my first concert. Led Zeppelin played at my high school. Bill Graham threw me out of Winterland personally. Stuff like that. 

“And of course, there was ‘underground’ FM Radio. There was always music in the house, and lots of radio.”

After a family move to Santa Barbara, he was drawn to this new radio phenom in town, KTYD. “There was nothing like the San Francisco FM stations in town until KTYD went progressive/free-form in 1973,” he said. “I made friends with the staff and weaseled my way onto the air staff as the emergency late-night fill-in guy. 

“The station was a riot in those days, with so many talented people and great shows. I was super lucky to start there. At that time, KTYD and the News & Review (which would later merge with another paper to become the Independent) were the cultural expressions of the counterculture. It was exactly where I wanted to be, but I never thought I’d make it my career. It just turned out that way.”

Back in KTYD’s salad days, the meat-and-potatoes playlist of what became the “classic rock” roster — songs that can now qualify as oldies — was steaming fresh and new. Norris is circumspect about the shifting status of the format’s categorically vintage music. “Media is so much more fragmented now,” he pointed out. “Classic rock is a good slice of the spectrum and a good fit for me. It reflects a particularly vibrant era of music, the album era, and given my experiences, it’s a natural fit. I played this music when it was new and enjoy sharing my crazy stories about the music and the artists. 

“I’m still just a fan who talked his way in.” 

Enter his current Morning Mojo day job. Is Norris a morning person by nature? “I can deal with mornings,” he says. “It’s the only time of day where we can do what we do: spontaneous live radio with audience involvement. That’s a morning thing. 

“I’ve wanted to do a show with Lin for years. We’re old friends, and I think it shows on the air. I have a ton of respect for what she’s done over the years to keep the thread of KTYD’s heritage alive. She’s an unsung hero. But she’s too down to earth to toot her own horn. It’s still a rush to do live radio, and she’s a great partner.

“My main mission is the same as always: do my best to be an upbeat, positive presence, sharing lots of fantastic music for our community.” 

Listen online at bit.ly/4tloqVm.