Tulsa Radio: Iconic Country Personality Billy Parker Signs-Off

Billy Parker, a five-time national country music disc jockey of the year, made his radio debut in 1959 and has been on the air continuously in Tulsa since 1971. This past week he taped his last show.

The farewell show will air twice on KXBL 99.5 FM Big Country this weekend — from 8-10 a.m. Saturday and 8-10 p.m. Sunday.

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The Tulsa World reports the 78-year-old Parker a love of music drove Parker to become a picker, singer (he turned “pro” at 14) and disc jockey. He launched his DJ career hundreds of QuikTrips ago.

The convenience store chain QT has 725 stores now. Parker started working for QT when the convenience store chain had only three stores. He was sweeping the floor at store No. 6 when he was listening to the radio and heard Ron Blue of KFMJ say the station needed a part-time disc jockey.

Parker put the broom away and asked the store manager if he could zip over to the radio station. He drove as fast as he could to get there because he didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

“It didn’t pay much, but I wanted it, and I took it,” he said.

When another DJ at the station failed to show up for work a few times, Parker was promoted to full-time status.

Parker has been on the air in Tulsa for 44 consecutive years, he thought about going for 50. But long enough is long enough. It’s time, he said.

“You know what? I feel like the best time to quit is when you are ahead,” he said. “I feel like I’m ahead from the standpoint of friendship and everything else.” He said he has worked for four corporations since he started with KVOO in ’71 and has never been dissatisfied with anyone.

But Parker thinks it’s a shame that, with the exception of stations like KXBL, you don’t hear songs by great artists like Price anymore. He said he would have continued to play the “old” country he cherishes, with management’s blessing, if he had stuck around.

“But in my mind and in my heart I knew it was time to leave because of all the changes — not in management and not in anything except the music and the lacking of the older (artists). The younger demographics, you know, are running the show.”