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KRAB's Last Night - April 15, 1984

The agreement for the sale of KRAB to Sun Belt Communications was executed Friday April 13, 1984. You can read about it in The Radio Papers available from Mho & Mho Works for cheap and elsewhere for more.

Then, on Sunday the 15th, Catherine Taylor was a few minutes into her show “The Music Room” when several people arrived at the 23rd and Jackson studios.  They explained her program would be pre-empted, so as to air a special program commemorating the last night of KRAB.  The program participants included station founders Lorenzo Milam, Gary and Marguerite Margason, and John Gallant, JSMF Trustee Libby Sinclair, Bob West, Tiny Freeman, Phil Bannon, Paul Dorpat, and others.

Audio of the......was it a wake? Lots of funny stories and giggling

There are two versions of The Last Night: The first was recorded by Paul Dorpat over air from his home, on cassettes. Because the cassettes span several hours, but only record 45 minutes per side, Pauls' recording has missing content when he turned the cassette over, or put a new one in his recorder.

The second version was made by Bob West in the KRAB control room. It is just the Founders and Friends reminiscing recorded on a 10 inch reel, is complete without missing content, and is 4 minutes longer than the Dorpat version.

On both versions presented below, the content preceeding and following the Founders and Friends is from Paul Dorpat's recordings of programs heard during the last week (Apr 7 to Apr 17, 1984) of KRAB.

Listen now Listen now - The Last Night - with Paul Dorpat version of Founders and Friends - Apr 15, 1984 (164:01)Tapelabel

Photos and off-the-air recording of KRAB's last night of broadcast at 23rd and Jackson courtesy of Paul Dorpat.

Listen now Listen now - The Last Night - with Bob West version of Founders and Friends - Apr 15, 1984 (167:55)

Recording immediately above courtesy estate of Bob West.

9:00 pm - The Music Room – Kathryn Taylor (18:26)

9:20 pm - KRAB Founders and Friends: Lorenzo Milam, Gary Margason, Jonathan Gallant, Marguerite Margason, Tiny Freeman, Libby Sinclair, Paul Dorpat, Phil Bannon, Bob West. Talking about 22 years of KRAB (94:59 on Dorpat version; 98:53 on West version)

11:00 pm - Resumption of The Music Room (47:42)

04/16/84 - 1:33 am - The Last signoff - With the observations of Paul Dorpat (2:54)

Photos and off-the-air recording of KRAB's last night of broadcast at 23rd and Jackson courtesy of Paul Dorpat.

KRAB's last night, courtesy Paul Dorpat

Left to right, Marguerite Margason, John Gallant, Bob West, Phil Bannon, Lorenzo Milam (foreground). That's the same Neumann microphone featured here.


KRAB's last night, courtesy Paul Dorpat

Bob West, Phil, Lorenzo


KRAB's last night, courtesy Paul Dorpat

Left to right, Lorenzo (foreground), Tiny Freeman, Libby Sinclair, Paul Dorpat, Marguerite


KRAB's last night, courtesy Paul Dorpat

Gary Margason (left), Tiny, Lorenzo, Marguerite


KRAB's last night, courtesy Paul Dorpat

Into the dark night...................

(Resisting the temptation to invoke Saint John of the Cross here.....)


This clipping is from The Seattle Times Tuesday April 17, 1984. Note the comment about how the new owners, Sun Belt, will be assembling a "professional staff".

KRAB radio pulls the plug


If you possess any souvenirs (program guides, tapes, or photos) or have a story about your experience with KRAB you are willing to share, please email archive@krabarchive.com

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