Long Live a King

Former 91X DJ Bryan Jones was found in his Fresno apartment on November 16. He had died two days earlier from a heart attack at age 49.

Jones and other early-'80s 91X DJs made the daily commute to their Tijuana studios.

"I drove across the international border eight miles into a neighborhood I wouldn't let my worst enemy enter!" Jones said in a 1988 interview. "The local kids, who we fed almost every morning, treated us like kings of Mexico. The drug/gun runners and all the burned-up skeletal masses of cars at the bottom of the ravine [near the studio] made me realize how easy we have it." The Mexican government began allowing Mexican-licensed stations to originate programming from the U.S. in 1989.

Jones, whose characters included the surfed-out Corky Dewd, gagging sportscaster Chatty Nelson, and lounge lizard Bobby Volare, started at 91X in 1984. He cohosted The Breakfast Club and other 91X morning shows. Upon being rehired by the station in April of 1988, Jones talked about beginning his first tour of duty at the station ('84--'86):

"I wasn't in control of my life. When I got fired, I realized I had lost the best job I ever had in my life. I lost everything because of that shit."

Jones told of how his BMW was repossessed during a 91X club night, how his life unraveled due to his crack cocaine use. The 91X program director at the time, Trip Reeb, admitted he was taking a risk. About six months later, Jones no longer worked at the station; the L.A. Times reported that he had failed a drug test.

Jones returned for three more 91X stints. He also worked at 92/5, Z-90, and 92/1 and four cyber-music companies, including MP3.com and spinrecords.com.

Dave Ezratty, vice president of Bob Baker Auto Group, does radio voice-over work. He knew Jones for 20 years.

"Listen to any XTC song, but especially 'Mayor of Simpleton,' and you have Bryan. In fact, he moved back to Fresno with the hope of becoming mayor of Fresno. He had a dream of taking that city, which was economically depressed, and turning it around. He was talking about using liberal radio and whatever else he could do to become mayor."