ROQ Crusher

Building The Perfect Beast.

- Jeremy Cook

Here in Southern California there is a little radio station called KROQ that had extremely humble beginnings during the late 70's in not much more than a converted basement. Over the years and through the various phases of new wave, Brit pop, grunge, and just about anything else that you could file under modern rock or alternative music, that station has become the authority on the genre, to the point that stations around the world watch which songs make the KROQ playlist and promptly add them to their own.

Another noteworthy achievement of the station is that they have one of the longest-running morning shows in the country. Those of you from beyond the airwaves may not readily recognize the name of The Kevin & Bean Show, but when you learn that the careers of Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Carolla, and many others were launched from there, it puts things into perspective.

KROQ’s own Jay Tilles, known better as Lightning, has a similar story. He had humble beginnings in Orange County as a kid who was into all things audio, including big systems in mini-trucks and other vehicles, which is how he got his start in both the world of music and vehicle customization. His interests set him onto a path that led him through a long line of highly customized vehicles and to a career in radio. Jay started more than 20 years ago as the whipping boy for the morning show, who was constantly being asked to do absurd things (driving to the North Pole for a Christmas tree comes to mind) and evolved into a ton of producer credits and his own time slot. He’s also the driving force behind many of the cool stories found at kroq.com.