"Shotgun" Tom Kelly
| “Shotgun Tom” Kelly | |
|---|---|
“Shotgun Tom” Kelly in April 2010.
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| Born |
August 8, 1949 San Diego, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | radio personality, television host |
| Website | www.ShotgunTomKelly.com |
"Shotgun Tom" Kelly is the stage name of Tom Irwin, a radio and television personality, two-time Emmy award winner, Billboard Air Personality of the Year winner and recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Born in San Diego, Kelly worked at KDEO, KPRI, KGB, KCBQ, KOGO, KBZS and KFMB-FM before replacing the late Don Steele in the afternoon slot at Los Angeles oldies station KRTH-FM, K-Earth 101. In August 2015, Kelly was taken off the air and became KRTH's "Ambassador," doing personal appearances throughout Southern California. He eventually returned to the air as a weekend host. Kelly exited KRTH in November 2016.
Tom was born in San Diego, California at Mercy Hospital. He attended Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Saint John of the Cross parochial schools for his elementary years. He attended Mount Miguel High School and was the announcer for the morning bulletin. While in high school, Tom joined Junior Achievement which had a radio show on KOGO.
At 10, his mother, La Von Irwin, mentioned to Tom that there was a disc jockey doing a radio show in a shopping center in Lemon Grove, California. The disc jockey was Frank Thompson on KOGO-AM, who saw the young Tom Irwin looking through the window and interviewed him on the air. Following that experience, Tom became fascinated with radio shows, even putting together his own mock radio studio in his bedroom.
A few years later, the then 13 year-old Tom Irwin went to other radio stations and watched the disc jockeys on the air. Tom visited Radio KDEO where he met program director 'Sunny' Jim Price.
Price wanted to get a teenager's opinion on a song he was going to add to the play-list. Price played the song to Tom, who liked it. The song was “California Dreamin'” by The Mamas & The Papas. Radio KDEO was the first station in the country to play it. Price afterwards gave Tom his first job at a radio station helping with remote broadcasts.
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