Olden Goldies

Thanks to the magazine and Jonathan Gold for his eulogy to FM station KNAC (“The Day the Music Died,” March 19). With so many radio stations sounding the same these days, KNAC was truly an original.

The station may be gone, but among its fans, it will never be forgotten.

Brian Cooper

Burbank

*

Like Gold, I was dismayed when KNAC changed formats and felt that L.A. radio was the worse for it. But that was back in 1986, when “Rock ‘n’ Rhythm Radio” became “Pure Rock.” The recently deceased KNAC played rock by musicians who seemed reluctant to acknowledge the African roots of their music. I do not miss the last incarnation of KNAC.

Robert McMillin

Garden Grove

*

It’s nice to hear from other disenfranchised Pure Rockers. Since Feb. 15, my life has been quite dull and boring, and the commutes have been lifeless. I was a longtime listener of KNAC. At one of the last T-shirt sales, a guy I was hanging out with put it best: “Girls came and went, you would make new friends and sometimes lose old ones, life had its ups and downs, but the music was always there.”

Now, all I have to remind me of the good old days is a wall of Pure Rock memorabilia and 35 hours of recorded music from before KNAC went off the air. I hope my car’s cassette deck doesn’t break.

Phil Lazarus

Culver City

*

Personally, I found the demise of classical music station KFAC a few years ago more significant than the recent folding of rock station KNAC, Gold’s plaintive protestations notwithstanding. His eulogy, which frequently called for an English translation, failed to stir me at all. The “music” he mourns has moved me--but only to change the dial.

Gerry Baur

Ojai