Meet Ron “Buddy” Budnik

        Buddy in 1965                             Ron Budnik today

“Buddy” Budnik came to KFXM in 1964.  “I was in the Army at Ft. Lewis, Washington, in the Public Information Office producing radio programs for the U.S. Army.  Before that I was at KACY in Oxnard, and before that I was at KRLA working as a gopher after school (Pasadena City College).

"At KFXM, I worked Midnight to 6:00 AM, but then also worked some evenings and some other shifts.”

Few people know that Ron used his real name, Ron Budnik, until Don Elliot suggested “Buddy.”

"When he left KFXM, Ron writes, “I was hired by Bill Watson to go to K/men where I worked Midnight to 6:00 am, then moved to 7:00 PM to Midnight, and was the Music Director while at K/men.”

After that,”I moved to Los Angeles to do weekends at KDAY.  In 1965-66, I worked in the music business as a west coast record promotion man for Mercury Records (working with Leslie Gore, Johnny Mathis, Keith, The Blues Magoos, Bobby Hebb) and then to United Artists Records, where I worked with The Spencer Davis Group, Bobby Hillsboro and many other artists. 

“I then went on to writing, then on to music publishing, and became a record producer from 1968 to 1974, working independently for various labels, including Columbia Records, then on to RCA Records.  I became the Music Director at KRLA in 1973 when we introduced a new format called Future Rock, which was a new format that introduced new music, playing the hits before they were hits and before any other stations would play them.  We were the first station in a major market to play Springsteen, Loggins and Messina, Barry White and a lot of other artists. 

“I edited the first version of Emir Deodato's Theme from 2001 - A Space Odyssey -Also Sprach Zarathustra, which became a major hit single.  I never got paid for it, but they gave me a gold record.  Whoopee!

“Today I'm a broker, investor and currently lease and sell industrial buildings, along with my interests in a couple of technology and telecom companies.

“Travel is one of my favorite interests.  I keep an apartment in Paris, livethere as much as time will allow. 

“My main hobby:  I'm into cars.   My other hobbies are mostly travel, eating well, and good wine, having studied food, wine and oenology.  I'm somewhat a patron of the arts with memberships at the LACMA and the Metropolitan in New York, along with spending any extra moments at the Louvre in Paris.  I like the Impressionists, the Post Impressionists, and I appreciate the Dutch and Flemish Masters, along with Picasso, any year.

When asked what his favorite songs are, Buddy replied, "There are just too many great songs to land on just one.  One that always comes to mind is:  You Can't Always Get What You Want by the Stones, Stairway to Heaven, It's All In The Game, Tears On My Pillow, I Only Have Eyes For You, or perhaps The One by Elton John.  I'm still looking for her.  A Favorite?  Check my mood and the time of day.  There's way too much good music to give it all to one. "

Ron Remembers

“While I was working at KFXM, the Chief Engineer was Ron Smith.  His wife's name was Sharon. 

“There was also a very attractive girl who worked at KFXM in programming -- her name was also Sharon.  I always thought she was hot and I flirted with her whenever I had a chance, mostly when I had to come in to work during the day to do production.  (All the jocks at the station had to do production as a part of the job.  Production is really just recording local commercials and public service announcements). 

“Anyway, I really wanted to go out with her, but the jocks were not allowed to fraternize with the office staff.  One night, when I came in for my midnight to six shift, one of the guys handed me a note that said ‘Ron, call Sharon at home’.  It was late, but I decided I'd better call because it might have been important AND it was a good excuse to call and talk to her! 

“I got her number from the front desk.  When I called, she said that she'd never called and that she never left a message for me.  It must have been a mistake.  We had a long conversation, and, through my persistence, we ended up making a date for dinner. 

“We didn't find out until much later that the message that was handed to me was intended for Ron Smith, the engineer, from his wife Sharon!

“The Sharon I called ended up being my girlfriend for several years.  We lived together in L.A. for awhile and we stayed friends all through the years until she passed away of cancer a few years ago -- way too young.

“Those were all great years at KFXM and KMEN. I met some terrific people and still have some great friends from that period of time.  Don Elliot, Gene Gleason, Johnny Darin, Jim Conniff and my good friend and roommate (the late) Mark Denis, along with many others.  By the way, I met Jim Conniff again at Columbia Records when he was Sly Stone's recording engineer.

“There were some great girls as well, but I'm not at liberty to say who and when and where, but I'll never forget them, or the things we did together!”