In the Prairie Cajun Capital of the World lives a radio station founded by a music and culture preservationist. The music touches the spirit, the soul, and perhaps the universe too.
We ventured to Eunice where music is preserved by Paul Marx founder of KBON Radio. He’s mostly retired now, but that doesn’t stop him from his passion.
"My job now is pretty much taking care of the music," says Marx. "And I work real hard to get good music for our listeners."
He particularly loves independent artists, and they’re welcome to walk in any time!
"Right now if somebody walks in, with a CD and they’re passing the circuit and they come in. We’re going to sit them down. Some of the stories are pretty interesting when you get these guys on the road. So yeah, we don’t turn any musician down. That’s real radio in my opinion."
He recalls a time when a young Hunter Hayes visited and didn’t understand the concept of the "B" side of a 45!
"He played ‘Johnny Can’t Dance’ by Wayne Toups. And I said, ‘Oh, I said, did you know that I wrote the other side of that song? You know, the other side of the record of Johnny Can’t Dance. The other side of the record is ‘Every Day is Mother’s Day’. I wrote that song. He just had deer in headlights…"
As older musicians pass to the other side Paul cherishes the voice recordings that keep them alive.
"And especially if you have a line. ‘Hi, this is Beau Jocque you’re listening to KBON 101.1.’ You know! That’s going to live long here!"
Deceased musicians and other spirits are known to pay a visit to KBON from time to time.
"Uh, they say she’s eight or nine years old. She has a long white dress and long blond hair. He saw a kid skipping and this little kid would skip across and he thought it might have been one of my grandchildren. Maybe my daughter had come and he didn’t see her and she brings her kids sometimes. Nobody here but him!"
And she’s been known to freak out a couple of DJs.
"He was quite startled," says Marx. "I think that’s why we started keeping paper towels in the DJ booth!"
Even some old friends have come back to say hi!
"She said, ‘he’s here.’ I said, ‘yeah?’ Yeah, he’s at the door. And he just wants me to tell you how proud he is of you. And thank you for still playing this music."
Paul is also a UFO enthusiast with his own personal encounters. It’s probably the music touching all of us, the spiritual world, and the heavens above!
KATC may have had a ghostly encounter of our own at KBON Radio. Watch the video below to see if you catch a glimpse of the specter.
