Jim Stricklan

Jim Stricklan (Aug. 8, 1947), a native Texan, grew up near Big Spring. As a teen, he spent countless hours listening to radio, writing songs, and learning to play guitar. He started his first rock band, The Mojo Hand, with keys player Sally Townes in 1967. Stricklan became a licensed broadcaster at KBYG before earning his BA in Mass Communications from Texas Tech. In the '70s he began building a dual career of radio and performing that has since spanned over fourty years.

Stricklan moved to Denver in 1971, spending fifteen years performing at local clubs and coffee houses while working as an on-air personality at various radio stations in the Mile-High City, namely KBPI, KIMN, KERE and KBRQ. In 1976 he was one of eleven artists featured on the KBPI Colorado Album. He also d.j.'d at legendary rock station KLOL-FM in Houston from 1979 to '80. It was there that he recorded his first album, Whereabouts Unknown.

During the 1980s, the Colorado Country Music Foundation voted Jim Best Country DJ for three consecutive years and inducted him into the CMF Hall of Fame. In 1985 CASHBOX Magazine named him Major Market Country Music Programmer of the Year, and he received accolades from Westword, Daily Bread, The Denver Post, and Rocky Mountain News. In 1986 he released the country music single, Your Hiding Place.

In 1987 Jim married architect Leslie Capek and they moved to Shreveport, LA. As Director of Entertainment for the legendary country station KWKH, Stricklan hosted the New Louisiana Hayride, the Ark-La-Tex Roundup, and produced the Louisiana State Fiddlers' Championship. The Stricklans re-located to Austin, Texas in 1990, setting up a new home base for their music publishing companies Front Room Music and Kokobilly Music.

Jim Stricklan has produced music by various songwriters, including David Romero, Steve Brown, Jack Mathes and Larry Rothwell. His 2007 novel, Music Mountain (from Outskirts Press) is a popular addition to his extensive catalog of CDs and songbooks.