Terry Evans

Why he prefers to live in St. Albert

Few voices in local radio are as familiar as that of Terry Evans, a weekday morning fixture on K-97, hosting a popular show with sidekick Pete Potipcoe, while spinning hits by legendary acts from AC/DC to ZZ Top.

But his duties have often included remote gigs, such as the time Evans broadcast live his skydiving stunt that landed him in Edmonton’s John Ducey Park (now Telus Field) baseball stadium with the game ball. He has also walked on hot coals on the same field at a game hosted by the now-defunct Edmonton Trappers. He’s also raced stock cars, performed marathon stints on-air, and lived in a trailer until the food he collected for Edmonton’s Food Bank took up so much room, that the mounting mass pushed him out of the space.

Evans literally garnered additional exposure via a nude photo spread in a 1993 feature in the Edmonton Sun, a feat he repeated nearly two decades later in a racy K-97 billboard ad.

Of all the crazy things, I guess people might think appearing nude on an outdoor billboard advertising campaign might also be considered ‘outrageous.

said Evans

Evans might be one of FM radio’s most recognizable voices in Edmonton, but it’s in St. Albert where the veteran disc jockey calls home. Hailing from Creston B.C. where he nabbed his first radio gig as a teen, Evans worked in Lethbridge before scoring a slot at K-97 in Edmonton in 1986. He says he and his family had since lived in every corner of the city and acreages near Devon, Sherwood Park and Gibbons, until they found their ideal lifestyle match in St. Albert.

We’ve lived in all different areas of St. Albert with and without our kids as well. We love it here. The friendships we have with the people here are probably the biggest reason.

Evans said.

“Being a part of the community, especially when our kids were school-aged, was a big part of our focus through the 2010s. That aspect is still exciting and fulfilling and staying physically active in St. Albert is very fun. It’s great to walk or bike around neighbourhoods to see the growth of the city and the pride people have in living here. We also love supporting local businesses in hopes that they thrive here. It’s always exciting to see a new business pop up.”

St. Albert may have provided the ideal setting for Evans and his wife to raise their two children, it may have also played some part in keeping the deejay grounded. Despite being well-known as a radio personality, Evans stresses the need to be relatable in order to connect with his audience. “I’m a pretty regular guy who says what’s on his mind quite often before I think about how it’s coming out of my mouth,” he says. “I have real emotions, good and bad, where people can listen to me and not always agree, but at least appreciate a sense of a genuine human being as opposed to a big phony.”

Keeping it real is likely one reason why Evans still prospers on the airwaves after nearly five decades behind the mic. Save for a five-year stint at rival broadcaster The Bear and a brief entrepreneurial venture in the trucking industry, most of that time has been with K-97. Through it all, he’s weathered everything from rollercoaster ratings and media consolidation to format and personnel changes. But as radio faces bigger challenges these days, much of it from online social media and streaming services, Evans believes the medium will remain relevant.

I’m a pretty regular guy who says what’s on my mind quite often before I think about how it’s coming out of my mouth.

Terry Evans

“People will always come back to the radio,” he said.

“It’s free. It’s immediate. It’s companionship. It’s a source of information, especially in an emergency. Even if you’ve never met the person, it’s a familiar friend if the person on the radio is doing it right. And if you turn it on before you leave the house, you will know whether or not you need to take a coat or a different route to your destination.”

And with more musical genres jockeying to grab audience attention, Evans believes the classic rock he plays on K-97 has a durable enough heritage to survive, even though most of the people who created much of that material have either died or are in their twilight years.

“The people who grew up with it share it with younger generations because it truly is the best music that was ever made,” Evans noted. “The music made from 1965 to 1985 will forever be remembered as the most influential. The people making the music in those years were influenced by the pioneers like Elvis, Little Richard and others. They influenced The Beatles, The Stones, and Led Zeppelin who in turn influenced everything that came after that.”

And Evans, who turned 60 in December, has no intention of leaving the booth in K-97’s West Edmonton Mall offices anytime soon. “After 45 years in radio, I suppose I don’t need binoculars to see ‘Retirement’ anymore, but as long as people continue to listen to my show on K-97, and it remains one of the top morning shows in the market, there’s no reason to hang up the headphones just yet.” t8n