Longtime local DJ Randy Twidwell, who goes by Randy Haines on the air, will retire in December after almost 40 years. He's worked at every radio station in the Gorge during his career.
Twidwell, better known as DJ Randy Haines, will retire from KACI in December. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia and more recently with Alzheimer’s.
Twidwell began the Neon Nights concert series with his wife and friends Shannon Milburn, Lamont Jones, Steve Hinatsu and a few others. The first Neon Nights concert came in 1994 with headliners The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Longtime local DJ Randy Twidwell, who goes by Randy Haines on the air, will retire in December after almost 40 years. He's worked at every radio station in the Gorge during his career.
THE DALLES — It’s morning at KACI. As the song nears its conclusion, he leans forward into the microphone. At just the right moment, leaving not a wisp of dead air, Randy Twidwell undergoes a transformation. He becomes Randy Haines (Haines was his mother’s maiden name), the friendly disc jockey whose voice has graced the airwaves in the Mid-Columbia for nearly 40 years.
His career has taken him to every radio station in The Dalles, Hood River and Goldendale. Along the way, he spun his DJ magic at hundreds of events, from reunions to weddings to parties. He has also been a promoter, bringing nationally known rock and country performers to The Dalles in his and wife Tracy’s popular Neon Nights series.
Twidwell and his many Neon Nights concert series posters.
Rodger Nichols photo
All of that is about to end.
Sometime in December, Twidwell will hang up his headphones and retire from the radio business. Not because he wants to, but because he has to. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia and more recently with Alzheimer’s. It has become increasingly complicated for him to continue, and rather than try to squeeze every last moment possible, he will leave on a high note.
He has much to be proud of in his career. In a recent interview, he looked back on those years, and said it all began with a question he asked of the right person at the right time. “I was pumping gas for Steve Garrett and Gary Hill at Shortstop Market & Gas by Cousins,” he said. “This was in 1983 or 1984, and one day I was pumping gas for Don Maxwell, who worked at KACI, and I jokingly said, ‘What does a guy have to do to get into radio?’ He said to come see him at the station, and the owners Burns and Joanne Nugent hired me for a part-time job, working 6 p.m. to midnight.”
Randy Twidwell was inducted into The Dalles Booster Club Athletic Hall of Fame this summer.
Contributed photo
Twidwell said that he was always more of an athlete than a student. In high school, he wrestled in two state championship finals, won medals in state track and field and played football. He followed that with a lot of middle and high school coaching. That experience also taught him about setting goals and working to achieve them. This past summer, he was inducted into The Dalles Booster Club Athletic Hall of Fame.
He tells a story about wanting to punt for a college. “I even spoke personally to the legendary Rich Brooks at the University of Oregon,” he said. “But I would’ve needed to be enrolled in school spring term in order to be eligible to play in the fall and I wasn’t up for that.”
Instead, he went to what was then Treaty Oak Community College in The Dalles, and got enough credits to transfer to Portland State, which allowed athletes to walk on in the fall. There he signed up for 13 hours of classes, but only attended one class one time. “They told me I was in the wrong class, somehow I ended up in a undergraduate class and I never went back,” he said. But he did make the team and punted for the Portland State Vikings that season. “I had a lot of fun and accomplished my goal of punting at the college level,” he said.
The exposure from his radio job led to a side career providing DJ services for local events, and from there to concert promoting. At first it was local and regional bands at the Eagles Lodge and other local venues.
His next move would end up entertaining thousands of local and regional music fans for years to come.
“I sat down with my wife, good friends Shannon Milburn, Lamont Jones, Steve Hinatsu and a few other friends, and we decided to do it,” he said. “We couldn’t afford A-list artists, but we didn’t want to do anything mediocre, either. We figured there were reputable bands that weren’t classified as oldies acts out there still touring, and who still had most of their original members.”
Twidwell began the Neon Nights concert series with his wife and friends Shannon Milburn, Lamont Jones, Steve Hinatsu and a few others. The first Neon Nights concert came in 1994 with headliners The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Rodger Nichols photo
To book those bands for the annual event they dubbed “Neon Nights,” Twidwell said they opened the phone book and put down a finger at random. “We were lucky to make a connection with Jack Roberts Company in Bothell, Wash. They were the premier booking agency in the Northwest, and they took us under their wing.”
For all of the Neon Nights shows, Twidwell would request bands they wanted to have headline the shows, and due to the buying power that Jack Roberts had, they would simply route those bands into the many major fairs they were buying talent for in the Northwest. The first Neon Nights concert came in 1994 with headliners The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and supporting acts Moe Dixon, Malibu and Mickey Lawless and the Young Guns.
“We weren’t in it to make money,” he said. “But after a while it was about not losing it. When you’re writing checks for headliners for $25K show costs climb to $50K-60K pretty easy. We wanted to do something for the community. We felt there was a need and we filled that need.”
As a result, in the next decade, local audiences were treated to rockers Eddie Money, Loverboy, April Wine, 38 Special, Little River Band and Night Ranger, plus country stars Diamond Rio, Hal Ketchum and Ty Herndon. Looking out at the crowds and seeing the smiles on their faces made it all worthwhile.”
Twidwell, better known as DJ Randy Haines, will retire from KACI in December. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia and more recently with Alzheimer’s.
Rodger Nichols photo
But that’s not all. “Beside the radio and concerts gigs, Randy has helped hundreds of couples getting married,” said Twidwell’s longtime friend and Y-102 owner Shannon Milburn. “Early on he learned he was more than just the DJ for the wedding. He was a master at walking couples and their families through the whole ceremony from the start to finish of the reception. He understood the flow and how it needed to go in order for it to be an event to be remembered. That was why he was always in demand in this area.”
KODL Owner Al Wynn added, “Randy worked at KODL several times and has had a great career in the business. I know it’s not how we all wanted to see it end. Looking forward to our great relationship. Love you, man.”
And KACI manager Tammy Dirks put it this way: “Randy is one of a kind, that’s certain. His talents on the air are top notch and what he’s brought to the community will always be remembered. The last 15 years that we’ve worked together at Bicoastal Media have been a ton of fun. We all will miss him tremendously!”
After December, radio in The Dalles will never be the same.
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