Kamasami Kong
Kamasami Kong | |
---|---|
Born | Robert W. Zix 21 December 1949 Hamilton, Ohio, United States |
Other names | Bob Zix[1] |
Occupation | Disc jockey, radio personality |
Years active | 1965–present |
Career | |
Show | The Kong Show |
Station(s) | Love FM |
Time slot | 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. |
Show | Kamasami Kong Show |
Station(s) | FM Cocolo |
Time slot | 12:00 a.m.–2:00 a.m. |
Country | Japan |
Kamasami Kong (real name Robert W. Zix, born December 21, 1949[2] in Hamilton, Ohio) is an American disc jockey living in Tokyo.[3] He is active in Japan and Taiwan as well as Hawaii with the radio program "The Kong Show" on KKUI and KIKI.[4][5][6] He is also known for narrating for various city pop albums, such as for Toshiki Kadomatsu, Tatsuro Yamashita,[7] and Omega Tribe.[8][9][10]
Biography[]
Kong began his radio career in 1965 with the radio station WMOH. He moved to Hawaii in the late 70's, becoming a household name in the throughout 70’s and 80’s as Hawaii’s premiere DJ. Kong became the most listened to broadcaster on KIKI-FM while working alongside Michael W. Perry on KKUA.[11] In 1980, he became the president of Nickong Enterprises and hosted the high school talent competition Brown Bags to Stardom in 1981[12][13][14] and was the original host of the TV show Breakin’ Hawaii in 1984.[15][16]
In the early 2000's, Kong moved from Hawaii to Osaka due to frustration with the U.S. stations, where he because a DJ for FM802 while being sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors. He wasn't allowed to be streamed except for a KTUH alumni show.[17]
From April 2005 to March 2006, Kong was the host of the show Ride On Saturday alongside Charles St. Anthony, which interviewed Swing Out Sister, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Pussycat Dolls, Akon, Ne-Yo, Olivia Newton-John and Bananarama.[18] In August 2007, he launched the radio show Official Hawaii Podcast for Japanese listeners with Peter Williams and Dave Erdman.[19]
After 8 and a half years, his Osaka show was cancelled after Mitsubishi Motors pulled funds for the show, and Kong created a podcasting show while starting to write for a column for the Japanese magazine Metropolis.[20] He has also opened up a food chain in Taiwan called Kona Connection.[21]
Filmography[]
Film[]
Year | Film | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | Big Wave | Narrator | [22] |
Television[]
Year(s) | Show | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1978 – 2004 | Hawaiian Moving Company | Host | [23] |
1980 | Brown Bags to Stardom | [12] | |
1984 | Breakin' Hawaii | [15] |
Discography[]
Year | Artist | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | Kamasami Kong | D.J In Hawaii | CBS/Sony |
1984 | Toshiki Kadomatsu | Summer Time Romance ~ From Kiki | Air |
Tatsuro Yamashita | Come Along | ||
Come Along II | |||
1985 | Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe | Kamasami Kong DJ Special | VAP |
1986 | Toshiki Kadomatsu | Surf Break From Sea Breeze ~ D.J. Special | Air |
2017 | Tatsuro Yamashita | Come Along lll | Warner/Moon |
Radio programs and stations[]
On air[]
Past programs[]
- Kamasami Kong Coconut Mail (FM Ōita)
- Pacific Oasis (FM802, 1989–1998; FM Cocolo; 2010–2021)
- NitEscape 802 (FM802)
- Eternity (JFN, 2006–2009)
- On Saturday Kamasami Ride Kong Show (Tokyo FM, 2005 – 2006)
- Tokyo Premium Night at Cotton Club (Tokyo FM)
- Aloha Break (InterFM)
- Metpod (Metropolis)
- Radio-i Kamasami Kong Show (Radio-i, January 2010 – September 2010)
- Good Times Boo! (InterFM)
- Kamasami Kong Show (FM North Wave)
- Cotton Club Music Tree (TS One, 2016)
- Saturday Smile (FM North Wave)
Stations[]
- 1965 - WMOH (Cincinnati, Ohio)
- 1968 - WOXR (Cincinnati, Ohio)
- 1970 - KELP (El Paso, Texas)
- 1971 - AFKN (Seoul, South Korea)
- 1973 - KBC (Seoul, South Korea)
- 1975 - KNRY (Monterey, California)
- 1976 - KORL (Honolulu, Hawaii)
- 1976 - KKUA (Honolulu, Hawaii)
- 1979 - OBC (Osaka, Japan)
- 1980 - KIKI (Honolulu)
- 1985 - JOTU (Yokohama, Japan)
- 1986 - KKUA (Honolulu, Hawaii)
- 1986 - KDEO (Honolulu, Hawaii)
- 1987 - KRTR (Honolulu, Hawaii)
- 1987 - ICRT (Taipei, Taiwan)
- 1987 FM Ishikawa (Kanazawa, Japan)
- 1988–2005 - JOFV (Osaka, Japan)
- 1994 - World Chart Show (Honolulu, Hawaii)
- 2005 - Tokyo FM (Tokyo, Japan)
Source:[24]
References[]
- ^ Sherman, Eddie (December 14, 2005). "Eddie Sherman". MidWeek.
- ^ "Happy Birthday KAMASAMI KONG!!!". Pacific Oasis Blog (in Japanese). December 21, 2015.
- ^ "Kamasami Kong". Love FM.
- ^ "The Kong Show". Love FM.
- ^ "iJ Profile". Radio-i 79.5 FM. Archived from the original on September 9, 2011.
- ^ McCracken, Mark. "Interview - FM802's Kamasami Kong". KansaiNow.
- ^ "Tatsuro Yamashita TATSURO YAMASHITA / COME ALONG 2 (LP)". Hip Tank Records.
- ^ Kiuchi, KC (August 11, 2010). "Kamasami Kong". KC no a Kuchi Hachi ni Hamaru!.
- ^ "PACIFIC OASIS Kamasami Kong DJ Show". Universal Music Japan.
- ^ "バブル期流行のDJカセット30年ぶり復活、カマサミ・コングのDJをフィーチャー". MusicVoice (in Japanese). February 24, 2015.
- ^ "The Honolulu Star-Advertiser The Buzz column [The Honolulu Star-Advertiser]". Next Generation Communications. December 12, 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Brown Bags To Stardom Winners Ho'okipa Live on Sunrise!, Part 1". Hawaii News Now. May 2, 2013.
- ^ Berger, John (1997). "In tune with the Homeys". Local Moco.
- ^ Taylor, Stephen (October 31, 2007). "Charity continues to shine on" (PDF). The Daily Yomiuri.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Motion Bits – Contemporary Hit Radio" (PDF). CBS Records. July 6, 1984. p. 32. Cite magazine requires
|magazine=
(help) - ^ "It's a Hawaii Thing – Kamasami Kong- Longtime Radio Personality from Hawaii". Hawaii.com. October 12, 2020.
- ^ Lum, Burt (September 16, 2003). "Former Hawai'i DJ can't get streamed". The Honolulu Advertiser.
- ^ St. Anthony, Charles (February 25, 2017). Impossibly Glamorous: How a Misfit from Kansas Became an Asian Sensation. Impossibly Glamorous Studios. ISBN 9781538019856.
- ^ "Official Hawaii podcast for Japanese listeners launched" (PDF). Waikīkī Wiki Wiki Wire. August 2007. p. 6.
- ^ Engle, Erika. "Former isle broadcaster ventures into podcasting". Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
- ^ "Kamasami Kong×ハワイ". JAL Vacation Ownership System (in Japanese). April 23, 2014.
- ^ "Big Wave (1984)". IMDb.
- ^ Harada, Wayne (January 23, 2004). "'Moving Company' to end weekly run". The Honolulu Advertiser.
- ^ "Radio People by Name (K2)". 440 Satisfacion.
- American radio DJs
- American radio personalities
- 1949 births
- Living people
- American expatriates in Japan
- Japanese radio personalities