Eighty Four years ago this week, ‘Radio Daily’ reported that “Peter D. Smythe from KVOD has joined the sales staff” of KLZ radio. Pete Smythe would become a Colorado broadcasting legend.

A musician, he started playing the saxophone and clarinet, and his band “The Whiz Bang Four” had toured in the area. He led the “Pete Smythe Orchestra” at the University of Colorado and graduated with a business major in 1934. He briefly left Colorado, returning in 1936. In December 1937, Smythe directed the studio orchestra for the season finale of KLZ’s “Campus Review,” featuring students from area colleges.

In 1941 he hosted “Meet The Boys In the Band” on KMYR, possibly the first ‘disc jockey show” in Denver. He then returned to KLZ, where he was production manager and eventually program director. In 1946, he left for California where he wrote radio shows for Bing Crosby, Edgar Bergan and others. In 1948 he returned to Denver and hosted “Pete Smythe’s General Store” on KTLN. In 1951 he created the imaginary mountain town of ‘East Tincup,’ where he served as self-appointed mayor. When TV came to town, the show aired on both KOA radio and TV. It aired until 1969.

In 1972, he was appointed Arapahoe County Commissioner and began serving as the spokesman for First Federal Savings Bank.

In 1999, he was one of the first three inductees into the Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado Hall of Fame. The following year, Pete Smythe died at the age of 88. We remember Pete, 84 years after he first joined KLZ radio.