For Portlanders
who grew up in the '70s and '80s, the quintessential voice
of the "rock chick" is not Joan Jett or Chrissie Hynde. It's
the smoky-but-smooth "been-out-all-night" voice of KGON disc
jockey Iris Harrison. After 22 years on the air, Iris still
loves her job and loves the music she plays.
Willamette Week: I sort of always pictured you
with lots of hair, wearing ripped jeans and a skimpy little
black T-shirt. How do you think people expect you to look?
Iris Harrison: Well, that was me for a while! Actually,
everyone has a different image of what I'm supposed to look
like. I've had some people think I was black, some think
I'm a blonde Pamela Anderson type or a black-leather biker
chick.
What do you do at home that might seem surprising when
juxtaposed
with your on-air persona?
Well, everything I do at home is surprising, considering
my career. Sometimes I'm in the middle of cleaning the bathroom,
and I'll say to myself, "You know, I'm on the radio." But
how about this: I'm the league secretary for Tualatin Valley
Youth Football. I take notes, I type out the minutes for
each meeting--I do all that stuff. My son's 14, and he's
not even going to be in it next year, but I'm going to stay
involved.
Does your son listen to KGON?
Oh yeah. Marty Party, who's on the air at night, is my
husband. So that's our child. The poor kid has been subjected
to this his whole life. But he also likes rap and KNRK and
some oldies. He went and saw Hanson and the Spice Girls
during a momentary lapse of reason, but he wouldn't admit
that now.
If you could be in one band that you play on the radio,
which one
would it be, and what would you do?
The Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde is so good. I'd just be
doing whatever she tells me to do.
Are you a Democrat or Republican?
Democrat. Registered. From the very first time I could
put my name on the line. And I always vote.
Do you ever listen to NPR?
No! I'll be honest. And I always feel so bad. It's like
a secret guilt. Because it just seems like it would be so
heady and so hip. But I forget it's there.
Do you think that anyone is ever too old to rock and
roll?
Never! I was asked by one of my bosses one time, "Well,
what are you going to do when you're over 30?" And I thought,
"I don't know, be over 30, I guess." He was referring to
the fact that he didn't think a woman could continue in
this career after a certain point. As for everyone else,
I went and saw the Stones last time they were here, and
there were people at that show with their children and their
grandchildren...three generations, it was amazing.
Is there any one "classic rock" song that you have to
play that actually kind of bugs you?
OK, there is one. "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" just drives
me nuts. I didn't like it when it first came out, and I
still don't like it.
What do you do during the 25-song classic-rock marathons?
Answer phones. And do my nails.
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Willamette Week | originally
published July 14, 1999
|
