Michael Gaither

We lost a bay area legend yesterday morning. I just posted this to the KPIG website. I’m reposting here, with a few personal anecdotes.

I first met Laurie Roberts at a winery in the early 2000s. I walked up and said, “Uhm…are you Laurie Roberts?” (It happened a lot, I learned.) I knew “that voice” as a KSJO listener in my late teens. We became fast friends. Then she learned my wife and I did dog rescue. Soon after, she learned I was a songwriter, and she liked what I did. Wine, dogs, music. A holy triumvirate of cool stuff. Cemented the friendship.

Fast forward a few years. She was embedded at KPIG Radio, a station that was already way supportive of my music. More connections.

Three years ago, she called me and said, “I’m going to ask you something that most people don’t get asked: How would you like to be a KPIG DJ?” I was thrilled…then said, “If I take on one more thing, my wife will probably leave me.” (I have a wife who puts up with a serious music habit. It became more than a hobby years ago.) A year later, I quit my day job (yay!) Laurie said, “Okay, NOW will you be a DJ?”

I’m now doing fill-ins on air, along with publishing the station’s social media and web content. KPIG’s an important station, and I’m continually honored to be a small part of it. Especially when I have a chance to write something incredibly important like this…

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A Sad Goodbye to Laurie Roberts: She Just Had that Perfect Radio Voice

If you grew up anywhere within earshot of Bay Area radio the last 30+ years, you knew it was her as soon as you turned on the radio or shyly walked up to her in person and asked, “Are you Laurie Roberts?” (It happened a lot!) Here at KPIG, we were lucky enough to have that voice on our very own piggy airwaves for the last 12 years of her award-winning career.

We’re beyond devastated to say goodbye to Laurie, who passed on Tuesday morning after a long illness.

Laurie was a champion for music. She made a name for herself over the hill back in the 80s on the legendary KOME, followed by long-running stints at KSJO and KFOX. (She was incredibly honored to be inducted into the Bay Area Hall of Fame in 2011.) Laurie supported both local and national music and became pals with folks like Greg Kihn, Huey Lewis, and The Doobie Brothers, spearheaded shows over the hill locating local bands and produced Greg Kihn’s “Kihn-certs” at Shoreline Amphitheater.

She brought that same passion down our way to 2009, taking on the role of Assistant Program Direction. She moved to KPIG in 2011, quickly settling into her self-titled role as a “Midday Music Therapist” and eventually taking on the role of Operations Manager/Program Director in May of 2017.

She was likely most proud of the fundraising she did for local music programs and animal rescue organizations. This of course included the KPIG fan-favorite “Days of Wine and Wet Noses,” the annual concert that generated money for the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. The concerts ran annually for ten years.

Laurie completely embraced our local music community, loved local musicians such as The Coffis Brothers, Keith Greeninger, and The Carolyn Sills Combo and, even though her initial background was rock, she adored KPIG’s unique Americana format. (Amongst the station’s prized paraphernalia is a half-empty bottle she saved with a post-it note attached that says “This was Jerry Jeff Walker’s Kombucha”.)

We’re pretty sure that Laurie has already tracked down Jerry Jeff, John Prine, and Billy Joe Shaver, and as we speak, they’re rightfully serenading her with her beloved dog Sevi and her cat Groucho at her side.