K104 Radio Personality Cat Daddy Talks Life After Dirk in Dallas and More
Cat Daddy from K 104.5 in Dallas, Texas was discovered by a program director of a radio station at a McDonald’s in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the age of 17. The program director one night came through the McDonald’s drive-thru and recognized Cat and then proceed to offer him an opportunity to work for his high school station KBRH.
Cat Daddy was given his own show on Saturdays for three hours playing “classic soul,” Sam Cook, Al Green, and The Supremes. During his time at KBRH, Cat was able to learn the necessary tools to move onto Max94.1, where he worked throughout college. Cat entertained the Baton Rouge, nightlife, playing hip hop on WEMX.
Courtesy of Cat Daddy
Before he even graduated from college, Cat Daddy had a job lined up at K -104.5 in Dallas in 2001. Ever since he arrived in Dallas, he’s had the radio airwaves jumping and hasn’t left since. Cat Daddy is a fixture in the Dallas Forth Metroplex visiting schools, kid camps, neighborhoods, and nightclubs.
According to him, he is always preaching to the listeners “Don’t see the show, be the show”. You can catch Cat Daddy on K104.5 from 7pm-12am every night.
Cat recently spoke Cat Daddy with The Hype Magazine about what the city of Dallas will miss with Dirk Nowitzki retiring this past season. Cat Daddy also shares what he looks for interns.
How did you get into radio in the first place?
It’s a crazy story I got my first job on the radio working at McDonald’s. No lie, I was working at McDonald’s, and the manager thought I talked too much in the back flipping burgers and cooking fries. He was like hey man you run your mouth too much, and if you keep talking I am going to throw you in the drive-thru, and I was like alright. I was like alright put me in the drive-thru, and then I started to get the hang of it and a couple of weeks after doing it. The manager came up to me and said what have you been doing in the drive-thru, and I was like what do you mean?
He was like, man people have been requesting you, and I was like what? He said when you are not here, people notice that you are not working. So, whatever you are doing, keep it up, and after that, I turned my swag up.
Welcome to McDonald’s home of the Big Mac with two all-beef patties and the unique sauces all on a sesame seed bun go ahead and glance over the menu. One day a guy came through the drive-thru and go to the window and said wait a minute that’s you on the intercom? He was like what are you doing at the drive-thru at McDonald’s, and I was like I just got promoted last week I was on fries, and now I’m moving up. He responded, no son, what I mean is you need to be on the radio! He ended up giving me my first job at 17 years old.
Where did all of this happen?
This happens in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. What’s interesting about it, the person that came through was the radio teacher at my high school, and he recognized me, and we started talking. He was like I know you, and you go to Baton Rouge High School. He is like well I’m the radio teacher, and if you are not doing anything, I will put you on the radio. So, this was going into my senior year, and that was one of my classes, and they would teach you how to run the board, load up the CDs, and they would have the script. We would play classic soul music like Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, James Brown, Al Green everything was great traditional soul music.
After a couple of weeks of class, my teacher said you like doing this, don’t you? I told him yes I did and he said he wanted me to come work on Saturdays. The first thing that came to mind as we don’t have school on the weekends and that is when he said we would pay you. He also added that I would have my show and do your thing for three hours. Shortly after I came up with the name Cat Daddy and it fit for that particular time, and I stuck with it ever since. Once I graduated high school and went to college, I landed a job in hip hop station in Baton Rouge at Max 94.1. That is where I worked throughout college, and before I graduated, I had a job lined up in Dallas. That was over 15 years ago.
If you were not working on the radio what would be doing for a living?
Either a baseball player, underwear model it could be anything. I love working with kids so that it could be coaching or teaching. I always wanted to be an athlete, but I tell people I didn’t train hard enough.
Have you thought about trying to put together an AAU team?
I think about all types of things with sports. I think about having a pop warner team, tournaments, being a sports agent, and some facilitation in that area.
What do you look for when you search for interns?
‘They find me that is how it works. They will show you if they are passionate about something. I try to be as honest as I can and sincere with the help that I offer. If you ask me a question, I want people to say this guy right here has been through it and is not just making stuff up. I am always going to tell you what I have been through and let that be the testimony and let people know this is what I have seen. And from what I went through this is how I would have handled it differently or I did this way because of this. Young people, who have a passion will come up to you and say I want to be a DJ and I tell them no you don’t know what you mean? I want to work on the radio, and I will respond to, no you don’t just to, make sure they are serious. That’s how hard this job can be on a lot of people, and it gets crazy. I could tell you stories that will make you eat your heart out because it can take a toll on you because you feed off your audience and the fans.
Dirk Nowitzki just retired, and it is hard to see him go. What do you think the city will miss about him that hasn’t hit them yet until next season?
It is weird that because we were talking about this in the break room about Dirk. Sometimes with someone’s personality matches the city and can be a natural leader. It would be hard for Dirk to do what he did in other cities, and I think that is the blending of the community and personality that fits together. You have to remember he grew up here and Dallas was like all he knew beside living in Germany. So, for a young person looking for guidance in the right direction and your finances. I think Dallas raised Dirk in that sense. I believe that is the part of it where we say we saw how hard you worked Dirk and the passion, and you didn’t ask for anything from the city. All he wanted to do is win, and the town supported it. So, him retiring is like a family member graduating from college, and we are going to miss rooting for you at least in terms of basketball. You can bring a veteran in here, but we are going to miss having someone that was home-grown. We have a lot of memories with Dirk from the Championship parade in 2011, and the Damn Queens’ song. It felt like it went platinum because it played over and over.
What do you look for when you get pitch music?
I don’t mess too much with the music as far as being a manager, agent, or having a record label. I try to find out what level they are and where they are at as an artist, to help them in the right direction. By giving them information besides on the things I would do in these next couple of steps to help them in the right direction.
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About the Author
Landon Buford Washington State Graduate Past Interviews include Grammy Award Winner Kenny G, David Banner, WNBA President Lisa Borders, What's Trending's CEO Shira Lazar, Ice Cube, NBC's Chicago PD LaRoyce Hawkins, Family Matters Darius McCrary, En Vogues Maxine Jones, Team USA Track & Field Member Norris Frederick, James Kyson, WNBA Great Lauren Jackson, and more.
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