Back before radio industry consolidation led to cookie-cutter formats across the country, the late San Antonio DJ Joe Anthony, known as the “Godfather of Rock and Roll,” played what he wanted to on KISS-FM. And what he loved playing most was the kind of rock deemed too heavy for most other stations.
Sometimes it was on the metallic side, other times on the proggy side, but whatever the case, Anthony became a tastemaker for generations of Alamo City rock fans. Some of the acts he championed — Judas Priest and Rush, for example — later went on to go platinum multiple times over. Others, like Legs Diamond or Moxy, never became huge arena acts but still are beloved in San Antonio.
Here’s a look at 20 bands we’re grateful that Anthony introduced to San Antonio fans, whether they went on to become Rock and Roll Hall of Famers or just cult faves we can’t live without.
Judas Priest
Let’s start with the obvious here. Anthony and the KISS crew recognized Judas Priest’s star power early on and were among the first to play their music in the U.S. “That kindness, that generosity, is something that I always feel when I come back to San Antonio,” Priest vocalist Rob Halford told the Current in 2022 of the city’s early embrace of his band. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Zach PetersenRush
Canadian power trio Rush was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, but long before that Anthony was spinning their records and helping them garner their first U.S. fans. Indeed, he and fellow KISS DJ Lou Roney booked the band for its first SA gig at Randy’s Rodeo. Credit: Shutterstock / Harmony GerberSaxon
Anthony championed Saxon in a big way, and as a result, the British metal band became huge in San Antonio in a way they did nowhere else stateside. Forty years on, the band remains a solid concert draw here. Credit: Jaime MonzonMoxy
Toronto-based hard rockers Moxy never became a household name, but they continue to be draw in San Antonio thanks to Anthony. The DJ even helped bring about their first headline appearance in the U.S. in 1977, when they opened for AC/DC in the Alamo City. Credit: Courtesy Image / PolydorBudgie
While largely regarded as a cult phenomenon elsewhere in the U.S., Welsh trio Budgie received regular radio airplay on KISS and was even lured out of retirement after years of inactivity to play a 1995 gig at the city’s now-defunct La Semana Alegre festival. Credit: Courtesy Photo / MCA RecordsTriumph
Formed in 1975 in Toronto, Triumph was another of the Canadian bands Anthony was an early advocate for. Indeed, his frequent play of the band led it to book its first spate of U.S. gigs in Texas, and fellow KISS DJ Lou Roney even went to the local immigration office to help get them approval to get into the country. Credit: Courtesy Photo / TriumphUFO
British band UFO is something of a cult taste in most parts of the U.S., but these guys are huge in San Antonio thanks to incessant radio play by Anthony and KISS. They still dependably pack the house when they play the Alamo City. Credit: Shutterstock / ChrisJamesRyanPhotographyIron Maiden
Metal giants Iron Maiden are notable for being able to pack stadiums despite never having major hits or much radio airplay. Except, that is, in San Antonio, where KISS spun them regularly. Credit: Shutterstock / Bruce Alan BennettQueensrÿche
U.S. band Queensrÿche went on to become one of the trailblazing bands in progressive metal and sold a ton of records. However, few radio stations latched onto their early material as soon as KISS. Credit: Creative Commons / Makele-90The Godz
Ohio-based bad-boy rockers The Godz didn’t get much in the way of support from their label or music critics. However, KISS gave them plenty of spins and they remain a cult favorite in the 2-1-0 to this day. Credit: Courtesy Image / RCA RecordsScorpions
Although the Scorpions went on to become a huge worldwide draw, KISS put the metal act in regular rotation way before most other U.S. radio stations. “In the beginning, especially in the early ’80s, [San Antonio] was our favorite town in America because they found us … it was KISS radio … They found us very easy and very fast,” guitarist Rudolph Schenker told the Current in 2016. “From this moment on we were rocking there.” Credit: Jaime MonzonAngel
Hard-rocking glam band Angel was another of those ’70s groups that never rose above cult status, but that didn’t stop Anthony and company from keeping their name alive in San Antonio. Credit: Public Domain / Atlantic RecordsLegs Diamond
Despite muscular riffs and memorable songs, LA-based proto-metal band Legs Diamond never quite made the big time — except in San Antonio. The band still performs at least once a year in San Antonio, where it’s still popular thanks to plenty of KISS airplay. Credit: Courtesy Photo / Legs DiamondGarfield
Garfield’s “A Private Affair” got plenty of air time from Joe Anthony even if this Canadian prog-rock group didn’t find much success elsewhere in the U.S. Even though it was long, ponderous and lacked the heavy bite of a lot of songs in KISS’s rotation, plenty still have a soft spot for the tune. Credit: Courtesy Photo / Polydor RecordsRiot
New York metal act Riot was plenty influential but never got a lot of radio airplay with the exception of KISS, which had no problem programming the harder stuff. The band became so tied with San Antonio that founding guitarist Mark Reale eventually relocated here. SA-native bassist Don Van Stavern now carries the on the legacy as leader of Riot V. Credit: Commonist / Frank SchwichtenbergMax Webster
Anthony and KISS had an affinity for Canadian bands, and Max Webster was among the more obscure ones that got fair amount of San Antonio air time. The band’s mix of heavy rock and prog won it a cult following in most places — and endearing fandom in the Alamo City. Credit: Courtesy Image / MercuryMetal Church
Anthony loved fast, hard and heavy music, and he championed plenty of lesser-known bands that never got much airplay elsewhere. Seattle’s Metal Church was one of those acts, and while they never became a huge seller, they influenced plenty of U.S. metal groups that followed in their wake. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Jeffrey PollackApril Wine
These Canadian rockers eventually became a big draw in the U.S., but few cities embraced them with the same kind of enthusiasm as San Antonio. They were a perennial Stone City Attractions draw thanks to the generous amount of airtime they got from Anthony. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Mewhen123Killer Dwarfs
Though they were from Canada, Killer Dwarfs’ sound drew frequent comparison to New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts, which might explain why KISS played them so often. Credit: Courtesy Image / Maze RecordsBarón Rojo
Although Spanish metal act Barón Rojo never broke stateside, Anthony certainly gave their music plenty of attention on KISS. Obscure gems like this are one of the reasons Anthony is beloved by SA rock fans to this day. Credit: Creative Commons / dr zoidberg
