Fish Fry debuted on KCUR in 1985. On Saturday, Fans of Fish Fry — and its host, Chuck Haddock — gathered at Knuckleheads for a concert and live broadcast of the show.

As the clock approached midnight on Saturday, Oct. 5, 1985, Chuck Haddix didn’t realize he was beginning a new era of radio in Kansas City.

“I remember how nervous I was, launching a new program,” Haddix said. “How exciting it was.”

That program, “Fish Fry,” has been on the air at the NPR radio station KCUR ever since, becoming a local institution with Haddix at its helm the entire time. He and KCUR have spent the past month celebrating the show’s 40th anniversary .

Haddix already was hosting a blues show on KCUR when he conceived of “Fish Fry,” and he adopted the persona of Chuck Haddock to present it.

“I had amassed

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