In 1987, after returning to Los Angeles and enrolling in the Musicians Institute, York took a job playing bass guitar with an all-female band at Disneyland, while simultaneously working as a waitress at Jerry's Famous Deli. When the Disneyland job ended two years later, she became a Metro Traffic and aerial reporter for KFWB radio, becoming the second-ever female traffic reporter to fly in a helicopter (the first being Kelly Lange, who flew for KABC). In 1992, she joined KTLA Morning News and Shadow Traffic as their aerial traffic reporter.[1][4] York won numerous awards for her reporting at the station, earning an Emmy Award in 1993 for her coverage of the Laguna and Malibu fires[1] as well as two more the next year for the Northridge earthquake and her morning news reports. She also received three Golden Mike Awards in 1998, 1999, and 2003 and another Emmy in 2003, and left the station in 2004.[5] She joined the morning show of KFSH-FM a year later alongside Billy Burke,[6] presenting there for two years before leaving the station in 2007.[7] York returned to traffic reporting in 2012, with her familiar voice being heard on the air again, this time reporting from the studios of KNX news radio[5][8] and working for Total Traffic Network.[9] Over the years, York's visibility throughout Southern California led to her being featured as grand marshal at parades[10] and emceeing at trade,[11][12] car,[13] and helicopter shows.[14] She retired from KNX On May 10, 2024.[15]
Music
York is an accomplished bassist. She first played electric bass with the Smart Cookies band, and later with the Christian rock group Rachel Rachel, of which she was the founder. The group, now defunct, recorded two albums on the Word Records label[3] and performed at several events such as the Long Beach Jazz Festival, the Pasadena Playboy Jazz Festival, and the Montreal Drum Festival.[2][16] In 1992, she began to take up the double bass, being mentored on this instrument by John Clayton, and Christopher Hanulik, principal bassist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.[1] Three years later, she formed an all-female jazz instrumental group called the Jennifer York Quartet,[5] which performed at various clubs and venues such as the Grape Harvest Festival in Ontario, California[17] and the Southern California Jazz Festival at the Koll Center in Irvine.[3] The band embraces many musical styles including Latin, funk, and swing, along with mainstream jazz.[18] In 1999, the band released a four-song compact disc.[17]
^Lycan, Gary (October 16, 2005) "Remembering a Pioneer Broadcaster", The Orange County Register A&E p.15. Retrieved March 1, 2024. (subscription required)
