Some people may recognize him as the host of MTV's "Who Knows the Band?" Others may remember his role in the movie "Grandma's Boy" or his red-carpet interview with Angelina Jolie at the "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" movie premiere.
But most people know Ted Stryker for his down-to-earth, energized voice — "It's Stryker!" — that greets evening, rush-hour fans on the legendary rock station KROQ in Los Angeles. Since 1999, fans have heard him announce song titles, discuss artists and interview celebrities.
Stryker has many titles — deejay, actor and host — but the man underneath is surprisingly, well, normal. Joking about his love for the "free food" at TV hosting gigs or that he is the next Al Pacino, Stryker's personality suggests a humble man who is enjoying his life's journey to the fullest. "I feel lucky" is how he sums up the ride.
"I am definitely having a fantastic time, and I don't take anything for granted," he said. "But, I have worked really hard for it."
Stryker, who is in "his low 30s," was born and raised in Los Angeles, and grew up listening to KROQ. But thoughts of working as a deejay, especially one of the station's most prominent ones, never entered his mind. As an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Stryker had no idea what he wanted to do professionally
"I do not like wearing suits and ties, so I was kind of looking for something that wasn't that," he said. "Somehow I found it."
Stryker's "it" became clear shortly after he enrolled in college. He was hanging out at a bar in 1993 when a friend introduced him to a local radio station's program director. After some drinks, Stryker was invited to the station to observe and was on the air two nights later.
"My first day alone I am sure I was just horrible. I remember it was just a lot to take in," he recalled. "But it worked out very well, and I got hooked on it."
Stryker said he worked at Tucson's Power 1490, the urban "Top 40-leaning station," for about a year. As a deejay, he played songs from popular artists of that time like Bel Biv DeVoe or Janet Jackson. He was also in charge of the station's promotions.
What's most surprising is that Stryker did this all for free. But, the experience was worth much more than a paycheck.
"I got my foot in the door," he explained.
After a year, he was wooed away to work for an alternative rock radio station, The End. His stint there ended shortly after new ownership changed its format. Opportunity presented itself again for Stryker when he was hired as deejay for another alternative rock station — 92.1 KFMA — where he said, "I hit my stride, at least in my mind."
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