Simple Minds’ lead singer Jim Kerr is alive and kickin’ on Laguna’s FM station

“This is Alive and Kickin’ with Jim Kerr.”

And so the lead singer of New Wave band Simple Minds introduced his hour-long show on Laguna Beach’s only FM station, KX 93.5, on April 30.

Kerr, a Scot, is perhaps best known to Americans for “The Breakfast Club” anthem “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” which, thanks to its closing “La, La, Las,” remains one of the best known songs from the 1980s.

Doing a radio program piqued Kerr’s interest nearly three years ago, when he visited childhood friend Martin Hanlin in Laguna.

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FOR THE RECORD

4:45 P.M., MAY 5: An earlier version of this post misidentified Jim Kerr’s childhood friend as Martin Stuart. His name is Martin Hanlin.

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During his stay, the two stopped by the community radio station and learned about shows that featured artists like Jason Feddy, Sandy Fagin and in-studio guests.

Kerr had been interviewed on the station and appreciated independent radio, so he thought about proposing a show.

“I gave them my word I would do it,” he said, calling from Sicily, where he owns boutique hotel Villa Angela in Taormina. “I’m a real music fan, and it just came around.”

“Alive and Kickin’ with Jim Kerr” will feature music he decides to play from his collection, both old and new, familiar and unfamiliar. His inaugural episode of the show that airs at 2 p.m. Saturdays featured 12 tunes in a 60-minute segment.

“It’s like a writing a song,” Kerr said. “You do what you like and what you’re enthusiastic about. There will be music that I grew up with and then I’ll mix it up with some of my favorite tracks and talk about the anecdotes behind songs.”

Simple Minds formed in 1977 and achieved commercial success in the 1980s with “Alive and Kicking,” “Belfast Child” and, of course, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”, which went to No. 1 in 1985. Today, Simple Minds continues with founding members Kerr and Charlie Burchill as well as Andy Gillespie, Mel Gaynor and Ged Grimes.

In 2014, the group began working on demos for its 17th studio album and are prepping for a 2017 release.

Kerr’s show is a coup for nonprofit radio station that focuses on “Generational Alt Rock” from the 1960s to today.

“It’s a big deal for us to allow our hosts to play whatever they want, something that is missing from chart-driven corporate radio,” KX 93.5 station Director Tyler Russell said in a press release. “The fact that Jim Kerr wants to bring his show here is a huge win for small radio stations everywhere.”

Kerr, who does not have to be in studio to host segments, said such a convenience is advantageous for him and listeners because he will be able to talk about where he is in the world and projects he is working on overseas.

Three to four times a year, Kerr said he returns to Sicily, a place that has remained magical for him since he was 14 and visiting with his school. When playing with Simple Minds in Italy, he visited Taormina, a small town on the east coast of Sicily overlooking the Ionian Sea.

About 14 years ago, he and a friend opened upscale hotel Villa Angela above the town center.

It’s a home away from home he said.

But there’s one particular place he’d like to return to since his last visit two years ago.

“I gotta come back to Laguna Beach,” Kerr said with a laugh. “It’s getting longer, but this show is a great opportunity for me, and I hope people enjoy it. I don’t take these things for granted. They can listen to it wherever they are and I hope they’ll feel energized.”

For more information, visit kx935.com.

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Kathleen Luppi, kathleen.luppi@latimes.com

Twitter: @KathleenLuppi