UP AND DOWN THE DIAL

Over the past twenty-five years, I have had an infatuation with the radio. I think that regardless of whatever format you work for, if you make your living from the airwaves, you've got to have somewhat of a love affair with it. Most of the time, it has served me well. Even this year---though my eighteen-year association with the first station I have ever worked for has come to an end,--the third and fourth stations to employ me have treated me well.

So, for those of you that took the more sensible career route, you might be asking---Why radio? I don't know if I can give you an answer or not. It's like my love of music---I can't define it. I can't play. I can't sing. Neither of my parents really had a deep love of it....other than appreciation of Conway Twitty and Barbara Mandrell. (I'll let you figure out who was a big fan of who on that one!) So.....all I have to go on is my memories.

Growing up with a father who worked in Nashville at the Tennessee Air National Guard, I was blessed to spend more time in Nashville than most kids in Dickson County. Whether it was trips to the mall, Red Lobster (a family favorite), or wherever, I remember hearing certain songs at certain places in town. But, my first memory of radio being something that I might want to do came sometime in the early 1980s. Some of my father's family were down from Illinois, and we took them around Nashville. I remember driving around town, and the radio station being on WSM-AM. Charlie Douglas, the legendary disc jockey, had in his studio the afore-mentioned Mandrell and Grandpa Jones. Now, I've got to tell you at the time, I was probably more excited about hearing the "Hee Haw" star than I was the CMA Entertainer Of The Year. Time would change that---I am my father's son! But, it was one of those moments that I can't say I knew that I wanted to be on the radio when I was older---but I dang sure knew it was cool!

The next summer, 1983, was the first summer that my parents let me stay up as late as I wanted to during my vacation from school. Now, don't go getting aghast....I was not more than twenty feet away. I would be in my room watching David Letterman until about 11:30, and then I would go to bed....but there was this one night.

My grandmother had bought me a boom box for Christmas the year prior, and just for kicks, I started to play with the radio dial. There were several FM stations on the dial that were huge at the time----Y-107, WKDF, WSIX, and WJKZ---KZ COUNTRY, which was my favorite on the FM dial. But, what was this? There was something called AM....I knew of its existence, but I wondered 'What's on here at this time of night?'

The answer was....plenty....WMAQ out of Chicago....670 I believe...WLW out of Cincy, WBAP out of Dallas, and for some reason WDAF out of Kansas City. There was a guy on the air giving a weather forecast at 12:45 in the morning. It fascinated me, and still does to this day, that 500 miles away....you can be heard...late at night...when the world is quiet and still.

So...that was the beginning. Over the years, I like to think I took the best of people like Keith Bilbrey and Kyle Cantrell (my two biggest influences), Al Wyntor, Chuck Hussey (a local radio guy who was very entertaining), and Hairl Hensley, and injected some of my own personality...and maybe came up with something unique. I never did develop one of those deep, magic voices....I guess that might have been why I have yet to test the waters of medium or larger markets, but I love it.

Since I started in radio myself in 1991, I have been blessed to work around some fine people---Hank Walker, Randy Tidwell, J. Patrick, Kip Reynolds, Marcia Campbell, and a guy named Ken Loggains, who became one of the best co-workers I have ever been around and a better friend...and even today at the two stations I am working at...people like Steve Turner, Mickey and Sheila Bunn, and Phillip Chambers all have an undeniable passion for what they do...and it shows.

It's not the most lucrative vocation one can choose.....and as I have found out this year...not even the most stable, but whenever I am driving somewhere at night in a town I have never been before...I still usually look for the local station. You never know what you might find....and there's some good ones out there.

Well, friends and neighbors, the hands on the clock say it's about time for me to get out of here for this week, but keep those cards and letters rolling in. Have a great day, y'all!....