Every Small Town Has One

I was talking to someone the other day who asked how long I had been "in the business." I won't say just how young the person was.....but needless to say, I realized that when I played "Bop" by Dan Seals for the first time in April 1991, this person wasn't alive. Now, there are two ways of looking at that distinction. One - for better or worse, I am a survivor. Or two, I'm not as young as the seventeen-year old who went on the air that spring. (I choose the first.....it sounds better!)

That being said, every town has a radio personality that it identifies with. In Dickson, for example, though I was there for eighteen years, the voice of Warren Medley defined WDKN for almost six decades. In 1957, there was a little kid named Stevie Turner who started singing on WHLP in Centerville. Chances are, if you tune into WNKX on Saturday mornings, you will hear that same person.....only now he's the owner. Each town has a voice, a personality that defines it. 

With that said, let me tell you about a good friend of mine named Jerry Wilson. Midway through my career at WDKN, I started to try to spread my wings somewhat. I began to write a weekly music column, and even tried record promotion for a time. While I enjoy meeting radio programmers and travelling, I will say that I don't think anyone is going to give me a Gold record for my promotion skills. Too much like sales. During my time promoting records, I met Jerry. He was the Music Director at the radio station in Brownsville. More importantly, he became a friend. I would call into his show weekly and talk about the news from Nashville, and we got to be buddies. I would occasionally drive to Brownsville and take him to lunch. I remember eating on the square there at a restaurant that had SWEET Tea, (Trust me, even sweeter than a Papa Kayjoe's quart straight from Oma's kitchen!) 

He invited me to speak to a class he taught at Haywood County High School, which I did a few times. I appreciate him thinking that I had something to say. But, more importantly, Jerry believed in me. He was one of the first cheerleaders that I had in the business outside of Dickson. For his belief, I will always be grateful.  Over the past few months, I have returned to radio, and though it's a different dynamic than the old days, I love it. There's something about a connection you make with your listeners that make you become their friends. Whether that comes from behind a mic in the studio - or in a small town on a Friday night inside the press box , there's an adrenaline flow that is unlike anything I've done. I'm not saying I'm even that good at it, but I will tell you that i try to apply little bits of announcers that had an influence on me. Sometimes, that influence is all they can give. Radio, more often than not, is not something that you're going to make a lot of money at. In a lot of ways, it's like journalism....the perks are unbelievable, but you're constantly chasing your backside in a circle......but you do it because you love it.

That's true for people who inspired me - your Keith Bilbrey's of the world, that's also true of the passionate people who work and program small-town radio stations....names like Ken Loggains (Batesville, AR), Ed Carter (Pulaski, TN), Lee Richey (New York), Mike Thomas (Warrenton, MO), Steve Ferguson and Jim Quinton (Georgia). That was also true of Jerry Wilson. The man was passionate about music, radio, and Haywood County - its' people and its' traditions. That's a passion that you can't fake. It's either there or it isn't. About the only thing he cared about more was his Lord and his family. Jerry passed away just a few days ago at the age of 75. I regret that I won't be able to attend the service, but I can only imagine how packed that church is going to be. He had an impact on so many lives through his work, and he will be missed by a lot of folks, me included!