Just In Time For Father's Day......

Just a few weeks ago, I used this forum to pay tribute to some special women in my life to celebrate Mothers' Day. With Fathers' Day coming up this weekend, I thought it would be appropriate to do likewise concerning a few men that have been very influential in my life, as well.

RALPH KIMBRO----I remember being seven and eight years old, and becoming the sixth son of Ralph and Jeanette, due to their being parents of my "brother," Randall. No matter whatever I have needed over the years, I have always known that I could count on Ralph Kimbro. It's kind of interesting to note that before I ever knew his son Randall, he and my father were good friends. In fact, I often wondered who the "Ralph" was that was written down on the back of the old telephone books. Needless to say, I found out.

BOBBY GALYA----You know, as you grow older, you realize that life isn't always about being perfect. That could be said of Bobby, who is the stepfather of one of my oldest friends. One of the things that I have learned about him is that life isn't always about what you might have….or how you might believe. It comes down to how you are treated……….and Bobby Galya has always treated me like a second son……with one of the most irreverent senses of humor I have ever come across.

KENNY GIBBS----When I was nine or ten, I noticed this guy at my Church that I never saw in a shirt or a tie. One of the first questions I ever asked Kenny Gibbs was "Why don't you wear a coat or tie." His answer was simply "I don't like them." He probably thought I was a little bit on the smart-alecky side, and after knowing me for about twenty-five years or so…..he knows I'm on the smart-alecky side. In all that time, I have only seen him wear a coat (no tie!) once or twice….but in his case, the clothes definitely don't make the man. One of the best people I have ever met……even though if he reads this, he probably will just roll his eyes and say "Whatever!"

MIKE BORCHETTA----Over the past eighteen years, I have been very blessed to make some wonderful friendships--both in and out of the music business. Mike Borchetta transcends those lines. I remember meeting him in the summer of 1999, when he was promoting a new artist named Ray Hood. The record didn't stick, but Mike sure did! He has been one of the most supportive friends that I have----in business or out. He and his wife Martha, I affectionately call "Pop and Mom." He's someone who probably believes in me more than I do myself, and one of the best friends I have.

LARRY PETTY-----You know how some people you don't actually remember meeting? It just seems that he has always been my friend. Larry worked at one of WDKN's biggest sponsors, the Greater Dickson Gas Authority, for many years, but his friendship goes deeper than that. We all say we have people that we can call at 1pm or 1am, but Larry Petty is one of those…..Trust me, I've called at both times.

RANDY TIDWELL----More than any of the afore-mentioned people, I have known Randy Tidwell the longest. He was my P.E. teacher at Burns Elementary for several years, and also my bus driver. Now if that was where the story ended, he might still make the list…..but in 1991, I started working with him at WDKN, and for the past thirteen years, he and I have travelled to exotic locales such as Fayetteville and Paris broadcasting High School Sports. I will tell you if there is a definition of what "Class" and "Gentleman" means, it's Randy Tidwell. But don't take my word for it, just ask anybody in Dickson County…..They'll tell you! We may have called our last game together, but either way…he's one of the best!

EUGENE ESTES----God puts people in your life at the right time. In the winter of 2005-2006, I was seriously in the dumps due to the passing of my mother. It was around this time that I met a man at Church named Eugene Estes. He was already in his 70s at this point, but he became quite the big brother / grandfather figure in my life…..but you might not know it by seeing us interact. We spend most of the time talking trash to each other, whether around the table at Buddy's (a popular Burns restaurant), or me tossing a zinger his way while doing announcements at Church, he taught me to laugh at a time I needed it most….Still, if God put this angel in my life, and I believe he did…….He's a strange looking one……!

Well, that about closes this post. But there is one person to tell you about. That is my father, Charlie Dauphin, Jr. There are so many memories that I have of growing up…..Whether it be going to the old Tennessee Air National Guard and taking a tour of one of the C-130 airplanes that he worked on…………..going to Co-Op in Dickson on a Saturday morning (home of one of the coldest water fountains on the planet!)…………or him taking me to a concert or Fan Fair….He also picked up quite a few prizes I had won from WSM-AM as a child….....While those memories are something I will always cherish…..What means the most now (and something that I didn't quite grasp until a couple of years ago) is how he kept it together, and kept things moving forward. I don't know how many times there was too much month at the end of the money when a wife was sick, and a son just had to have the latest Kenny Rogers record….or needed money for school. True, he said no sometimes………but very rarely. I didn't know and (to an extent) didn't appreciate how much he did….until the shoes have turned…..and I am now a father. Dad, I thank you for all you have done (and continue to do) for me. Happy Father's Day!