Are/were you a radio DJ?

[Mike]

I know Carl was, and that being one in part contributed to the creation of this site. I've long been fascinated with famous DJ's, Wolfman Jack, Casey Kasum. I believe it's the lesser knowns who can be even more interesting, most notably our local radio rock icon Steve Slayton

19+ years at KISW and 15+ years at KZOK in Seattle. In 1992 Time Magazine interviewed Steve and dubbed him "Regent of the Local Deejays".

.

Would love to hear from the DJ's

[TheLizard]

I am. For the ND online college rock station.

Also, for Steve Slaton and KZOK

[J Hill]

I am. But please don't hold that against me.

Have been for almost 20 years. Spun records (yes, real live records!) in clubs and at events for several years before getting into radio. It's how I have to make my (meager) living. Just like that famous TV theme goes, "town to town, up and down the dial" and, amazingly, I still like music.

Being a DJ is kind of like being a cook. A few people become famous Chefs in well known Big City restaurants. But most have to content themselves with frying eggs, slinging hash and roasting that same old beef in a small town diner.

Only on the dial today you'll find few 'small town diners'! Lots of stations in the small towns take their feeds via sat from central syndicators, or buy their voice-tracks and all sound the same. The local content consists mostly of one short 'live' airshift a day alongs pre-recorded weather or news 'reports'. instead of 'McDonalds' they're called 'Mix' or 'The Fan' or 'Fox' or 'Kiss' or 'News-Talk' or 'Q' or ... Cheap hard drive space and ever more sophisticated software have made people (other than salespeople) pretty much expendable. And with the recent economic downturn, even the big stations in big citys, already operating with basically barebones staff, are shedding people and running practically non-stop on auto-pilot.

I better stop. You'll think I'm just bitter, and I used to be, but now I'm really just amused and all i'll say about the radio industry in general is that it has to be, far and away, without any doubt, number one with a bullet, the biggest wwhore in all media.

Did I mention how un-bitter I am?

Edited October 24, 2008 by Guest
dropped an a for an e

[Steel2Velvet]

In 1985, hired in at WPFB radio in little Middletown, Ohio, as an account exec. It was the GM's idea that I get a class 2 radio license and get on the air to help put my name out into the community, so that my cold calling sales efforts would be more readily recieved among business decision makers who listened to our station. I did not initially have to operate the board, since I was one member of a duet called "The Good Guys Show" and my partner was an experienced DJ, together with whom I collaborated on writing material. Near the end of my tenure there, Will Mason (my partner) and I recalled once with laughter that our highlight was interviewing Tiny Tim (Tiptoe Through The Tulips) who came to Middletown with a travelling circus. That was one weird dude! Will and I had fun doing remote shows from county fairs and other locations, including Tiny's circus, where Will rode an elephant into the main tent as I acted as honorary ringmaster and "struck up" the band to start the circus.

A couple thousand watt country music station that basically aired to the parking lot, the informalities of a small station and economy of limited staffing allowed me to experience nearly all the functions there. In addition to the weekday 2 hour Good Guys show, in order to pick up extra money, I eventually worked 7 days a week. I did color commentary of the Middletown High School's league games, collecting info on the various teams through the week to use on the Friday night games, along with a play-by-play announcer. I had my own 2 hour show on Saturday afternoons, "The Country Scrapbook," which was a "career highlights of ..." type show, featuring different country acts each week, conceived and written with total freedom. Highlight of that show was during a feature on the Everly Brothers, interviewing Phil Everly over the phone live. He and Don had just reunited after being split up for awhile. Very nice guy ... the best! I also engineered (operated the sound board) for a Sunday preacher's show and did the Saturday and Sunday news on the hour (during the daytime hours,) writing my own stuff from the AP/UPI tickers.

After a couple of years of this, I moved up to a much larger market station in Dayton, WING/WTUE, as strictly an account executive. I missed the diversity and fun of the small station, but with 4 kids and a stay-at-home wife, I needed the income boost.

The little station was a very cool experience and really opened my eyes to the talent found in country music.

[Uncle Joe]

I've often been told that I have a face for radio but I never let it go to my head.

[_Laurie_]

I was a DJ for about a 1/2 hour or so...I loved it!

[edna]

I never ever was a DJ in my 52 -almost 53- years of life. I´ve been a rock journalist for decades, I won a twist contest and I´ve been busted in Africa once but no, never been a DJ...

[RonJonSurfer]

My son has a show on the Rutgers station WRSU-FM. He told me a bunch of the DJ's have put their name in a hat for a chance to interview (over the phone) Brian Wilson. He'll find out soon if he wins...I'm betting the senior DJ's have an edge in this drawing.

[Shawna]

I was a mobile DJ for a couple of years.

[Uncle Joe]

They hung you above a baby's crib?

[The Seeker]

[Shawna]

yeah, that would've helped the kid sleep.

[Steel2Velvet]

I was a mobile DJ for a couple of years.

They hung you above a baby's crib?

No, silly. She lived in Alabama.

[bazooka]

[smaller] Free Association Dept. [/smaller]

...Though I love Rock n Roll, the acoustic guitar

Was the only way I had of becomin' a star

I'm doin' really nice and travellin' around

But they won't play my record in my own home town

If I had saxophones

Yeah, big baritones cleanin' up the muddy breaks

If I had saxophones

I could get some recognition from that Mobile, Alabama DJ ------ Jimmy Buffet, Saxophones

[Carl]

James and Ron, those were some great stories. I feel fortunate to have been a part of radio when it was free of the corporate clutches and lots of fun. As stations shed staff, I noticed that the first people to go were often the most talented. So, floating around in the ether are some wildly creative people. Some joined the real world and are selling insurance, while others are doing wacky stuff like running Songfacts .

I would love to create a website where current or former DJs and tell some of their stories from back in the day. Mix some former radio people with a few beers, and you will not have more fun. Unfortunately, these guys and girls aren't that easy to track down and extracting the stories without alcohol is a problem. I have a domain name and everything.

[edna]

As stations shed staff, I noticed that the first people to go were often the most talented. So, floating around in the ether are some wildly creative people. Some joined the real world and are selling insurance, while others are doing wacky stuff like running Songfacts .

I guess this has happened in mostly every branch of the music industry. DJs, journalists, people from record companies, even musicians...