I think I might have mentioned this before, I was a "Radio Personality"/deejay/DJ/disc jockey during college. It is probably my favorite job that I have had the pleasure of being paid for. It was a 50s, 60s, and 70s radio station that was owned by the University WRUF your hometown oldies station playing the best hits for the 50s, 60s and 70s. It was not the glamour station. In the same building was Rock 104 FM and Classic 96. was where everyone wanted to be. Unfortuately, Rock 104 was only open for Journalism majors of which I was not one. The next best alternative 850 which was open to anyone. Only professors worked 96 - who wants to listen to classical music for 4 straight hours a day? Anyway, they start you on the "graveyard" shift of 2am to 6am to see if you really wanted to do it. To really screw you, they started you on Friday and Saturday nights.

What does that mean to a college student? It means you have a license to show up drunk. And I took full advantage. There were many a night when I would come straight from a "3 for 1 free for all" or worse yet a "bladder bust" and barely would be able to read my promo spots. I quickly learned which were the lost songs in our library (Suite Judy Blue Eyes, In a Godda Da Vida, American Pie, etc) so I could use them in cases of emergencies like puking. It made for some interesting nights and a few interesting days when myself and the Program Director would review my "air check" tapes (these are tapes that record everytime you switch on your mic. You supposed to keep these for job interviews in the industy). Saturday nights weren't too bad because at 5am we did a gospel show of which we had nothing to with other than being there so I would usually walk down to Rock 104 (right next door) and sit in on their show.

Somehow the PD was impressed with my vocal stylings (think Dr. Johnny Fever more than Venus Fly Trap). He moved me to one of the prime shifts 6pm to 10pm Mondays and Tuesdays. During this shift I was able to show my true colors and "rock the mic" a little more. Sometimes this got me into a little trouble like the time I called our weatherman a bleeping idiot - it was friggin' 50 degrees and raining and he was calling for 70 degrees with a 10% chance of showers so I think I had the right. Besides he wasn't even there. All his stuff was prerecorded and we just played it when necessary. Somehow though he found out and was none too happy with me. I thought I was going to be fired (the PD was roaming the halls at 8pm when he usually went home at 5 on the dot) instead I was moved to THE prime spot of "personality" on the morning show 6am to 10am DAILY- "OJ in the morning"

The show's hosts were Otis Boggs (yes, uncle of Wade Boggs) and Jim Finch thus the OJ thing. They were a couple of old coots who were hilarous to work with. You could just tell they loved their job. Occasionally, I would "pot" up the wrong song. Off the air they, in a playful manner, would cuss me up one side and down the other. Its very funny to hear a 65 year old man call you a dumbass motherf***er as in "What song does that sound like you dumbass motherf***er" while laughing his ass off. They always came back on the air and apologize for my mistake "D is very sorry but he can't help that he is a retard". Believe it or not I loved it. I actually looked forward to getting up at 4:30 in morning and that is saying alot for a college kid.

Ah, good times, good times.

Both of them are dead now. Otis is in the sportcaster Hall of Fame and the University still uses Jim's voice (on tape) to introduce the football team "HHHHHHHEEEEEEERRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE come the Gators!"
I look back at those times as some of the best of my life. Hopefully later on I will relate some of my stories about this time. Hopefully soon.

Da' Man