Take A Trip With Me As I Reminisce Back To My First Day In Radio

I can honestly say that I am one of privilege when it comes to my career. Alot of folks can't say that they love what they do and not only can I say that, but I have been in love with it since the beginning. Well I  want to take you back down the line of what it was like when I got my first break in a career that has span over 25 years!

While I can't remember the exact date I remember distinctively November 1987 when  I first got my radio license to be on the air.  I was fourteen years old and wet behind the ears as alot of folks would say.  I got started at a local am gospel station 1290, I used to drive my mom crazy because even if  I didn't have to work, I wanted to just go and hang out. One of my early mentors at the station was a Meridian legend by the name of CJ The DJ. He got his start on secular radio and was a household name. He eventually took a break but came back and did gospel radio. The first time I got on the air, he was listening and would critique me on things that I needed to do to better my craft. Of course I was very nervous at the time and was stumbling, stuttering and everything else on the air. My mom was of course tuning in and she had spread the word to all of her friends to tune in as well. I worked the afternoon shift on a Saturday and I can remember all of the calls that were coming in. Alot of folks were calling about requests, while others were actual calling to compliment me on the good job I was doing. That was a day that I will always remember and when it came time for me to get off the air, I wanted to stay on longer. This was something that I had dreamed of doing since I was a child, and I was finally getting my opportunity. I worked there for about 6-7 months and saw alot of things while I was there. At the time I was still listening to artist who were hot at the moment like New Edition and so many more, but being able to play great gospel music from The Williams Brothers, The Jackson Southernaires and more was not hard for me to do. I was raised in a very spiritual setting and knew alot of the greats. So with my first radio opportunity being in Gospel, It was like a homecoming. That was a time that I will truly remember and often reflect on it when I talk to some of my other peers in the game, as well as my friends. Man, my first day in radio, seems like just yesterday! This one definately is one of the proudest moments in my life.