On the Radio
Got a bit of a surprise last night. I listen to the Jerry Doyle show on the radio when I get up and get ready to go to work. Jerry wasn't on and another guy was substituting. My surprise was who it was,,,Earnest Istook. That name may not mean anything to you unless you live in Oklahoma or are a heavy news watcher. He was a U.S. Representative from the OK state for 14 years. Well, I knew Earnest while he was in college in Waco. I was a D.J. at an AM country music radio station. The company that owned it also owned another radio station in Waco. It was an AOR, Album Oriented Rock, FM station. It played really far out music. The only artist they played that I can remember was the group "Yes". If you've heard them, you know what I mean. Anyway, the country control room was big and bright. The FM station was tucked in a smaller control room behind the AM. It always had very low lights or black lights if any were on at all. The DJs all had very long hair and were very young compared to the AM DJs. What does all this have to do with Earnest? He was the music director. He decided what would go on the air. And he was also a DJ. I've got to admit he was the straightest of the bunch and maybe seemed out of place. I lost track of him after he left the station, but discovered him on the news several years ago. It didn't surprise me that he made it in politics. He was very smart. Hearing him last night brought back some good memories. Not all DJs are as dumb as they sometimes sound.
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Re living the past. Good thing we have some good memories that gives us smiles.
I USED TO KNOW RADIO BROADCASTERS & THEY WERE FAR FROM BEING STUPID.
I WENT OUT WITH AL WHO\'S BEEN THE PBS BROADCASTER FOR YEARS & GOES BY THE NAME PATRICK MURPHY. HE TOOK ME OUT FOR MY 21ST BIRTHDAY WHICH WAS OVER 40 YRS AGO.
THESE DAYS AL HAS A LOT MORE HAIR!!!
I love the band \"Yes\" and I consider them one of the first \"jam bands\" where their earlier music seems to goe on and on. Too cool! I always wanted to be a DJ and I loved the days when you could hear an entire album on a Saturday night while the DJ told stories about the band being played and how they saw them live at the Garden in \'74 and they opened for so and so, and what the political climate was at the time and what styles were in and what drugs were popular. These days, everything is digital. No personality. It\'s cool that you have played a part in radio history!