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Red Jones was a big influence
The early 1960's and Tallapoosa had the main artery between Atlanta and
Birmingham was U.S. Highway 78. Tallapoosa had a lot of places to get breakfast
and lunch in those days on that stretch of concrete that goes from Charleston,
South Carolina to Memphis, Tennessee. Tri Mi Grill, The Southern Cafe, and the
bus station cafe known as Smith's Cafe were places hungry travelers could get
bacon, eggs, or a stack of pancakes.
A fellow was driving from Houston to Atlanta early one morning and wanted
breakfast. He ate and then inquired what town he was in. "Tallapoosa is the name
of this town" as the waitress poured the gentleman another cup of coffee. He
finished his coffee and went on up U.S. 78 to his new challenge as the morning
radio personality of WQXI.
A few weeks later many of my classmates were excited because Tallapoosa was
being talked about on the radio by this new disc jockey who was chatting up
being "this is Red Jones, your Tallapoosa pal on Quixie in Dixie"! Red also
referred to himself as your "Tally Pal". This endeared himself to me when I was
in Mrs. Rambo's sixth grade class. He kind of planted the seeds back then to
what I have had as a career the past 36 years.
Fast forward to about 1972 and I was doing the morning show on WWCC in Bremen
and going to class at West Georgia College as soon as my air shift was over at
10 a.m. I was going out with a young lady from Marietta and one day over the
airwaves of WFOM in Marietta I heard the voice that was so familiar doing a
remote at Pugmire Lincoln Mercury. Red Jones still had that warm and friendly
voice and I remember going by the car dealership and standing back and watch
Red's magic with listeners. He pretty much solidified my life's work with his
sincere and friendly style and I have always emulated Red Jones. I would have to
say that Red Jones and Gary McKee of WQXI along with John R. of WLAC in
Nashville and Joe Rumore of WVOK in Birmingham were the greatest radio
personalities of my lifetime. They weren't disc jockeys, they were part of our
lives. They were like family.
Back in September I was honored along with Gary McKee, Ludlow Porch, Clark
Howard and Neal Boortz along with some other magnificent talents that I have no
business being on the same stage with in being inducted into the Georgia Radio
Hall of Fame. It is quite an honor and achievement for this Tallapoosa boy who
tried to emulate his radio heroes. Red Jones is one of the key influences in my
life.
Red Jones and his crew at King Country always come out and support me in the
"Rhubarb Jones March Across Georgia for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society" and
they have helped me raise tens of thousands of dollars just at our annual stop
at Holcombe's Foodland in the past few years. Our overall efforts have hit right
at the $4,000,000 mark for research for a cure of blood cancers.
Red's genuineness and wholesome approach to broadcasting is still going strong
with a career that has touched millions over the decades.
Red lost his beloved wife of many years earlier this year. I know it was perhaps
the single greatest loss of his life. He deals with it and you never hear Red
Jones on the air not being the top flight air personality he has been for so
many years in spite of the loss of his soul mate.
I think that the class of 2008 will see Red Jones in the Georgia Radio Hall of
Fame. He certainly is a Jones boy who deserved to go in ahead of me because he
blazed the trail for people like me. I am blessed to call him friend. You too
are blessed to have him as a citizen of our area.
My grandmother would have said about him "that if Red Jones tells you a rooster
dips snuff, you can look up under his wings for the box"! |
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