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Many people ask me if I miss what I did for a living for 36 years?
Does getting up in the morning at 3:45 a.m. and working at times weeks at a time
without a day off, is there any nostalgia for that? I really don't think so. I
think radio was a great calling for me however I find teaching is what want to
do right now. My belief is that that to be successful in any profession it has
to be in your blood. You have to want it more than anything. I tell young people
wanting to go into broadcasting to forget a social life and weekends going to
ball games and dating that pretty coed from Graham, Alabama. I know because it
happened to me. I let it. I wanted it that bad.
Inspiration to do it came from some terrific sources. Lee Williams did the
morning show when I was a kid on WWCC in Bremen. I first heard Jim Reeves and
Patsy Cline on his show. Lee Williams was the first guy I ever met whose hair
was so perfect it could have stood a catagory 4 hurricane.
The next source of nudging perhaps came from watching Officer Don Kennedy on
WSB-TV's "Popeye Club". His zany manner and dialogue with the kids on the show
made him "must see" television for those under twelve years old. Then in the
early 60's when I was around ten I heard a guy on 790 a.m. WQXI on the morning
show talking about Tallapoosa. "It's your Tallapoosa pal, Red Jones on Quixie in
Dixie" with a warm baritone with an easy Texas accent coming out of the speaker
of our Truetone kitchen radio that came from Ray Hitchcock's Western Auto. "Wow,
did you hear the guy on Quixie talking about our town" shouted one of the older
elementary school kids in the hallway. We turned off the "Today Show" with Dave
Garroway and Jack Lescoulie on Channel 2 that was the NBC affiliate at the time.
J. Fred Muggs no longer had our attention. We turned on the radio to listen to
Red Jones on WQXI because he mentioned our town. He was everywhere. He was like
a mythical figure to me as a boy. He lit the fuse. Fast forward about ten years
and I am a junior at West Georgia dating a girl from Marietta. I flipped on WFOM
in Marietta one Friday afternoon and there he was, Red Jones broadcasting live
from Pugmire Lincoln-Mercury. He invited listeners to come by and test drive the
new Cougars. We went and I stood back and watched the master at his art. Red
Jones was shaking hands and passing out prizes like gift certificates to
Shakey's Pizza where you had your pepperoni pizza with banjos ringing out
ragtime songs and Dixieland. I didn't have the courage to approach him. My
college goal was to perhaps study law or teach. My grandmother told me I wasn't
mean enough to be a lawyer. She pointed out the sacrifice it would take to be a
teacher. Watching Red Jones that day the light went off in my head. Radio is
what I wanted to make as my career. Red Jones warm style is one I tried to
emulate for over three decades. He was genuine and I tried to be real and
genuine as well. That quality also was heard from Joe Rumore on WVOK out of B
irmingham and Gary McKee on WQXI and 94-Q in Atlanta. I was able to live a dream
because of the inspiration of those giants. Red Jones was the mightiest oak in
the forest. He still is. He still does show preparation and gets to the radio
station an hour ahead of his show. He still works hard. He still has his
broadcasting fast ball.
Saturday night the 4th of October the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame inducted the
Atlanta Braves announcing team of the late Skip Carey, Ernie Johnson, and Pete
Van Wieren into the hall. Also joining him was Scott Slade the number one
morning personality in the 8th largest market in America. Captain Herb Emory the
traffic reporting heavy weight champion of the world was also inducted along
with a former part of my show in the 1980's and 1990's Gary Corry also known as
"Red Neckerson". He is one of the funniest and talented people I have ever
known.
That night WKNG's Red Jones was inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame as
a 2008 inductee. He had the support of his family and his radio family there
with him that night. It was a shining moment. There was shouts of joy and
excitement from the sold-out Marietta Conference Center Hilton. It was something
long overdue. Now Tallapoosa can boast that two of the Jones boys are in the
elite Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. Red, I am honored to stand near you in the
hall however you stand much taller in my eyes. I owe you for the inspiration.
Rhubarb Jones is a Tallapoosa native and a Distinguished Lecturer in the
Department of Communication and Director of Special Projects in the Office of
University Development at Kennesaw State University. Comments are welcome at
P.O. Box 1001, Tallapoosa, Georgia, 30176 or via email at
Rhubarbjones@aol.com
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