16-year-old radio station: 34-year career

In 1962, when I was 16 years old, my dream was to one day be a radio announcer. 

I built an AM radio transmitter and created a control room in my bedroom. With a reel-to-reel tape recorder and vinyl albums, I did shows as a disc jockey. I broadcast for an hour each night.

Sure enough, after graduation from high school I began a 34-year radio career.

From 1964 to 1998, I was a deejay and newsman at radio stations in Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Florida. 

Later, I worked as a freelance writer, but I was still working in radio and my mystery novels featured a female radio talk show host. 

My last radio job was as program director for WBRD Radio, Solid Gospel, in Bradenton, FL in 1998.

Wooster High School band got me started

A new era for the Wooster High School Band began with the arrival of Jack Emig as director in 1956. Director at WHS for eight years, Emig helped hundreds of students in Wooster to enjoy and produce music through participation in band.

By the time I joined the band, playing sousaphone, the 110 member Wooster High School Marching Band sported brand-new blue and gold uniforms.

Emig utilized his training at Ohio State University to usher in a new era of "precision marching". The band began venturing to distant performance venues and received much acclaim. 

I played the sousaphone because parents did not have to buy those instruments. I ended my Senior year being the First "O" in Wooster.

After high school, I began playing acoustic guitar, hand drums including djembe, congas and bongos and bass guitar.

I still play bongos.

Built my own radio station 1962

1962 I built an AM radio transmitter and created a control room in my bedroom. 

With a reel-to-reel tape recorder and vinyl albums, I did shows as a disc jockey. 

I wanted to be a radio announcer, so I broadcast for an hour each night.

Sure enough, after graduation from high school I began a 34-year radio career.