Back in May I approached with an opportunity that I wasn’t expecting, not that I wasn’t excited, because I was. I’d spent my entire career playing Drake, Ariana Grande, and 21 Pilots. I was always the “lovable smartass on the air,” or at least that’s how I built it up in head.
The question was put to me like this, “you ever thought about going country?” The funny things was, I knew instantly the answer was hell yeah. I’m a guy that grew up in Parkersburg West Virginia. From the time I was 5 years old my parents used to drag me to every classic country show under the stars. They were the type of parents that thought, “just because we have a kid doesn’t mean life’s over.” I’ve seen all the greats, Dolly, Conway Twitty, Willie, Eddie Rabbit, Charlie Pride, Janie Frickie, The Oakridge Boys, Alabama, Sawyer Brown, Bardra Mandrel and List goes on. So country music is in my blood.
I guess my biggest fear, and a lot of people’s fear is change. I was going to be on a radio station where no one knew me (even though I’d been on FLZ for 6 years) this was a whole new undertaking.
Then my anxiety kicked in, Will you guys like me, does my humor fit the country lifestyle, am I really good enough to pull this off?
The reason I wanted to write this tonight is to say thank you, to you. It feels like since day one on US 103.5 y’all showed me such kindness and accepted me for who I am. I think one of my favorite things you did was call me on BS! If I said something that rubbed you the wrong way, you were the first one to call me on it. You kept me honest, you made me think, you made me a better person, you really did. I feel like over the past few months we’ve become friends through the radio (not trying to be cheesy) it’s just the feeling I have. Last night at the Dallas Bull as I got to meet so many of you face to face it was a special felling. I felt like I was hanging out with a bunch good friends! The little things you said like, “I love hearing you talk about your wife.” Or the hugs I got from grown mean telling me how sorry the were to hear about the passing of my pug dog Sadie this past week. Hearing you say, “you make me laugh when I drive home.” Words can’t express what that means to me.
I don’t ever want you to think these things go unnoticed and please know you being there every afternoon makes what I do that much more special. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You and your family have a very Merry Christmas, and I’ll see you in 2019!!!
I’ll end with one of my favorite quotes.
“Kuch had it right, it was a vision quest. But all I ever settled for was that we’er born to live and then die, and we gotta do it alone each in his one way. I guess that’s why gotta love people that deserve it like there’s no tomorrow, cause when you get right down to it, there isn’t.” - Louden Swain