Post by Travis on May 26, 2005 16:21:12 GMT -5
This is a "small world" story that I've been wanting to write, but wasn't sure if it really belonged on this board. I'm now convinced that in the spirit of "All Things WAKY" this story does qualify to be here and couldn't be any WAKY'er.
I live in Venice, Florida, which is just about 1,000 miles from Louisville, and make my living operating 2 water treatment plants located in Venice and Punta Gorda. Anyone seeking to do this type of work must pass a state approved course and complete a full year of 'hands on' experience (supervised, of course) within an actual working plant. This is followed by an examination which, if passed, results in he/she becoming a licensed plant operator.
From time to time, someone working on their required 1-year 'hands on' apprenticeship will be assigned to work with me and that was the case about a year ago when I met... D.A. I'm only going to refer to D.A. by his initials so that if a certain person is reading this story, it will not be spoiled before I'm finished.
Anyway. As D.A. and I performed our daily routines we made small talk (as anyone would) and I eventually mentioned that I had been in radio and how, as a teen, I had been influenced by an AM station in my hometown of Louisville, and how I had gotten to know some of the jocks and would hangout in the studios, etc., etc.
Well... D.A. began telling a story of how, growing up in Ohio, he and a friend would run down to the local radio station to hangout with the DJ. He said the radio station was in a farmhouse and that you could see the DJ working through one of the windows. Unlike the large stationary windows of WAKY & WKLO, this was the typical kind of window one would expect to see on a farmhouse, but a rather large one. They would tap on the glass and the DJ would lift the window to allow them to climb right over the sill and into the control room.
As D.A. and I continued to work together over the weeks, the subject of radio would come up and D.A. would again mention hanging out with a DJ in a small station in Ohio. One day he went as far as to describe the DJ as having been a young guy, tall & thin, with black hair. And then one day he said the DJ's name... Johnny Randolph.
I believe my jaw hit the floor, but I'm not sure. At the time that D.A. told me this story I was not aware that Johnny Randolph had ever lived in Ohio. I even wondered if this could have been another jock using that name. I checked the net and found an early photo of Johnny Randolph, via Google, on the front of a WAKY Boss 30 survey which was actually being auctioned off on e-Bay. I showed the image to D.A. and he confirmed that it was the same Johnny Randolph that had worked in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio.
What were the chances of this happening? D.A., from Middletown, Ohio, and me, from Louisville, Kentucky, coming together in Venice, Florida, and both having known Johnny Randolph from our days as teens hanging out in our respective home town radio stations. What a small world, indeed.
Johnny Randolph can be heard on John Quincy's 'WAKY Remembered' talking about having worked for several years at a small station in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, as he went through college.
To: Johnny Randolph
D.A. is Delbert Averdick. He and John Martin have many fond memories of climbing over that window sill and hanging out with you during your early years at WPFB in Middletown, Ohio. They are still in touch with each other to this day and wish you well.
Travis
I live in Venice, Florida, which is just about 1,000 miles from Louisville, and make my living operating 2 water treatment plants located in Venice and Punta Gorda. Anyone seeking to do this type of work must pass a state approved course and complete a full year of 'hands on' experience (supervised, of course) within an actual working plant. This is followed by an examination which, if passed, results in he/she becoming a licensed plant operator.
From time to time, someone working on their required 1-year 'hands on' apprenticeship will be assigned to work with me and that was the case about a year ago when I met... D.A. I'm only going to refer to D.A. by his initials so that if a certain person is reading this story, it will not be spoiled before I'm finished.
Anyway. As D.A. and I performed our daily routines we made small talk (as anyone would) and I eventually mentioned that I had been in radio and how, as a teen, I had been influenced by an AM station in my hometown of Louisville, and how I had gotten to know some of the jocks and would hangout in the studios, etc., etc.
Well... D.A. began telling a story of how, growing up in Ohio, he and a friend would run down to the local radio station to hangout with the DJ. He said the radio station was in a farmhouse and that you could see the DJ working through one of the windows. Unlike the large stationary windows of WAKY & WKLO, this was the typical kind of window one would expect to see on a farmhouse, but a rather large one. They would tap on the glass and the DJ would lift the window to allow them to climb right over the sill and into the control room.
As D.A. and I continued to work together over the weeks, the subject of radio would come up and D.A. would again mention hanging out with a DJ in a small station in Ohio. One day he went as far as to describe the DJ as having been a young guy, tall & thin, with black hair. And then one day he said the DJ's name... Johnny Randolph.
I believe my jaw hit the floor, but I'm not sure. At the time that D.A. told me this story I was not aware that Johnny Randolph had ever lived in Ohio. I even wondered if this could have been another jock using that name. I checked the net and found an early photo of Johnny Randolph, via Google, on the front of a WAKY Boss 30 survey which was actually being auctioned off on e-Bay. I showed the image to D.A. and he confirmed that it was the same Johnny Randolph that had worked in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio.
What were the chances of this happening? D.A., from Middletown, Ohio, and me, from Louisville, Kentucky, coming together in Venice, Florida, and both having known Johnny Randolph from our days as teens hanging out in our respective home town radio stations. What a small world, indeed.
Johnny Randolph can be heard on John Quincy's 'WAKY Remembered' talking about having worked for several years at a small station in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, as he went through college.
To: Johnny Randolph
D.A. is Delbert Averdick. He and John Martin have many fond memories of climbing over that window sill and hanging out with you during your early years at WPFB in Middletown, Ohio. They are still in touch with each other to this day and wish you well.
Travis