I Would Love To Be A Radio Dj

All of my dream jobs revolve around music. Growing up I always wanted to be a singer. Singing the blues in smokey clubs and working the club circuit always sounded exotic to me. It was like that prince charming dream other little girls had; rather vague and undefined. I didn't even know how to go about it, but I was enthusiastic. I sang everywhere I could, school, church, to the radio. I even forced my poor sisters to be my audience more than once. (They still tease me about it.)

My mother thought it was cute, and my father, well he wasn't happy unless it was church music. Even then he said, "You're not very good, but God doesn't care." I think I was about 16 when he told me that. It reinforced what I secretly feared; that everyone was just being nice. So...I stopped. I refused to sing anymore. I still had music all around me. My most precious possession was my radio. I was an awesome radio--I think we lived in some kind of vortex (lol) so that I got tons of radio stations from all over the country. I listened to blues, rock, country, oldies, opera, symphony--whatever I could.

In my early twenties I filled in for a friend of mine in her band. It was a kinda of Melissa Etheridge wannabe girl band. She said she just needed a warm body to "oooo" and "aaahhh" in the background. Since no one would actually be listening to me, I agreed. I traveled with the band for several weeks until they could find a replacement. I really got my eyes opened about the club circuit thing. It wasn't anything like I thought it would be, but the whole experience was great. At the end of my stint with them they had convinced me to sing one number. They did a lot of covers so I chose Etta James "I'd Rather Go Blind." The band had an awesome base player and he and I had been playing around with an arrangement.

I did three gigs with me singing this song between sets. I still remember how awesome it was that people liked it. My friend invited me to stay with the band, but she really didn't play the kind of music that I wanted to sing. I really gravitated to music from singers like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Big Mama Thornton...I'd never heard of white girls singing those songs--except maybe Bonnie Raitt, especially in the area of the country I lived in. Anyway I went on with my life and that whole adventure just became a sweet, sweet memory.

Now, I have too many responsibilities to just up and hit the road, but you know I think I really would love to work in radio. I'd like to have my own 4 hour spot, in the middle of the night where I could play the kind of music I like. I bet there are others out there who would enjoy that sexy, funky music that just makes you feel like dancing. Or the kind of gritty, dirty blues that makes you feel like getting down. I know radio stations play it all over the country, but not where I live. I'll have to see what I can do about it.

Peace.