Monday, November 18, 2013

The DJ Saved My Life Tonight

This morning I'm writing this through tears. I'm listening to tributes flooding into a local radio station for a local DJ who passed yesterday from complications of a stroke he suffered Saturday. On-air talent he mentored or trained who have moved on to larger markets, like Philadelphia and Nashville, have called. My favorite DJ of all time broke down on the air talking about him at 7:30 this morning.

Steve "The Frogman" Kelsey was the voice of my childhood. I first heard Cheap Trick on his show All Night Album Rock, up waaaay past my bedtime, on my little yellow radio under the covers. He trained every single DJ I know. He spun the vinyl at every junior high school dance I attended and at one of them pulled me aside to tell me that the boy I was crushing on who was dancing with someone else wasn't worth my tears. When I got my radio license and worked for a rival station he welcomed me to the fold anyway. He knew the meaning of community because he had a large hand in creating the one where I live in ways too numerous to list. He welcomed everybody, he loved everybody and this morning his widow and family are getting that back a thousandfold.

I'm really annoyed this morning that I can't embed music but if you have a chance today go over to YouTube and give "AM Radio" by Everclear a listen. Then welcome somebody you normally wouldn 't. The love you put out there comes back in ways you might not expect but it does. I don't know who Steve is hugging today wherever he is but it's guaranteed with his whole heart as he did everything. Good night, Frogman. Rest well.

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