The DJ With The Most (with pics!) in Friends With the Benedicts

My Grandpa (Papaw) was a very successful radio DJ. He was one for a very long time, I am not sure exactly how long, but I would like to share his amazing life with yall!

That pic is him in a van when he worked for a radio station called WBSR, doing a remote show. I am not sure exactly what that is, but that’s what my Mom just told me when I asked her. LOL

Working at WBSR

Then he started his own station in AL. The first woman standing next to him is my Grandma, (Mammal) and the woman kneeling directly in front of him is my Mom! Yea, I know she looks young, and you may think that I prolly wasn’t born yet, but I was actually already a few years old! She had me when she was only 19. So, she worked up there in the

(Mommy controlling the air waves in 1986. I was 5 years old at the time.)

radio station, and I grew up (well, until I was 7 and he passed away) spending the weekends there, which was sooooo much fun! It was like a mini vacation! The property the station was on was massive and was on a huge hill, there were clay pits right next to it, as well as gigantic sand hills that the dump trucks made. I am not sure what kind of business was next door, but it made for great scenery. Felt like you were on top of the world looking down into a canyon! Anyway… so yea, he had that one first, and it was so cool.. he was the first person to announce (in our area) over the radio that Elvis had died! Isn’t that awesome? He made a little bit of local history! He was very well known too. His call name was “Daddy Rabbit Ray” or just “Daddy Rabbit”. He got to meet lots of famous people and politicians including the president at one point. It was Bush. lol. He got awards and commendations for things, hosted events, etc. I wish that I could have had him in my life just a little bit longer, long enough to be able to recognize all of his accomplishments and to be proud of him for them, and to let him know that I was. He died when I was way too young and had no idea what was going on around me all the time.

I’m so lucky that I have all the things I can touch and look at now that I am old enough to appreciate them. There is a treasure trove of memorabilia thanks to people like my aunt Martha, who did geneology and saved everything, and my Mom who also saved a lot of stuff in her cedar chest because she was so proud of him. Everyone was. And now I can see just why. :)

And I wish I could ask my Mom for more info on this pic, but this is what she wrote for the caption on it on Facebook: “a picture dolly parton gave to my dad and signed on the back when she sang at the national guard armory. February 1973”. I know my Papaw was in the military for a little bit, but I don’t know when it was, and I thought it was way before 1973, so I dunno. That’s what I would ask her. But anyway, here is the pic, it’s cool anyway! lol

And of course, as the only grandchild for 7 years, I was all involved in it as well! I was even on the radio a couple of times! Of course, that would be me in that pic, singing in 1985 according to my Mom. I would have been 4. Also, there is a video of me being called onto a stage during an event he was hosting and he asked my name and I talked into the microphone. I think I was like 5 or 6. I have the tape. :) These things are so very priceless to me!

Of course, anyone who wanted to go in there was welcome in his recording studio that he built himself in their house. He was so very talented. I am convinced there is not much he couldn’t do.

That’s my cousin Brian who lives in TN, down on vacation in the recording studio. My papaw also wrote and sung songs as well. Here is a video on Youtube recorded by him that my Mom uploaded, if you’re curious. He has such an amazingly deep and pretty voice! I couldn’t believe it when I first heard him sing. :)

This is kinda cool. My Papaw is the very last person on the right, and the guy having his hand shook by the older guy is apparently a famous golfer named Lee Trevino. I had to look him up, but he has won the US Open twice, and a lot of other major tournaments. This pic was taken at a golf tournament as well. No idea who the third guy is in the pic.

This is an autograph from when he apparently met Don Sutton. I have no idea who that is other than a sports figure, haha! It says, “To Jerry Very best wishes to my good guy friend”. :)

Now this is one that I know! I wonder under what circumstances he got to meet Joan Crawford? I wish he was still alive for so many reasons! His life is just fascinating to me! I believe this one says, To Jerry with gratitude, Joan Crawford”.

I’m not really going in order, obviously, just posting as I find them on my Mom’s FB page. This is him at yet another station in the 60’s in Tennessee. I had never even heard of this one. Wow. :) Love it.

My Papaw was actually at an award event in AL receiving something on the day he died. I was there as well, and unfortunately witnessed everything that day. I still remember it all. He died August 12, 1989, at just 49 years old of a heart aneurysm. He was a smoker, and he’d had a heart attack before. Where we were, they just had a small hospital that really wasn’t that great, and they had planned to life-flight him out to one of the bigger hospitals here in Pensacola. He died before the helicopter got there. It was just a bad situation. I still wonder if he might have been saved had we not been in a small town when it happened.

I don’t remember the specifics because I was so young, but I do know that there was a radio station under construction and not finished when he died here in Pensacola. The one in AL went away, and when the one here got finished finally after he was gone, my Mammal started working there. She worked there for a long time. I liked that station, it was in an indoor strip mall that was across from a pet store. So fun to go visit! :)

Well, I hope yall enjoyed that as much as I did! I am so very proud when I think of all the accomplishments he managed to do in such a short life. He did leave us way too quickly though! I bet he could tell me some stories! I can only imagine the things he would have to say. At least I have all his precious memories to look at and hold dear. :)

UPDATE - Well since I wrote this, my Mom read it, as she usually does, and she took it upon herself to correct some of the mistakes I made in the entry. Apparently my Papaw was still alive when the construction of the local station was complete, and not only that, but he worked there for nearly a year before he died. lol. I was little! I don’t remember that at all! lol. And she got a kick out of me not knowing some of the famous people he’d met. She always reads my diary, dammit. lol. I can never write exactly what I want for fear of her snooping. Yes, you Mama! Hmph. Anyway, so I just thought I’d set the record straight. I got a lot of great notes, yall are so wonderful. I love you all, my diary family! <3

Steph

Last updated August 08, 2015