Featured Artist
I started loving beach music as a kid. My brothers & cousins used to play band to great beach & Motown songs. I owe my dancing ability to my big sister, she used to make me dance with the posts at Red’s Place in Kinston until I learned to shag. I was so amazed at the music & the great dancers like Bones Hussey & Norman & Francis Tripp. I have been a dancer since the late 70’s, competed in many contest in the 80’s with Shag HOFer Sue Lanier Hallow. Dancing is where I got my start in Beach Music as a DJ.
At that time, I worked part time at WRNS playing both kinds of music (Country & Western) where I worked morning drive. I was trained in radio by Kinston legendary DJ – Eddie Dee. The first beach music I ever played on radio was WELS & then WISP AM 1250 “WISPY”. I first started collecting music working for Amanda & Frank Hill at Tape City. I would usually spend more than I made in a day – even with my Tape City discounts on 45’s. My first club work was at Red’s Place in Kinston, NC. Actually, the first time I ever played for Red was one night when he was DJing and passed out (I think alcohol was involved). I have worked at most of the nightclubs in Kinston, NC through the years and most of the dance shag clubs throughout the states of NC, SC, & VA. I was blessed to play at Ducks, the Spanish Galleon, Fat Harold’s & the Pad in the early 80’s for SOS and other events, as well as, legendary clubs like Peaches & Beaus in Greenville, NC, Lynns in Charlotte, NC & Thirtsty’s, The Bushes in Greensboro, Memories, Courtneys, Rays & Big Georges in Atlantic Beach, and so many more. I have met some great friends & had some tragic losses to my beach music family through the years.
As of today I have been a BEACH MUSIC DJ for 46 years (clubs & radio). I have worked for 6 different radio stations, 100s of clubs, been an SOS DJ, DJ’d an SOS cruise, etc. I am a Lifetime member of the ABSCDJs. The first time I ever had my own radio show was on WKGK 97.7 FM on Saturday Afternoons in Kinston. I worked there for 5 years. I got out of radio in the 90’s, though I still worked in shag clubs. In 1998 I was asked to join the Sunny Beach FM’s in Morehead City, NC on Friday & Saturday afternoons. I was there almost 5 years, until the station was sold & format changed. This was when I got in the night club business, Murphy’s Place in Mt. Olive. This was short lived, as I got out of the restaurant/night club business to attend Pharmacy School at Campbell University – I graduated in 2015 with a Masters in Clinical Research, a Masters in Public Health, and a Doctorate in Pharmacy. Yes I was then Dr. Jerry R. Hill, I was completely out of beach music while in Pharmacy School.
I lost my Mom to a heart attack my first day of college. That was the worst day & the worst point in my life. I lost my dad to cancer in 2008. After graduating, I missed radio & DJing so I returned to the airwaves in 2018 with Beach Boogie & Blues 102.9 FM in Kinston, NC, 101.1 FM in Jacksonville, NC, 95.7FM in New Bern, NC & 105.7 FM in Greenville, NC & 1070 AM in Eastern NC on Saturdays from 2pm – 7pm and have been there ever since. I also joined Jukin’ Oldies one year later in 2019 M-F from 10am to 1pm.
I currently live in Mt. Olive, have a beautiful daughter & two wonderful grand children. I play Beach Music daily & still work in Pharmacy at night mixing Chemo for low income Kids. I am the current president & founder of Kinston Shags Shag Club in Kinston, NC and getting ready to open a new beach & shag club in Kinston, NC. Yes I live a happy, busy life & Life is Good! I thank God everyday for the many blessings have & continues to give me & the new doors that keep opening for me. I look forward to continuing to play great beach tunes as long as he allows me to. Thanks you, my friends & family for believing in me through all these years.
So Lace Up Those Weejuns, Grease The Floor, Turn Up The Music, Rip The Knob Off & I’ll See You On The Radio!