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10 Questions with ... Big Dawg Diesel
July 24, 2007
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NAME:Big Dawg DieselLAST WITH:WEUP/Huntsville (Urban)PHONE:256-757-0698EMAIL:yabiggdawg@yahoo.com
Please begin by giving us a brief career history ...
I got my start as a club DJ in Detroit, and went to Flint by the request of one of my friends and met Clay Church. When he saw what I could do, I got a mixshow on Top 40/M CK105.5. Beau Daniels liked what I did on Saturdays and next thing you know I'm standing in Dom Theodore's office at Channel 955 (Top 40/M)/Detroit. I became a member of the "Bomb Squad" and volunteered to do Saturday nights on-air and that was the springboard.
From there, I did weekends/mixshow DJ at Club 93.7 (Top 40/Rhythmic)/Flint, nights on-air at Wild 96.3 (Top 40/ Rhythmic)/Fort Wayne, nights on-air at Wild 99.7 (Top 40/ Rhythmic) and afternoons on-air at WEUP (Urban)/Huntsville.
1) What do you do to maintain a positive mental attitude and stay motivated?
I stay in prayer first of all and recognize that patience is necessary even when it's hard to be patient. I attended church regularly to avoid the "idle mind." I'm learning a lot about myself right now. It's kinda good to have had this time away. Now I'm ready to get back to this thing I love called radio.
2) How are you occupying your time, besides looking for a job?
I have an eBay store that I run, and it does pretty well, actually. I have become addicted to Diablo 2 again. It's a CD-rom I had to stop playing because it's extremely addicting. Needless to say, I'm addicted again. I keep in touch with a lot of my buddies in the business; they help me keep my head together.
3) Some people get discouraged or enlightened with the business when they actually step out of it for a while. Tell us your observations from the outside.
If you have someone who works hard and produces, it seems as if they are taken down. The team atmosphere seems to be gone. I loved working at Channel 955 in Detroit and Club 93.7 in Flint because it felt like a team with a coach, not a country with a dictator.
I do like the way radio is evolving. It seems that stations recognize that content is somewhat necessary now, being that if the audience wanted just music they'd use have iPods and CDs. I don't like how it seems as if freedom of speech is being taken away from RADIO. I capitalize the word radio because you can say just about anything you want on television at times, but radio is taking a big hit. Thank you, Janet ... thank you.
4) What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get a job?
Getting on a Greyhound bus and riding three days to hand my package to a PD and turning around to go right back home. Is there such a thing as bus-lag?
5) Who do you admire in the business and why?
There are quite a few people I admire. I don't know if I can list why, because it would take up a lot of room. Basically I admire the people who inspired me to do this job as a kid. John Mason, Lynn Tolliver, Tony Perez, Bushman (WJLB), Dom Theodore, Bo the Jammer, Lisa Lisa (96.3 Jamz), and the friends I've made who have stayed friends. Clay, Mo Bounce, Supreme, DB, the night jock guys, Dr. Dave, Goose and Jonathan. It's good to have friends in this business -- nd true friends I've noticed are hard to find.
6) How are you finding the "courtesy level" at places you've applied? (Callbacks, e-mails, rejection letters, etc.)
Do I really need to answer that? The money I put into my package is incredible. To be sending out packages to PDs and companys basically posting for EOE is expensive... remember, I don't have a job! Let's find another way to exploit that loophole, k? ...thanks. I have some things on the table, though, and have had some great conversations with great PDs!
7) What do you miss most about music/radio? The least?
I miss the listeners. I miss the people who would call me everyday, or the people who would win something on the station and upon coming to pick it up, ask to meet me...a nobody. We sometimes forget in this business the impact we can have on someone's life -- just by making them smile; by taking the time to say hello; by mentoring a troubled youth. That's our job. That's why we do this. The ratings and revenue come from things like that. You can have a great show, but when someone comes up to you and says "HI"... do you give them focus? Do you respond without being "cocky?" If you do those small things, I guarantee your ratings will be improve.
8) What have you learned about yourself, others, or life in general in your downtime?
I need to be a little more selective when looking for a job, instead of taking the first thing on the table. That's good business for my career. I was discouraged for a while, but I'm not anymore. Whatever God has for me I will get.
9) Having been through all you have dealt with in this biz, what advice would you give people trying to break in?
Um...let's see. Stay far away! Danger, Will Robinson...Danger! HAHAHA! Seriously, stay focused and find a mentor. That's important. Find someone who has been in the business for a while and LISTEN.
10) How will this experience change you when you get back to work?
I've learned a lot from being unemployed. Save more money, and pay your rent six months in advance! I'm kinda lucky because I did that and didn't realize it then, but that's a really good move.
Bonus Questions
BONUS QUESTION: Care to contribute a low-cost recipe to our "ON THE BEACH" cookbook?
I'm fat, so where there is a will there is a way. I MUST HAVE POPEYE'S CHICKEN! REGULARLY! I will sell just about anything for those deliciously, scrumptiously, delectable spicy breasts and biscuits. Yummy for my tummy. Hire me...you can pay me in Popeye's chicken.
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