Java Timeline

November 1982: Got MTV. Radio, admittedly, got put on the backburner for about a year.

August 1983: Discovered CKMF/Montreal. The reception wasn't great and the DJ's were French, but they played a lot of 12'' dance mixes and lots of early Electro & hip-hop. There was more to music than Christopher Cross & Sheena Easton!

January 1984: Heard Rick Dees for the first time. Blew my mind. I was 9.

March 1984: Heard 93Q in Syracuse for the first time. Why does it sound like the DJ's are in a gym when they talk? REVERB!!!!!! I LOVE REVERB!!!!!!!!!

March 1985: Bought my first issue of Billboard.

December 1986: Got my first Joel Whitburn book. Chart geek ever since.

Summer 1989: Spent every Saturday night watching The Howard Stern Show on WOR-TV out of NJ. Thank God for cable.

January 1990: My local top 40, Pac-93, started airing Open House Party.

Finally I was able to hear the kind of music the Big City Stations were playing! I was a frequent winner of the "Who Sings It?" feature and have many a CD 6 pack to prove it.

September 1992: Got my first gig at the college station...

88.9 WNYO...Oswego NY!

April 1993: Pulling a Dr. Johnny Fever, I said "We'll be right back after this commercial massage (sic)!" The guy who ran the station (Fritz Messere) ran down and started yelling at me. "WE ARE NOT A COMMERCIAL STATION!! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!" That was the first time I was "fired". I was off to a good start.

January 1994: I took a break from college, went back home and got my first paying job doing nights at WSNN-FM/Potsdam NY...99 Hits FM! The format was a mish-mash of AC, AOR, pop & 70's & 80's gold. Index cards, vinyl...the whole thing. I was in heaven. I'd made it! "Hi Ma!"

April 1994: Listen to me dedicate a song to my Mom & Dad.

I think they were the only ones listening! God love 'em...

Boy...Did I suck!

January 1995: I got a better offer at "crosstown" WVNC/Canton NY...Northern New York's Mix 96!...An incredibly professional sounding small-market Hot AC. They had sweepers! The PD, Rick Pendleton/Jordan took me under his wing, gave me direction, inspiration and named me--

"Java" Joel. Perfect for the At-Work Network crowd.

February 1995: Saw my first video aircheck. You know the one...Dan Taylor, Bill Lee, JoJo "Cookin" Kincaid. I was in awe.

December 1995: Got an offer to do nights and MD at Kiss 102 in Utica/Rome NY. It was an Arbitron rated market so I jumped at the chance. It was too soon. I quit a few months later to go back to Canton.

August 1996: Rick left to go to Syracuse. I became PD/MD of Mix 96. Taking my cue from Rick, I was an utter control freak--mornings, music, imaging, promotions, copy writing. I had to do it all. Looking back, I was glad I did.

May 1997: Got the chance to do weekends at Hot 107.9.-- a new CHR sign-on in Syracuse. (Thanks, Ed LaComb!) Every week I'd drive three hours to do my six hour Sunday night shift. I'd get off the air at midnight, drive back home, sleep for an hour and drive to Mix to do the morning show. I was beat.

September 1997: Took a job with Mediabase 24-7. From my house, I was able to listen to stations from all across the country identifying songs so R&R could tabulate their charts. This is where my Music Geek talents really paid off. I was able to listen to Z-100, 93-1 DRQ, Q-102, 'KRZ in Wilkes Barre all from the comfort of my home and GET PAID to transcribe what I heard! Sound like fun?? It was for the first few months...It paid pretty well, so I did it for 4 years.

October 1998: I was still doin' my weekend shift at Hot in Syracuse. JJ Rice had taken over as PD. He liked my style and he offered me middays. A few months later I was promoted to PM Drive and took my 18-34 female numbers from 4th to 1st. (Nothing more pathetic than a jock that gets off on his own numbers, I know!)

June 1999: JJ left for WBLI, a new PD came in, added When In Rome & Gloria Gaynor to Selector and fired me for being the "cancer of the radio station"! GASP! I didn't like the new direction, it got back to him and he fired me. When the summer book came out, Hot took a beating and Mr. PD was canned a few months later. I was crushed.

June 1999 (2 hours later): Clarke Ingram at 98 PXY called and offered me some part-time. Market 53!!!!!!! PXY!!!?? Woo-hoo!

October 1999: Mike Danger at PXY offers me late nights. The money sucked but it got me back in the game. I lugged my Mediabase equipment down the Thruway to Ra-cha-cha and continued my journey. A week later he was so impressed he moved me to nights.

(Cue the generic, inspirational coming-of-age music)

April/May/June 2000: Suspended twice for causing a "near riot" at a nearby mall. The GM was pissed 'cuz he was afraid I was going to lose advertising. He also didn't like me 'cuz I was fat and "unmarketable".
I had quadrupled the ratings in 5 months and kept my ego in check.

June 2001: Mr. GM fired me for alledgedly dropping the C-bomb on the air.

(It never happened) I didn't have tape to back up my claim so I was canned...again. Luckily I had Mediabase to fall back on. This sucked. I wanted out.

hang on...I gotta go pee.

September 10, 2001: Got my copy of Superjock by Larry Lujack from intra-library loan. Was really excited to read it!

September 11, 2001: Suddenly, the story about a loud, frantic rock & roll DJ didn't seem all that interesting.

September 2001: I was ready to go back home to Bumblefuck, get married and do Mediabase. I'd had enough of radio and didn't want to spend my life getting fired every 2 years. Erick Anderson, the PD at Kiss in Rochester hooked me up with Rod Phillips of Kiss/Chicago. I really didn't want to move again, but this was CHICAGO!!!!! HOLY SHIT!!

October 2001: Flew into Chicago, met Rod & Smash, went to Carmine's on Rush, got drunk on wine and immediately fell in love with the city. My Mom told me to wear a suit to the interview. I did to make her proud. I still get razzed about it to this day.

October 25, 2001: At my wedding rehearsal dinner, got the call from Rod.

I GOT THE GIG! I almost pooped my pants when he told me how much money I was getting. A few days later, I married my boo, Rachele, and we were off to Chicago to look for a place to live.

November 19, 2001: My first show in Chicago. "Gosh, this mic processing is good!" Jason Leisburger (J Dogg), Joey T, Camps and (later) Alex & Silly Jilly all became regular parts of the show. We were determined to beat B96 which had become soft and septic. Spent the next 3 years, getting ink, buzz and ratings for the station, thoroughly pissing off the competition and making hundreds of thousands of new friends.

December 2002: Kiss FM adds a shitload of reverb to the audio chain. I piss my pants with excitement. We sounded HUGE! REVERB RULES!!!!

April 2003: Get into a verbal argument with Justin Timberlake. International press. Etc...

October 2004: Suspended without pay for a "morally offensive" bit.

This was, apparently, the beginning of the end.

(sigh)

January 2005: I crossed the line, a listener complained, she called my GM and I got fired.

It was fun while it lasted.