MORE FROM SID GRUBBS, THE MOJO MAN:
After WPDQ in Jacksonville,FL, we came in from Calif to work for WIFE in Indianapolis. Steve Brown, the PD, said they wanted to have a "Find WIFE's MojoMan for $1000". He was the only one who knew me and that was just by phone. We checked into a motel he got us. I was to cruise the City and just do normal things. No one told me to MILK IT.
On the third day Steve said he had to go to see the owner Don Burden (at that time I didn't know Burden from a bucket of bolts.) That evening we were at a A&W root beer stand. The little carhop skated around to the passenger's side then back to mine. She said "I'm checking all the license plates and yours is Calif all us girls are trying to find WIFE's MojoMan". I said who's that. She went on to explain the contest. Here was this little cutie pie on skates how could I lie to her. She said "You must be traveling you have all those clothes on a hanger across the back seat". So I told her she was the winner and told her to go to the station the next morning.
NOW here's where I made my mistake. Steve had told me to go directly to the station and go on the air. So I did. Well the news guy had already told everyone on the air. BAD MOVE I should've gone to the motel then the station the next morning. When I got there the guy on the air said he had a hot date and couldn't show me anything.
Here I was with a new log, new board, so I started winging it. Every station usually has a hot line red phone and that one was getting red hot. I answered and it was some guy cussing and raising hell ... where did they find you ... Yakety Yakety Yak. I figured it was a crank caller and kept hanging up. The news guy kept telling me only the owner or Steve would call that line. I got fed up about 3-4 records in and said on the air exactly what was happening and told whoever they better get someone in there because I was Gone.
Lana, my X, and I went by the motel, picked up our stuff and by next day I was home near Pittsburgh. Within a day or so I was at WNAM Neenah-Menesha, WI. Steve never called. If he did my Mom didn't say. Of course she took a lot of radio people calls. I have always wondered if that was a set up or what. Everyone just has said Burden was an ass and really got pissed off when I was found on the 3rd day.
Every once in a while when someone reads 440 they ask me about WIFE. PLUS the winner of the contest: she and her husband are FB friends and live the winter months near us in Ellenton, FL. I've never seen her but one winter we will.
P.S. That girl winner's cousin worked at WIFE for years and they talked about it for years.
I got tired of the revolving door of R&R radio hitting me in the butt in the late seventies; new PD at the station (you know how that goes). My wife left me for a model agency (she never did model). I had a record shop in Ft. Lauderdale (they opened a Peaches Records & Tapes across the street). I had seen my children from my first marriage IF & WHEN. A lot of my problems I created myself.
Good on the Air, and knew it. I used to think "air check" who needs an air check? Well guess what, there's only one out there, 14 mins (scoped) Aaron Mintz at Radio Air Checks #1 has it. I still do WHATEVER HAPPENED TO? THINGS.
Since 1981 I have been married to a wonderful girl and we have a successful Ice Cream Wholesale business, numerous vending trucks, full service garage, some rental property.
THE MOJO MAN is trademarked for radio and live performances. US TRADEMARK REG. #2,243,775 by an individual Class 41 entertainment services.
I worked for two PDs that I really looked up to, JACK GALE at WPDQ,Jacksonville and SAM HOLMAN at WOHO, TOLEDO. One great station owner, LEW DICKEY SR. Lew grew up in the same area I did near Pittsburgh along the OHIO river. Several things that man said to me I'll remember forever (a brilliant mind). But I'll never forget July 1st 1973. While with Jack Gale at WRKT COCOA BCH (the date the 18yr. olds got legal).
We broadcast atop THE SAND SPUR BAR on the beach 24 hrs a day all that weekend 20,000 up and down the beach. As THE MOJO MAN would say, KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON...
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