RHT Interview #2 - Introducing DJ

Today we are happy to continue our critically acclaimed RHT Interviews. We were lucky enough to corner DJ, he of the sardonic wit and caustic sarcasm, and put him on the proverbial hotseat. Enjoy . . .

RHT: Where did you grow up? Small town? Big city? The Shire?
DJ: I grew up in the country west of Greenfield, OH adjacent to my Grandpa's farm. Pretty basic upbringing - I spent a lot of time outdoors helping my Dad and Grandpa, playing sports, fishing & listening to WLW (especially Reds games) with Grandpa. A pretty basic, rural upbringing.

RHT: Ah, Greenfield, the home of Johnny Paycheck. What's the first record you ever bought? Johnny perhaps?
DJ: The first record I ever called my own was The Game by Queen. It had the sweetest cover I'd ever seen; shiny, metallic silver. "Another One Bites The Dust" was the lure, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" set the hook, and "Play The Game" reeled me in. As soon as I figured out that the singers & musicians on the radio weren't actually inside the radio studio full-time, I started exploring my parents record collection. The first records I remember listening to were my parents albums such as Jan & Dean's Little Ol' Lady From Pasadena, and a neat compliation of my Dad's that had Sam The Sham & The Pharoah's "Wooly Bully," and "Charlie Brown" by The Coasters. My Mom had some 45's by the Beatles, Tommy James & The Shondells, and Smokey Robinson. My Dad also had a Pat Paulsen For President political satire album too, which I thought was hilarious. My parents must have thought I was very weird.

RHT: What record, early in your life, had the biggest impact?
DJ: Probably "Hey Jude" and "Revolution" by The Beatles.

RHT: Why?
DJ: The day the music died - December 8, 1980. I was 8 years old. John Lennon was shot dead in NYC. I was stuck to the TV - the first time I realized the magnitude of The Beatles and John Lennon. I wanted to know everything about them, and continuously played "Hey Jude" wondering how Lennon's boys were feeling at the time. I was the first time I ever had a serious conversation with my parents about music and pop culture in general. Up until then music had been just fun and games, but a whole different sub-context was opened up for me on that day.

RHT: Yoko had called for 10-minutes of silence the following Sunday and I went to C-Bus to take part in the local memorial service. Sad days indeed. Sigh. OK, rank your musical tastes by genre. DJ: I love rock & roll, mainly from the blues perspective. The blues can be interpreted in so many ways, but I like mine heavy & loud. One of our good family friends growing up had all of the early Led Zeppelin stuff which I dove into headfirst. Led Zeppelin is the perfect marriage of all music genres, especially the blues. My Grandpa was a bluegrass man so I like the instrumentation there. My Mom listened to Motown, so I like the Detroit soul sound. Being in Shoe's classes in junior high opened up the whole alternative scene to me in the mid-80's (you're f'ing old, dude). I never fully appreciated it then, but I never forgot the lessons learned in those classes. You da man, Shoe.

RHT: I've influenced many to the dismay of several. Where did you go to high school? College?
DJ: Graduated from Greenfield McClain in 1990. Attended Eastern Michigan for two years with my buddy Tate (where I got hooked on Neil Young), then finished college at Ohio University - Chillicothe.

RHT: What do you do for a living? Hold any weird jobs in your past?
DJ: I've been the Purchasing Manager at a company in Wilmington, OH for the past 6-1/2 years. I've worked in the propane business, sold clothes & shoes retail, read electric & gas meters for DP&L (which could be traumatic), and sold live bait as a kid at my Granparent's store.

RHT: Any life-changing moments growing up?

DJ: Probably my car accident when I was 19. A lot of "what ifs" there I still kick around to this day.

RHT: Any favorite movies/TV shows growing up?

DJ: I was a Star Wars geek as a kid. The perfect story of good vs. evil. I loved The Exorcist too - completely terrified by that movie but I loved it. I also like Pulp Fiction, The Godfather, and flicks like that. On TV, I liked Saturday Night Live a lot growing up - I had all those classic skits memorized. Nowadays, if I'm not watching sports on TV I'll watch Law & Order: SVU - I dig Mariska Hargitay.

RHT: I seem to remember a mean impersonation of "Bull" from Night Court as well. Any favorite foods? Restaurants?

DJ: I'm so far from a health food junkie. Pizza is one of my major food groups, but I'm trying to cut back. Generations Pizza in Wilmington takes care of me very well.

RHT: And you them undoubtedly. What have you done that no one would guess you'd done, by just looking at you?

DJ: I don't know - looks are deceiving I guess. I look pretty basic, I am basic to an extent, and I'm very quiet. Perfect recipe for a serial killer. (Oh, I forgot the wry sense of humor thing).

RHT: What was the most interesting trip you have ever taken?
DJ: Probably a canoe trip I took with a bunch of friends in the early 90's. We got so drunk we should all be dead. Not a smart thing to do, but we all survived. I miss those care-free days.

RHT: Canoeing and alcohol. Not a good mix. Same thing with alcohol and M-80s, but I'll save that for my interview. Let's move on - pick one rock star, living or dead, that you could spend an hour with over dinner.

DJ: Bob Dylan - the man's on a different level intellectually from anyone else.

RHT: Agreed. Thanks for flying in to HQ for the sit-down.

DJ: Anytime. Thanks for the airfare.