Before DOWN IN THE BOONDOCKS

The death of Billy Joe Royal brought back some memories. Here is what I just remembered: He was working hard trying to get a break in the music business and we, his friends, were no help, we were more of a hinderance. In the 1950s Jim Wilder started WBIE Radio Station on the second floor of the first block on Atlanta Street. James was very innovative, creative, and inventive, which I hope to say more about one day. One of the ways he was innovative was to allow a teenage band play live popular songs. Either one or two weekdays Billy Joe and his garage-type band would have a gig after school at WBIE His friends, (us) wanted to see him make good. But the good-old-boy devil in us wanted to play practical jokes on our friend while they were on the air. One time during a live performance people on their radios listening heard a loud pop of a firecracker , then laughter and a clatter of feet running, a door slam, and if a mike could follow the excitement the WBIE Radio listeners would hear a lot of giggling and leaping down the outside stairs to the street. I would tell who the three involved were but I am not sure what the statue of limitations are on disrupting a live radio broadcast.