The Rock 95 studios were on the top floor of the old Civic Auditorium in Downtown Jacksonville. As I pulled into the u-shaped driveway where Butch told me to park, I hoped I could find a men’s room conveniently located inside, before I trekked to the top floor. Filled with anxiety, I pulled the big glass door open and entered.

As I walked down the hallway to the studios, one side was a floor to ceiling continuous wall of glass with an impressive view of the St. John’s River and Downtown below. This place was awesome. Major recording artists performed downstairs at the Auditorium venue. It was thee place to be for shows.

Butch was on the air when I arrived and he invited me to take a seat in the control room and interviewed me while he did his morning show. From the u-shaped control area, you could see the downtown skyline. One wall was a dream collection of rock albums where The Boss of the DJs would pull the correct title out without much of a search.  He was full bearded, fit and seemed extremely relaxed in an environment that was continually busy. I kind of recall answering yes to everything he asked me and was awarded an Overnight Show on the most happening Rock station in town. In his down to earth folksy manner, Butch instructed me to return on Tuesday evening, when Rich the evening guy would “show me the ropes” and have me actually do a couple of hours of his show from 8 to 10 to get acclimated with the control room and records.

I envisioned that Tuesday night would be the icing on the cake of an astonishing first year in Jacksonville. Rock 95 would also be quite an eye opening experience for me with diverse personalities and a clash between a music director and a program director. It was my first taste of radio politics. This is where I would begin my professional career in radio and just about finish out the Seventies. Those were amazing days at Rock 95. I was fortunate to get the opportunity.