📻 TREE 605: Jeff Gill was on the radio
17
I started my little radio career as an intern at a sunrise to sunset Christian AM radio station, the one with the preaching I listened to while playing with Lego. I was 15. They invited me to come have a go. I said, no. My mother said, yes. So it was settled. When I was 16, they hired me for money. I worked there until I was 18, then went back for a bit when I was 21. Here are a few notable moments:
When I was still an unpaid intern, I got the sack for talking too quietly, nearly inaudibly, on air. I cried openly during the firing conversation. They kindly taught me how to talk loudly then rehired me.
Hosting a classifieds programme with my best friend Danny on Saturday mornings. For the last episode, not long after the Milli Vanilli scandal, we confessed to lip-syncing the entire show. Our number one fan, our only fan, called in, incredulous at the ‘revelation’.
Having a Saturday night music show on the company’s FM station with real live fans of me. They were 13 year-old girls, but still, fans!
I recorded myself saying the name of the radio station backwards then talking normally for a bit. When I played it backwards result was strange talking followed by the name of the station in an odd accent. I said it was a message of peace from Russian Arabia. A lady called in to ask if I had been to Russian Arabia and what was it like.
When I went back to the station at 21 it was to co-host a call-in a show for teenagers. I was a youth pastor. I, with my various youth pastor guest co-hosts, talked about stuff affecting teenagers. One week the topic was masturbation. Without any warning, the guest asked me: ‘Do you masturbate?’ I had the choice between the truth (I’m 21 years-old, single and not having sex. What do YOU think, you big married jerk?) and the accepted Christian hypocrisy of the time (real Christians and especially youth pastors Do Not Masturbate). I went with awkward silence.
‘Baby love ’cause I’m playing on the radio’
There are a kajillion radio songs. What’s your favourite?
Grow slowly
Jeff
Lip syncing the radio talk parts. Thank you for that huge smile.
Jeff, I was a member of the Crystal Cathedral when it was still known as the Hour of Power. Me and my (actually very good) girls choir sang You Light Up My Life on TV with Debbie Boone. : ) I was also baptised on TV (same year).