My earliest music-related memories are of my mom and I throwing open our living room windows, pulling out the turntable, putting the speakers on the sills, and plowing through her extensive music collection. Raising me on old-school country from the ‘40s on, I soon came not only to appreciate that but all kinds of music. Many a family trip was made to the record store where hours were spent poring over albums, cassettes, and eventually CDs.

Moving to Tennessee as a teenager, I didn’t come here with the dream of striking it big in the music business. Okay, I did, but not as an artist. I wanted very much to be a DJ, something I pursued early in my college career. I moved on from that to work for my college newspaper. Since leaving school, I worked in my family business until an injury shortly after my father’s death left me unable to work. A couple of years ago my mom was diagnosed with cancer, dying several months later due to complications. Her love of music, which she passed to me, was the genesis of this whole project, for me anyway. It has brought a new focus to my life and I am humbled by the chance to work not just with my fellow staff and friends, but also the amazing artists who work incredibly hard to entertain each and every one of us.