AMJOCK.COM Confessions of Brian Pierce, a morning radio disc jockey.

John Barger was a no nonsense guy. Barger was GM at Clear Channel San Antonio when I came onboard in 1981.  I was at WOAI-FM in mid-days for 16 weeks when they decided to change format.  Country was the call, and KAJA were the call letters.  The staff was cleansed except for Ray Zoller & me.  Barger yelled from his office down the hall for me.  This was the way he summoned you.  I stepped up and he announced I was gonna be the morning man.  My first task was to drive to Austin right that moment and grab a box of counrty records at KASE.  When I returned, I was to begin carting them.  I had reported for work that day at 8am.  I drove to Austin, got the records, returned and began recording them.  It was about 6:30pm when I took off for home.  I wasn’t there 20 minutes when the phone rang.  It was Barger asking why I wasn’t still on the project.  He ordered me back to the station.  I returned and continued recording till past midnight.  I should’ve anticipated that he’d want me there late, after all, he put in 100 hour weeks there.  I respected Barger.  I still do.  He was simply: Blunt.  One time he yelled for me.  He said, "Run down to the Whataburger and get me some lunch."  This clearly wasn’t in my job description, but he gave me a twenty - and off I went.  I forget if he offered to buy me a burger.  I think I’d remember if he did.  John Barger simply wanted to be surrounded by people as dedicated as he.  This experience taught me a lesson at an early age - you better give a shit - every minute of every day. 

I first met Jim Palmer in 1971 during a broadcast at a Goodyear store not 200 yards from my house.  My favorite station - WCVS - was there, and I wanted to see Jim.  He was about 45 years old, tall & handsome - with a deep barotone voice.  Back then during remote broadcasts - they actually played records on the air from the location.  This looked like a blast.  This is the moment I decided to pursue broadcasting.  My school day at SHS then was Noon-5pm because of overcrowding at the school.  This allowed me to listen to Jim’s mid-day program before school.  Jim had a segment called, "Quickie Quiz."  It was a simple trivia question with no prize.  The only prize was if you answered it correctly - Jim read your name on the air.   My mother, being the scholar she is, found the questions quite easy and always immediately provided me the answer.  I’d call Jim, and he’d ask how I knew the answer.  I always told him my mom told me the answer, so Jim would announce my name and follow it with, "with help from mom."  I did this literally hundreds of times until Jim knew my voice.  I loved hearing my name on the radio.  I auditioned for Jim when I was 15 years old at the station.  He appreciated my enthusiasm, and told me to come back later after school.  I chronicle this story on my webpage: www.pierceshow.com.  I landed a job working with Jim just after my 18th birthday.  Jim had literally watched me grow up and took me under his wing.  He considered me a project of his, as were most young broadcasters in the building.   Jims gift was channeling unbridled enthusiasm into something productive.  He looked over me and my progress from the get go.  He offered sound advice, and protected me.  He was a mentor in every sense of the word.  All the young people at WCVS felt "adopted" by Jim - as he had no children.  He taught us to love the business as much as he did.  We worked long and hard for Jim, for little pay - gladly.  In later years Jim told me I had made him proud.  I attended Jims funeral in November 2005 and was asked to say a few words.  That day I spoke for over 100 young broadcasters influenced by Jim the way I was.

After leaving Springfield the first good friend I made was Dave Mendez.  We worked together at WOAI San Antonio.  In a market over 50% Hispanic - I assumed Dave was.  He always said, "I’m from Cleveland."  Dave had the lowest voice of any person I’d met up to then.  He was on a bunch of commercials. I moved into the same condo complex Dave did, so our front doors were just about 75 yards apart.  When I left for San Antonio, I had no car.  Well, I had one, but I drove a U-Haul to Texas, planning on picking up a car in Texas.  I often walked the 2 miles to work.  This was a treat in San Antonio August heat.  Dave took pity often driving me around.  I remember waking him up one time because I wanted to go to the grocery store.  Dave got up and drove me.  We didn’t work together long - just about 4 months.  The station changed format and Dave was fired.  Dave moved on to program in Houston.  I last saw Dave in 1987 in San Antonio.  I had moved back again and Dave bought my Cadillac Eldorado.  That was the last time I saw Dave Mendez.  You’ll know Dave if you see him.  He looks like Gino Vanelli, and there are probably women hanging around.  Tell Dave, Brian is looking for him. If he needs a ride, I’d drive him anywhere.