97X had dozens if not hundreds of part-time DJs over the lifetime of the station, but no one else can top the tenure of “Gentleman” Jim Mercer, who worked weekend and vacation fill-in shifts for a whopping 14 years, from 1990 through 2004. His dedication and professionalism made him the ultimate weekend warrior. Dave and Damian talk to Jim about his day job, how he got the DJ gig, and how he made his shifts sound so smooth.
Like most radio stations, 97X typically had five full-time shifts: mornings, midday, afternoons, evenings and overnight. Having Jim as a part-timer for more than a decade was a luxury. He could — and did — handle any weekend shift, and was always willing to fill in on the evening and overnight shifts to cover vacations.
The NBA gives out a Sixth Man of the Year Award for someone who is the best performer coming off the bench. Gentleman Jim was the 97X equivalent of the Sixth Man of the Year for 14 years running.
When Bakerman did the final break on 97X, he gave a special shout-out to Jim.
Love these podcasts – takes me back to REALLY good radio days!
That reunion was ten years ago? Geez. Time flies.