JOHNNY PAYCHECK

I was looking through some old photographs and found several autographed items. I remember when I saw Johnny Paycheck in person when he was singing at the Paint Valley Jamboree in Bainbridge, Ohio many years ago. I got him to autograph this photo outside at his tour bus after waiting a short time in line.

Donald Eugene Lytle, his birth name, was born in Greenfield, Ohio and he died February 19, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 64.

His photo reminded me of his most famous song TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT. It brought back a memory from 1995 when I was working at the local radio station as the office manager. It was billing night and I was working late one Friday night. The only other person in the building was the D.J. on duty. The sports announcer was at a local high school game which was to be broadcast live sometime between 6-7pm.

I remember the D.J. put on Johnny Paycheck's record and walked by my desk saying he was going next door for a coke. The radio station was next door to a gas station where various sodas and snacks were sold. After a few minutes, I heard the same song start again and the D.J. had not returned yet. When TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT started to play for the third time in succession, I looked out the front window and the D.J.'s car was gone. I knew then he used that record as his swan song - he had walked out on his job.

I called the station manager and the sports reporter was calling in to the station wanting to know why the same song was playing and when the D.J. was going to flip the switch to get the ballgame on the air.

I called the morning D.J. and told him of the situation and asked him which button on the panel would get the traffic routed to the live sports game. He told me which buttons on which panel to switch and before long, TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT was off the air and the game was on - live.

The station manager showed up and called in another D.J. to cover the rest of the shift. I know I will never forget that song and its true meaning that night.