The Day the Music Died

I'm still getting used to this radiation thing. It's something I have to do by myself, no one can come in and hold my hand. Wednesday, while lying very still with the radiation machine whirling around me, and listening to Oldies 107.9 softly playing in the background, I heard Doug Moreland announce that my buddy, Jerry Wayne had passed away. The tears started rolling down my cheeks but I didn't move. My heart was breaking but I didn't move.

Jerry and I met about 15 years ago at church. He and his wife, Rexanne, had moved to Snow Hill and we ended up sharing a pew many Sunday mornings. During that time I realized that he was THE JERRY WAYNE, DJ at Oldies 107.9 and one of my favorite people.

Our friendship grew and one fall I had the opportunity to work at the NC State Fair....giving away coupons and samples of Neese's Liver Pudding. We were friends with the Neese family and they were needing help. What job could be any better huh? Free entrance to the fair, chatting with people from all over the world and giving out samples of...liver pudding. I have to admit, I don't like liver pudding, but as I found out, there are scores of people who do and a lot that think their state fair visit isn't complete until they go by the Neese's booth and get some liver pudding.

I was telling Jerry about it and he said, "Give us a call on the show and tell us about the fair, we'll put you on the air." And he did. I got Jim Graham, the NC Commissioner of Agriculture to talk with him on the air, I gave a run down of the fried stuff at the fair, what the best rides were and best of all, THE PIG RACES! The pig races were wonderful and I would catch them when I finished my shift with the great liver pudding give away. Told him about the #3 Earnham pig being out front and spun out in turn two due to a little bacon grease or fat back on the track. There were hocks, ears, and tails flying everywhere. #3 limped in to pit row with a bruised ham. We had a grand time that week with all the fun things going on at the fair.

Jerry and I judged BBQ pig cooking contests together, we even wrangled the NC Pork Council to have their state BBQ championship in Greenville at ECU Purple Gold Pirate Pig Out and Jerry was the celebrity judge.

His laugh was infectious and anyone around was easily drawn under his spell. You just couldn't help but wonder what he was going to do next. He helped me out with our Greene County Special Olympics by being the announcer and a grand job he did. Jerry loved kids. He was an integral part of getting the Children's Miracle Network up and running in Greenville. He stayed on the air non stop when Hurricane Floyd ravaged and flooded eastern North Carolina. He loved people and he especially loved helping people. Oh how we will miss him.

All of these thoughts were racing through my mind after I heard he was gone. We had chatted a few weeks back about our illnesses and he said things weren't going well and for me not to email him anymore unless I had good news about my cancer.

I had initially contacted him when I heard he had colon cancer to let him know I had been there. We had gotten sick this summer at almost the exact same time. We were both on vacation and came home to get very sick. He didn't know about my previous bout but we stayed in touch until Sept. 15. That was my last email from him. Said he was really feeling bad and couldn't get out of the bed.

Jerry was too young for this, he was only 38. But what a grand life he lived in that dash between birth and death! Rock on Big Daddy of Beach Music...heaven is in for a treat but we will sure be missing you here.