The most recent addition to the KI staff brings a taste for classic country – and a background in rock – to Café Country. J.R. is a native of Huntington, but came to Kokomo from a sister station in Tucson. Radio was always somewhere in the background of J.R.’s life. He got his feet wet in radio as a teenager, working in the high school’s facilities during two periods of study hall.

Everyone at WWKI Radio had an inspiration, another disc jockey somewhere far away to feed his or her interest. For J.R., his interest was piqued in part by the legendary voices of Wolfman Jack and Casey Kasem. “They were real to me,” he says. It didn’t hurt that J.R. loves talking as much as he loves music. His added touches of a “killer classic” to his show, along with a real gift for gab have warmed many of our listeners to his style. The most rewarding thing about radio, J.R. says, is being able to give back, and WWKI’s We Care charity is a perfect fit for him. From the first remote broadcasts at the We Care Store in the Kokomo Mall to the Christmas Tree Auction to the Telethon, he introduced himself to WWKI’s audience and brought attention to the people served by We Care. “I am really proud of the generosity I’ve found here,” he said.

J.R. likes to make it clear he’s constantly learning, especially about radio. “I admire anyone who has been doing it longer than me,” he says, “and I love to learn.”