Rock Radio Scrapbook asked Jim "Captain Whammo" Channell to talk about his career, and he was kind enough to send us the following.

It makes for interesting - and inspirational - reading...

"AS REQUESTED...HERE IS A LITTLE ABOUT OUR BACKGROUND...A LADY AT 'THE VICTORY RETREAT CHURCH CENTER' NORTH OF ATLANTA..GAVE ME MONEY TO WRITE A BOOK....SOOO YOUR REQUEST IS PROMPTING ME TO GET STARTED..WITH SOMETHING I HAVE BEEN PUTTING OFF.....SOOOO..THANK YOU!!!!!!!

I GREW UP ON THE NORTH SIDE OF CHICAGO AND BASEBALL (THE CUBS) WERE MY FIRST LOVE...I DECIDED I WANTED TO BE A SPORTS WRITER AND ENROLLED AT COLUMBIA COLLEGE IN JOURNALISM....WHILE THERE, BECAME FRIENDS WITH A FELLOW THAT WAS IN THE RADIO PROGRAM...AND I FOUND THAT PLAYING ROCK & ROLL WAS MORE FUN THAN SPORTS...

I MET WITH MR. KEN DRAPER...PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF WCFL (MY FAVORITE STATION OVER WLS--AT THE TIME) AND HE ADVISED ME TO GO TO A BROADCAST SCHOOL AND GET A JOB AT A SMALL STATION AND WORK YOUR WAY UP....

UPON GRADUATION--IN DECEMBER 1966--I GOT MY FIRST JOB AT WCHI--CHILLICOTHE, OHIO

STOPS IN ROLLA, MISSOURI////WICHITA, KANSAS/////ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI/////KANSAS CITY///// MILWAUKEE/////MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL (WHERE I PROGRAMMED KSTP FROM 13TH TO 2ND IN 105 DAYS--AND HIRED MACHINE GUN KELLY--ANDY BARBER---CHUCK KNAPP ETC.) LED TO A NIGHT SHOW AT WDHF IN CHICAGO...

I WORKED THERE 4 1/2 YEARS...AND IN 1975 WAS ONE OF 4 FINALISTS FOR THE BILLBOARD MAJOR MARKET D.J. OF THE YEAR.....MY INSPIRATION WAS ALICE COOPER AND GENE SIMMONS OF 'KISS'---I WOULD SAY TO MYSELF 'IF I WAS CRAZY ON THE NEXT INTRO--WHAT WOULD I DO' AND THEN DO IT!!!!!!! I WOULD ALSO GET PSYCHED UP BEFORE I WENT ON THE AIR--BY TURNING OFF ALL THE LIGHT'S IN THE PRODUCTION ROOM--LAYING DOWN ON THE FLOOR--AND CRANKIN' UP THE GEN. PATTON SPEECH--FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE MOVIE--7 MINUTES BEFORE I WENT ON THE AIR!!!!!!!

I'VE HAD MANY CHRISTIANS ASK ME--'BEFORE YOU BECAME A CHRISTIAN--WERE YOU UNHAPPY...I ALWAYS SAY.."NOOO MAN--I WAS HAVING A GRRRREAT TIME"

DURING 1976--I MET A FANTASTIC BIBLE STUDENT--SHE WAS A SENIOR---FROM A LITTLE TOWN IN IOWA---TWO WEEKS AFTER SHE GRADUATED---SHE MOVED IN WITH ME.....WE LIVED TOGETHER FOR 2 1/2 YEARS....SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY...I WAS AN IDIOT....I'D GET OFF THE AIR AT NIGHT...GO RUNNIN' AROUND--AND THEN COME HOME TO HER.....

HER PARENTS FINALLY FIGURED OUT ABOUT HER LIFESTYLE--INVITED HER HOME TO IOWA FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS...CONFRONTED HER....I CALLED HER SUNDAY MORNING...NOV. 5TH 1978 SHE SAID I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU ANYMORE--I WANT TO GET MY LIFE TOGETHER WITH THE 'LORD'...THAT VERY NIGHT---I CRIED OUT TO 'GOD' TO FORGIVE ME...AND MY LIFE CHANGED....

I TAUGHT BROADCASTING SCHOOL FOR TWO YEARS--BEFORE ANYONE WOULD TRUST ME IN CHRISTIAN RADIO AND FINALLY GOT HIRED AT A SMALL STATION IN DUNDEE, ILL.

SINCE THEN I'VE WORKED AT WCFL--WHEN IT WAS A CHRISTIAN STATION--IN 1984/1985...THE ORIGINAL WAY-FM...AND FOR THE PAST 9 YEARS HAVE DONE MORNINGS HERE IN NAPLES, FLORIDA AT 89.5--PRAISE-FM....ON THE INTERNET AT WWW.PRAISEFM.COM...6AM--9AM MON--FRI..

I ALSO SYNDICATE THE WORLD'S FIRST CHRISTIAN OLDIES SHOW...CLASSIC CHRISTIAN GOLD... WE'RE ON 137 STATION'S EVERY WEEK...WITH ANOTHER 15 ALREADY APPROVED......

I'VE GOT A SON AT DALLAS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY--STUDYING TO BE A PASTOR.....AND A LOVELY DAUGHTER..THAT WILL GRADUATE FROM 'FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY' ON APRIL 28TH...SHE'D BETTER NEVER TRY TO DATE A GUY LIKE I USED TO BE!!!!!!!

UNFORTUNATELY...AFTER 13 YEARS OF MARRIAGE....MY WIFE GOT INTO MODELING...AND COULD NOT HANDLE HER SUCCESS...AND PULLED A 'WHAMMO' ON ME!!!!!!!

I KNOW SOMEONE IS SAYING...HEY WHAMMO....WHAT GOES AROUND--COMES AROUND...HUH???

IN CONCLUSION---I'VE HAD A "GREAT" LIFE.....I LOVED EVERY MINUTE IN ROCK & ROLL...MY GOAL WAS TO BE THE BEST D.J....I COULD BE....NOT TO EVER COMPETE WITH ANYONE ELSE....BUT TO ALWAYS GIVE MY BEST.......I NEVER DRANK....NEVER DID DRUGS...NEVER SMOKED.....NEVER SWORE (UNLESS I WANTED YOU TO KNOW--I WAS MAD)....BUT IF A WOMAN OVER 21 CALLED THE STATION---I WOULD MAKE HOUSE CALLS......THE NIGHT I BECAME A CHRISTIAN...I HAD A PHONE LIST OF 120 DIFFERENT NAMES AND NUMBERS OF WOMEN IN CHICAGO..HIDDEN IN MY CAR!!!!!!!

I HAVE FOUND...BEING A CHRISTIAN TO BE THE MOST CHALLENGING--THE MOST REWARDING TIME OF MY LIFE.....SEEING SOMEONE'S ETERNAL DESTINATION CHANGE..IS FAR MORE FULFILLING THAN EVEN...LUNCH WITH THE MONKEES IN WICHITA.....GOING TO A PARTY WITH THE CARPENTERS IN KANSAS CITY....MEETING ALICE COOPER TWICE.....HAVING YOUR PICTURE TAKEN WITH RINGO STARR....HAVING 'QUEEN' ENTER AN AFTER CONCERT PARTY IN CHICAGO YELLING "WHAMMO" ETC....I HAVE FOUND "GOD" TO BE ABSOLUTELY FAITHFUL
-EVERY STEP OF THE WAY....A BOOK I'M ABOUT TO WRITE--WILL BE FILLED WITH TRUE AND INCREDIBLE MIRACLES..ONLY "GOD" COULD ORCHESTRATE...YOU WILL BE ABSOLUTELY AMAZED!!!!!!!"