Paying a great air talent a compliment can be tricky. True personalities are unique individuals. Each reacts differently to comments from a program director or coach. Sometimes feedback intended to be positive can be misconstrued, making praise a true art form. For Jaybeau Jones, a longtime host and former program director who spent years in and around the Classic Hits format, the greatest compliment came from a former boss in Ken West.
West, who at the time was at WROR, serves today as brand manager for Emerson College’s radio station in Boston, Massachusetts.
“We were sitting in a meeting. Then Ken said, ‘Jaybeau can be funny in eight seconds over a song intro.’ I then responded by asking for ten seconds instead,” said Jones.
That comment from West sums up what Jones brings to his show. A unique talent for communicating and entertaining in short bursts so the station’s momentum never stops.
Currently, he shares that gift on several radio stations including SiriusXM’s 70’s on 7 channel. His current journey started after ten years at Beasley’s WROR in Boston, Jones got caught up in budget cuts. He then set out to carve a new path.
“I called around saying I’ve got a studio at home, is there an opportunity for me to become syndicated in some way,” Jones explained.
He eventually connected with Rich O’Brien at Radio Resources. Together they built a plan to maximize Jones’ opportunities. It started with securing a show on Binnie Media’s Frank FM in New Hampshire. Then soon after came an opportunity to host nights at Cumulus’ WLS-FM in Chicago.
Then, almost a year later to the day, he returned to WROR to host afternoons.
Jones has also found a place where he can talk longer than ten seconds as the host of the Music Drives Us podcast. The show is the brainchild of Ernie Boch Jr. A business leader who currently serves as President and CEO of Ferrari of New England and Subaru of New England.
Boch Jr.’s foundation, also called Music Drives Us, raises money to support music programs in schools. The organization provides funding, awareness, and equipment. Jones’ podcast reinforces the foundation’s goals. Then one day, through a friend, Jones received a call about hosting which he thought it sounded fun.
“I can do what I do on the air. But instead of wrapping it up in 15 seconds, I can take a half hour and talk to Lou Graham and Rick Springfield,” explained Jones. “It’s been incredibly rewarding because I’ve always been a fan. When I’m talking to these icons, I get sucked into their life. I get inside stories people don’t normally get to hear talking to these icons in a setting just like your living room.”
Hosting the podcast has influenced his radio shows. In addition to serving as a source of unique stories other hosts don’t have access to, it has helped Jones refine his style to be slightly more conversational.
“My style is still momentum based but there’s something a little softer. I like to call it conversational momentum. It’s still moving forward, but it’s human and it’s real,” said Jones.
The conversational part of his delivery comes from bringing his life to the air. Over time, he has learned that not everything is content.
“Just because it’s relatable, does it need to be on the air,” questions Jones. “Everyone goes through a drive through and eats a hamburger. If the story doesn’t trigger an emotion then you’ve got to massage it more.”
He also gets help from his wife, Heidi West. She is a successful voice-over talent in her own right and has her own home studio that’s better than Jones’ setup. She sometimes stops in on his show to do a break, often pointing out real-life struggles. Such as Jones’ inability to take good selfies or master the TV remote.
“She’s funnier than me. She’ll pop on and tell these funny stories of our life,” explained Jones.
While his life fuels the show, that doesn’t mean he isn’t constantly prepping. His best-kept secret is the extensive use of Google Alerts for every artist that he plays in every market he airs in.
Jones admits that leads to a ridiculous number of alerts—and he’ll never get through all of them. The small nuggets he finds help the show stand out.
“If you just push a little further, you’re going to stand out amongst your competition,” notes Jones.
As a former Program Director, Jones is happy to focus on being a talent today and let other smart people steer the station’s music. Still, he is excited to see the classic hits format evolving.
“Where AC has to compete with Hot AC and protect that younger demo, I think Classic Hits has co-opted the Billy Joels, Elton Johns, the Duran Durans,” said Jones. “The other day I played Pink Like a Pill and it fit next to Bon Jovi.”
In his opinion, Classic Hits is moving closer in approach to Variety Hits. Why? Streaming services and satellite radio for years have allowed the audience a broader playlist of songs heard.
“Suddenly this is a multi-decade format. Staying Alive near the Goo Goo Dolls doesn’t sound weird to me. It’s just, ‘oh my God, I love these songs,’” said Jones.
But stretching back into the seventies also means Classic Hits stations constantly face the loss of artists. Most recently, the music world lost Neil Sedaka. One of the most successful performers and writers of the sixties and seventies.
When moments such as an artist passing arise, Jones says there are ways to make those moments more joyful and less painful.
“It’s sad that they go, but they leave us with music. So we never forget them,” Jones says. “There are always people paying tribute on social media. Plus, over the years the performers have left us with great stories. Neil talked on his Facebook about how we made Love Will Keep Us Together. So, with the internet and a little bit of elbow grease you can give a positive spin on something sad.”
When it comes down to it, that’s what drives Jones is being a positive voice for people. That includes a book he wrote called Heroes Mentors and Friends. It came about in 2012 when the industry was starting to contract and many people—including friends of his—were being laid off.
“I wanted to do something to give back,” Jones says.
He wrote about stories from his career that helped keep him in the industry. Jones gave credit to heroes like Larry Lujack and Rick Dees. Mentors like Guy Zapoleon, and friends including his wife.
“I feel like when you get older you realize money’s cool, but it’s not everything,” said Jones. “Relationships become more important. As the industry got harder my priorities started to change.”
But what hasn’t changed is his focus on the air every day.
“If you immerse yourself in being a performer on the radio, it’s about one-on-one communication. This is an eye-contact medium,” Jones says. “Your job for the audience in the car or at home blow drying their hair is to make it a little more fun between the songs. If you’re talking between these songs, whether it’s eight seconds or eighteen, it better be great.”
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Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.
