Born and raised in Evansville, Indiana, MJ has always had a love of music. Her Mother claims she could sing before she could talk, and her most prized possession as a toddler was her blue and white portable record player (complete with an eclectic collection of hand-me-down records including Mel Tillis, Sammy Davis Jr., Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons, and, of course, Looney Tunes).
This love affair continued through elementary and high school in voice and piano lessons, years in various choirs,and one embarassing stint in the "Little Miss Freedom Festival" Beauty Pageant. (Photos available for the right price.) MJ began study at the University of Evansville on a music scholarship in the Music Therapy Department...but the required piano did her in. (Nine years of lessons and all she can do is plink out "Love Story").
She also began volunteering at the college radio station WUEV, dj-ing the rap/urban 7-midnight show "Party Lights"...basically because she was the only person who volunteered who watched BET regularly. The volunteering became a regular job which lasted over 3 years. In the meantime, she switched majors to Sociology and Criminal Justice, to pursue Law School. A former teacher replied upon hearing the news: "That makes sense..you could always talk all day without saying ANYTHING!" If he only knew how fateful that comment would be!
After graduation, MJ didn't attend law school, but pursued a job in her field of study, and became the Legal Advocate for a local Domestic Violence Shelter. But, she found she could not leave the faces of the victims and their stories of abuse at the office, and decided to try her hand in a sunnier climate: Myrtle Beach!
After moving to Myrtle Beach in 1994, she worked in the resort industry for 3 years, then saw a help-wanted ad in the newspaper for a local radio station. "Why not?" she thought. She applied, auditioned, and much to her surprise, landed the side-kick spot on the morning show! That lucky day re-ignited the passion she had for radio, and she's been talking for hours a day ever since! Since that time, she has married a wonderful man from West Virginia (who is 5 years her junior..can you say "Cougar before Cougars were cool?), said good-bye to both her Father and her faithful roomie of 16 years: Sherman the Cat, and had a beautiful little boy.
She has been lucky enough to be a member of the Star 92.1 family for over 10 years, and has been able to share not only her own personal stories, but also the growth and change of the Myrtle Beach community with her loyal listeners. She looks forward to many more years of playing music and sharing time every day with the people whom she has come to think of as her friends: her listeners.
