Text © Carol Ewald. Photo © Carolyn Thomson.
Cali Carol and DJ Jeff at “Meet Me in the Keys”

A Year Without Trop Rock’s Biggest Champion, DJ Jeff

 
It has taken me a long time to be able to put my thoughts together and get them down in writing. It is hard to believe that it has been a year since we lost DJ Jeff and for me, it feels like only yesterday. I have been amazed and touched deeply by the outpouring of love and support from friends, family and Beachfront Radio listeners and cannot imagine how much harder these months could have been without it and I am grateful to you all.
 
Last year, as I accepted the TRMA award for Mid-Size Station of the Year, I promised you all that Beachfront Radio would continue and I quoted Jeff’s special tag line to “Keep On Trockin”. To be honest on that day, I had no clue how I was going to do it. But shutting Beachfront down was simply not an option and my only alternative was to learn the things that Jeff did, which I knew was not going to be an easy task.
 
In the weeks and months that followed, I know I had a special angel on my shoulder somehow guiding me through the frustrating “trial and error” of trying to teach myself the intricate technical side of how the station worked. By some miracle, it didn’t blow up and I became more and more comfortable with the programming aspects. Part of my saving grace was that I at least, knew the music, the artists and our listeners. It also became my therapy and escape.

Beachfront Radio was our child. We birthed it, nurtured it and loved it. When you suddenly become a single parent you find that every day that you look into the face of that child…….you see your other half and are reminded of the loss. Being in the studio alone with Jeff all around me every day for so many hours was not helping me deal with my grief nor could I move forward. Something needed to change.
 
Sometimes when you love something, you have to let it go for its own good as well as your own. Jeff will always be Beachfront Radio and I certainly couldn’t fill his shoes so I made a very difficult decision. Jeff knew how serious his illness was and he didn’t want me to be strapped with the responsibility of running BFR alone. We actually had several radio people set up to meet with during and after our trip to MOTM last year in the hopes that it would sell and that burden would be gone and we could enjoy the little time that we knew we had together. Of course, that did not happen.
 
Beachfront Radio will always be in my heart and the memories of the “Glory Days” with Jeff and I working side by side will always be cherished and missed. The TropRock world continues to grow and although our “Champion” is no longer with us physically, his efforts and contributions will never be forgotten. The future of BFR is in new hands and I wish them well. I look forward to using the knowledge I have gained to continue to promote and support the music and artists wherever my future takes me and I will definitely
“Keep On Trockin”.
 

See you at the end of A1A!
Carol Ewald aka “Cali Carol”

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