I had intended to post something about Steve back in June, but got bogged down.
Charles Steven Bridges, p/k/a Steve York, worked for me at Z-96 in Wrens, beginning with our debut on June 10th, 1979. He left WAUG to do middays with our quirky bunch of misfits and, of course, he was a perfect fit.
I was blessed to have the high caliber talent I had, with Steve, J.J. Hemingway and Jim Jacobs. It was a tough row to hoe, financially speaking, and the wheels finally fell off the bus. Both Steve and J.J. had to go, and I was finally shown the door. We had a million bucks worth of radio, but that cannot be sustained by a one kilowatt FM, in a town of 2,100.
Fortunately, time mends fences and heals wounds. About 10 years ago, J.J. Hemingway and I took a couple of days, and made the rounds of some of our old radio homes. We met up with Steve in Augusta, where the three of us enjoyed a great meal and fellowship, and remembered the good ol' days.
Some have spoken of Steve's demons. Yes, he had 'em (as do many of us), but he never denied 'em. Once he dug himself out of the ditch, he got back on the paved road, and kept 'er between the lines.
Steve and I were born only a few months apart, so I can tell you that 52 is MUCH too young to die. Well, one thing's for sure. Steve is now on the air at a station that doesn't have that irritating buzz in the left channel!
Rock on, Burnin' Bridges
