Dr. Jerry Hill

I started loving beach music as a kid. My brothers, sister & cousins used to play band to great beach & Motown songs.  I owe my dancing ability to my big sister; she used to make me dance with the posts at Red’s Place in Kinston until I learned to shag. I was so amazed at the music & the great dancers like Bones Hussey & Norman & Francis Tripp. I have been a dancer since the late 70’s, competed in many contest in the 80’s with Shag HOFer Sue Lanier Hallow. Dancing is where I got my start in Beach Music as a DJ.

At that time, I worked part time at WRNS playing both kinds of music (Country & Western) where I worked morning drive. I was trained in radio by Kinston legendary DJ – Eddie Dee. I was known as “Wolfie In The Morning” because I had a bushy beard & long think hair. The first beach music I ever played on radio was WELS & then WISP AM 1250 “WISPY”. I first started collecting music working for Amanda & Frank Hill at Tape City in Kinston, NC. I would usually spend more than I made in a day – even with my Tape City discounts on 45’s.

My first club work was at Red’s Place in Kinston, NC. Actually, the first time I ever played for Red was one night when he was DJing and passed out (I think alcohol was involved). I have worked at most of the nightclubs in Kinston, NC through the years and most of the dance shag clubs throughout the states of NC, SC, & VA. I was blessed to play at Ducks, the Spanish Galleon, Fat Harold’s & the Pad in the early 80’s for SOS and other events, as well as, legendary clubs like Peaches & Beaus in Greenville, NC, Lynns in Charlotte, NC & Thirtsty’s, The Bushes in Greensboro, Memories, Courtneys, Rays & Big Georges in Atlantic Beach, and so many more. I have met some great friends & had some tragic losses to my beach music family through the years.

As of today, I have been a BEACH MUSIC DJ for 46 years (clubs & radio). I have worked for 6 different radio stations, 100s of clubs, been an SOS DJ (During beginning for 15 years), DJ’d the SOS cruise, etc. I am a Lifetime member and Hall of Fame DJ in the Association of Beach & Shag Club DJs. The first time I ever had my own radio show was on WKGK 97.7 FM on Saturday afternoons in Kinston. I worked there for 3 years. I got out of radio in the 90’s, though I still worked in shag clubs. In 1998 I was asked to join the Sunny Beach FM’s in Morehead City, NC on Friday & Saturday afternoons. I was there almost 5 years, until the station was sold & format changed. This was when I got in the night club business, Murphy’s Place in Mt. Olive. This was short lived, as I got out of the restaurant/night club business to attend Pharmacy School at Campbell University – I graduated in 2015 with a Masters in Clinical Research, a Masters in Public Health, and a Doctorate in Pharmacy. Yes I was then Dr. Jerry R. Hill, I was completely out of beach music while in Pharmacy School.

I lost my Mom to a heart attack my first day of college. That was the worst day & the worst point in my life. I lost my dad to cancer in 2008. After graduating, I missed radio & DJing so I returned to the airwaves in 2018 with Beach Boogie & Blues 102.9 FM in Kinston, NC, 101.1 FM in Jacksonville, NC, 95.7 FM in New Bern, NC & 105.7 FM in Greenville, NC & 1070 AM in Eastern NC on Saturdays from 2pm – 7pm & have been there ever since. My show has now moved to 12pm to 5. I also joined Jukin’ Oldies one year later in 2019 M-F from 10am to 1pm. I later cut back to Wednesday – Friday 10am to 1pm while continuing to do Gospel X’s 2 & Jukin’ Country as a specialty show. Gospel X’s 2 has given birth to my new baby “ Southern Fried Gospel” with yours truly every Sunday morning from 10am to 12pm on the Beach Boogie & Blues Network. Yes, Life Is Good!

I currently live in Mt. Olive, have a beautiful daughter & two wonderful grand children. I play beach music daily & still work in Pharmacy at night. I started Kinston Shags Shag club in 2018 & was the president from 2018 to 2022 in Kinston, NC. At the same time, I opened Pivot’s Night Life, a shag club in Kinston, NC that was sold the club in 2022. I live a happy, busy life & life is Good!

I thank God every day for the many blessings I have & he continues to give me blessings daily & truly appreciate the new doors that keep opening for me. I look forward to continuing to play great beach tunes as long as he allows me to.

Thanks you, my friends & family for believing in me through all these years. I have spent most of my life living the beach music lifestyle, playing & preserving beach music & the shag. I have friends that I could never replace, lost many lifelong friends & cried a many tears through the years. I will spend the rest of my life living the dream & preserving beach music!

I am now being honored & humbled at the same time by being inducted into the Beach Music Hall of Fame’s class of 2024. I want to thank God & all those that worked hard to get me inducted into this prestigious group of DJs. I want to especially my buddy, Randal Hight for all of his help thoughout this journey.  Thank you my friend,  “One “L”.

So Lace Up Those Weejuns, Grease The Floor, Turn Up The Music, Rip The Knob Off & I’ll See You On The Radio!

Dr. Jerry Hill, PharmD, MSCR, MPH