My entire adult life has been spent working for WKDQ, but all good things must come to an end.
I’m a kid from Boonville, Indiana, who grew up listening to 99.5 WKDQ. Never in my wildest dreams would I have bet money that one day, I’d be one of those people on air and doing some of the things that I have done throughout my career. In reality, this job has given me much more than a paycheck. So, it’s bittersweet to announce that this will be my last week on air for WKDQ.
How it Started…
Growing up, I loved country music. As a kid, the second a song would come on the radio (which was typically WKDQ), I could tell you the song name and the artists who sang it. Heck, because of country music, I learned how to spell my first word: “T-R-O-U-B-L-E”. Thank you, Travis Tritt. Needless to say, music has always held a special place in my heart.
As the years went by, and I was a teenager in high school, country music played an even bigger role in my life. My best friends, Matt Hatcher and Matt Russell, and I had a little band. We wanted to be like Rascal Flatts. Russell always said that the dream was for us to one day sing on stage with Rascal Flatts at the Grand Ole Opry. Sadly, Russell passed away in 2006, and his passing gave me all the motivation that I needed to live out the dreams we shared in the world of country music. Oh, and he’s been there every step of the way in one way or another.
So, in college, I was working at Pizza Chef in Boonville. A co-worker of mine had told me about how she used to work in radio, and I reminded her a lot of the Afternoon guy on WKDQ, Eric Corninsh, because I loved country music and professional wrestling. She got me in touch with Eric to do an internship. In the meeting, Eric and I talked about our favorite country songs, but mostly about WWE. At the end of the “interview,” Eric asked me, “Shawn or Brett?” Wrestling fans will understand that reference. Naturally, I said “Shawn.” To which he quickly told me that I would start on Monday. That’s how it all started. No talk about my qualifications, just country music and wrestling. To this day, I have never filled out a resume for any position at WKDQ. I often wonder what would have happened if I had said “Brett.”
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Why This Career in Radio Has Been So Special
When I said that WKDQ has given me more than just a paycheck, I can’t even tell you how much of an impact this job has had on my life. Two big things come to mind that might give you a bit of insight.
In 2014, I first started with WKDQ; the first song that was ever scheduled for me to play was “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts. That song was Matt’s favorite song before his passing. Even some of the lyrics are used on his headstone. Fast forward a few months later, I took my first trip to the Grand Ole Opry with WKDQ. The legendary Charlie Daniels and Rascal Flatts were scheduled to play the show that night. I was standing on the side of the stage watching and singing along to Charlie Daniels playing “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” The next thing I knew, I turned to my right, and there was Rascal Flatts singing along too. In a way, I sang on stage with them at the Grand Ole Opry. Even got to meet them after their set.
In 2023, one of the biggest blessings ever happened. I interviewed Gary LeVox on the phone ahead of a show he would be playing at French Lick. So, I told him about Matt and the impact Rascal Flatts has had on my life. He invited me to sing my best friend’s favorite song, “My Wish,” with him. What makes the strange connections even better is that the concert was the day after what would have been Matt’s 34th birthday. A birthday gift that I think he played a role in making happen…