Jim was born in Daytona Beach, and grew up listening to great Florida radio, his exposure to WLOF (Orlando), WQAM (MIAMI), AND AS PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT WAPE (JACKSONVILLE).  A  ''SHOW AND TELL'' IN THE 5TH GRADE IN DAYTONA BEACH LED TO A LIFELONG ADMIRATION FOR ELVIS AND PAVED THE WAY FOR A CAREER IN RADIO AND TELEVISION. HIS FIRST EXPOSURE TO ELVIS CAME IN NOVEMBER 1955 WHEN ELVIS PERFORMED AT THE PEABODY AUDITORIUM IN DAYTONA. JIM SAYS ''IT WAS LIKE ELVIS REACHED DOWN OFF THAT STAGE, PUT HIS HAND IN MY CHEST, TOOK OUT MY HEART AND HAS BEEN CARRYING IT AROUND EVER SINCE.'',

JIM'S HIGH SPOT CAME WHEN HE MET ELVIS IN FEBRUARY 1967 AT GRACELAND AND HAD 4 WONDERFUL DAYS OF SPENDING TIME WITH HIM.  ''NICEST CELEBRITY, AND ONE OF THE OVERALL NICEST PEOPLE, I EVER MET IN MY LIFE'' SAYS JIM.

JIM'S 20 YEARS IN RADIO AND TELEVISION, PLUS HIS TIME SPENT IN TAMPA BAY ON WLCY RADIO, MAKE HIM A FIRST BALLOT CANDIDATE FOR THE TAMPA BAY RADIO HALL OF FAME.