“Proof that a good fart joke can last forever”
94HJY Paul & Al Show started in July 1990. This July they celebrate their 35th anniversary. They rank second all-time in longevity for their morning show on the same station in Rhode Island radio history. They even have a 35th anniversary beer coming out with Narragansett for the summer. They are among the first class of local radio personalities inducted into the Rhode Island Radio Hall of Fame.
LA: Congratulations on your 35th anniversary and letting me come down to interview guys at the station during your show. You guys have been together longer than my first two marriages and you’ve probably spent more time together than most married couples. What’s it been like to have worked together for so long?
Paul: It’s amazing we’ve stayed together this long because the sex sucks! We’ve both gone through a lot of changes. When we started I was the family guy with kids and Al was the wild and single guy. Then the roles were reversed and I was the empty nester and Al was married with a daughter. We worked together for a year in Mobile Alabama where we met in 1989. Then we came to HJY and we replaced Carolyn Fox. They narrowed it down to 5 morning shows and they chose us. We loved Rhode Island. It was full of scandals. The real “prime meat” of our show back then was political parodies and now, 35 years later, we can’t touch that .
LA: In 1989 you both worked at a radio station in Mobile Alabama. When and where did you start your careers in radio?
Paul: After high school I went to radio school, made a tape and got my first job at 19. I’ve been doing this for 50 years. There was a really cool station in Mobile Alabama when I went to college called WAAB. It was a really cool album station. I went back to college at the same time and got a degree in history. I became Program Director at a station in Memphis and at that time Al was doing the morning show in Mobile.
Al: I studied communications in college and did an internship at a rock station on Long Island WBAB. From the internship I got a job there. I worked at WBAB for three years. I also worked in New York City, Cape Cod, Boston and then from there I went to Mobile. They eventually brought Paul back and threw us together.
LA: Your show is from 5:30 to 10:00 AM. How do you guys stay so quick-witted and energetic every day for 35 years? You must drink a lot of coffee .
Al: Lots of coffee and we really get used to it. The wake up is tough but the get home is great! We take a lot of naps.
LA: Every Thursday for over 30 years listeners have called in their best jokes for Stump the DJ. How did this start ?
Al: We started a little in Mobile and when we came to Rhode Island we tried it here. We thought it would burn out in a year but it took off. Right now we have over 40 people who consistently look for jokes to try to win. I’m astounded about how many really good new jokes we get. People love it. We used to do it for an hour and now we do it for two hours. The show helps us stay engaged with our audience instead of just listening. Usually as the joke is coming out of the person’s mouth we look at each other asking if we know it and we usually do.
LA: How is being a DJ changed over 35 years ?
Paul: Unbelievably! Technology and the topics you can talk about without getting in trouble. When I started I literally had to talk and hit a turntable, no remote button. We went from records to reel to reel to 8 track carts to CD’s and finally in the early 2000s we used the computer which made things extremely easier as radio personalities.
LA: You guys have MC’d many events. Is there any that stands out ?
Paul: Our first event in Rhode Island was with Living Color. We were only a month in and they wanted us to emcee the event and bring the band on stage. It was a WBRU show and they had promoted the event and sold tickets. Our manager pulled a power play with the promoter and wanted us, as the new radio show, to introduce them. It was a BRU audience and they hated HJY. The 1st 30 rows booed us and threw stuff at us. One really great concert was with the guys from Def Leppard. They did a sound check and took requests from our listeners and brought some of our listeners in to meet them. They were the kindest most thoughtful rock guys you’ve worked with.
LA: You’ve guys interviewed people as well as getting interviewed what was your most memorable
on air interview?
Al: Bruce Springsteen’s wife Patty Scialfa. She stopped the interview mid-way because we asked her about her husband. I guess it was written that we weren’t allowed to ask about Bruce. Another is Jack Bruce of Cream. We interviewed him and it said no questions about Eric Clapton. Peter Wolf is always fun to interview. The best interview experience was with Bon Jovi. They did an acoustic here and they decided to stay for two hours. They were phenomenal and very kind.
LA: What is your favorite thing about being on the radio?
Al: It’s fun coming in and cracking jokes. The biggest challenge for me, having known Paul for 36 years, is finding a way to surprise him and make him really laugh because he knows my punch line before it’s coming. If I can get the coffee to shoot out his nose I’m good for the week. We’re like an old married couple trying to spruce things up.
LA: You’re not just radio personalities you also do a lot of charity work tell me about that.
Paul: Our biggest is the Amos house. I organize a huge golf tournament for them every year also the Special Olympics. Al has done a lot with animal rescue. The Amos house is amazing. They do about 300,000 meals a year. It’s also a residence and job rehabilitation center.
LA: Besides Crushed Velvet, who is your favorite local band?
Al: Our favorites are Crushed Velvet and Dirty Deeds. We don’t do a lot of club events anymore like we used to since COVID.
LA: Lastly, keeping it clean, what are your favorite things to do in Rhode Island when you’re not on the air and what are your favorite restaurants?
Al: To this day, in my opinion, the best restaurant is Persimmon in Providence on Hope St. Also Plum Point Bistro and Saunderstown. The best steak is Capital Grille.
Paul: Gracies is where me and my wife go every year for our anniversary. That’s one of my favorites
