Ron O'Quinn
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
born March 4, 1943 in McRae, Georgia
McRae, Georgia
McRae is a town in Telfair County, Georgia, United States. Based on the 2000 census, the town has a total population of 2,682. Between 1990 and 2000, the town experienced a population decrease of 10.8%, compared to the state growth during this period of 26.4%. The town is the county seat of...
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At the age of 16, O'Quinn began his radio career at WMGA, a station in his hometown of Moultrie, Georgia, where he worked at the time of his graduation from Moultrie High School in 1961. Shortly thereafter, O'Quinn joined the Army, where he became a machine gunner as an Army Ranger. In 1963, after finishing his time in the Army, O'Quinn jumped right back into radio with a move to WVLD
WVLD
WVLD better known as "106.9 FM WVLD" is a radio station broadcasting a talk/sports format. Licensed to Valdosta, Georgia, USA, the station serves the Valdosta area. The station is currently owned by Black Crow Media and features programing from ESPN Radio...
in Valdosta, Georgia, then on to WROD in Daytona Beach, Florida, before ending up at WLCY in Tampa, Florida, where he went by the moniker Jack E. Rabbitt. While on WLCY, O'Quinn had the highest rankings ever earned in the Tampa market, a 60% share (Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
, released Summer 1966), a record that still stands today. Moving on to Miami, O'Quinn went to work for WFUN, where he became known as Jack Armstrong.
In 1966, O'Quinn left WFUN to become Program Director of a new radio station, Swinging Radio England
Swinging Radio England
Swinging Radio England was a top 40 offshore commercial station billed as the "World's Most Powerful" that operated from 3 May 1966 to 13 November 1966 from a ship in the North Sea, three and a half miles off Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England...
, that was located off the coast of England in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
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Taxman
"Taxman" is a song written by George Harrison released as the opening track on The Beatles' 1966 album Revolver. Its lyrics attack the high levels of progressive tax taken by the British Labour government of Harold Wilson.-Composition:...
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Upon returning to England following the tour, O'Quinn was told he had 3 weeks to get his affairs in order and return to America, unless he left the employ of Radio England, in which case he could remain (due to the British government imposing restrictions against offshore pirate radio). Knowing that he couldn't remain in the UK jobless, O'Quinn left Radio England and returned to the United States.
In early 1971 O'Quinn became the manager of WSIZ in Ocilla, Georgia where he stayed until 1976. In 1987, after being out of radio for a several years, O'Quinn started a syndicated oldies show, Rock and Roll Reunion, which was carried on 88 stations across the country. He also hosted a weekly oldies show, Memories Unlimited, on WQZY-FM and WKKZ-FM in Dublin, Georgia until 2001.
Georgia Radio Hall Of Fame
The Georgia Radio Hall of Fame is a non-profit corporation which honors the men and women of radio in the U.S. state of Georgia....
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In August 2010, Ron made his return to the radio in Europe on Big L 1395AM with his weekly syndicated radio show "Radio England Rewind". Other European and internet stations also now carry his show. From October 2011, Ron is also heard on the European KBC international shortwave radio station on 6095Khz.
Ron lives with his wife Sarah in Glenwood, GA.