I’m not sure if “miss” is the right word for me when it comes to Nashville’s Y-107/WYHY-FM, but it definitely is for local disc-jockey DJ Shawn . Shawn has created a Y-107 tribute page for a station that dominated the local airwaves back in the 80s (and is now known as The River). He even credits “The Outrageous FM” for inspiring his career path.

As long as I can remember growing up in Nashville Tennessee, WYHY Lebanon, Nashville,Y-107 was my favorite radio station of all time! You never knew what you were going to hear next, maybe dead air, a cuss word or two, or most of all your favorite song! The Dj’s that made Y-107 what it was were always funny and really did have a good time on the air! The station was dubbed the “Outrageous FM” and that was what set them apart from the rest, they didn’t seem to play by the boring rules of modern day radio! They would play and say what they wanted most often when they wanted.  You could actually call the request line and get a song played, unless of course the song sucked, then the Dj’s would make a big joke out of it and probably you too, but it was all in good fun! No other stations in Nashville could even come close to the sound of Y-107! They ruled the airwaves!

I used to dream about one day becoming a DJ on Y-107 but sometimes life has other plans. I love my job as a nightclub DJ and have been doing it now for about 10 years. But I still feel that if I ever get the chance to DJ on the air I really hope it is a station like, The Outrageous FM, Y-107!

I remember the first time I went to the Y-107 studio to meet Gary Jeff Walker on the Friday 5 o’clock Whistle Party, he was kicked back with a beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other and a big fat boom mic in his face Rocking the 100,000 watt air waves! I couldn’t help but think, “Daaaaaaaaaamn, this is the life!” He even welcomed me as an in studio guest and let me say a few lines on the air! Needless to say I was nervous as hell! But it was a really cool feeling knowing my voice was being transmitted over a 150-mile radius of Nashville on a big fat 1000-foot tall antenna! The energy rush of live broadcast really got me excited about Dj’ing to a live crowd and wanting to entertain people with music. Thanks Gary Jeff Walker!!!

I recall having a love-hate relationship with Y-107 (mostly love in my younger years, mostly hate as I got older), but it was an unavoidable part of Nashville’s radio landscape at the time. If you are a native Nashvillian looking to reminisce, Shawn’s tribute page (complete with original audio files that may transport you back in time) will do the trick. There’s also an online Y-107 Museum and an archive of the station’s final Web site (after the “Outrageous” era, when it was searching for a new identity) prior to its becoming The River.