Jim Mendonca:  

After graduation, left the Bay to go to Chico State. My mom and dad had moved to Paradise in the foothills of the Sacramento Valley in December of '61. I lived w/ Brian Nemy and family after they moved for the balance of my senior year. Have only been back to the old neighborhood to visit and do the class reunion routine. Chico State, party school, and yes I had the grade point average to prove that I was an All-American party kid. The college counselor said that I ought to be an engineering major...then I took college higher math! Then he said try business...then I took accounting! I did enjoy my time in a required class called Public Speaking and became a Communications/Speech Major. In the meantime I formed a Rock 'n Roll Band, played for hundreds of dances, proms, parties and toured with several well known groups. Out of SF the Beau Brummels, also the Yardbirds, Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs, and Paul Revere & the Raiders, etc... My band was always the lead off band to the headliner group for concerts. But, it all came to a halt when I developed arthritis and couldn't even rehearse between gigs. (The only good thing about it, was it kept me out of the Draft and SE Asia) So, if I couldn't play music as a musician I would have to settle for playing music on the radio! In my preparations for becoming the greatest Rock DJ ever, I came to southern CA to attend William B. Ogden, Radio Operational Engineering School and pass my FCC License Exam. While in SoCal I met the love of my life my wife of over 45 years, Judy. We were engaged in 2 months. I went back to Chico State for my next year at college, Judy came to Butte College in Oroville in the Spring semester. She went back to SoCal for Easter Break and when she came back to Chico I said, "that is the last time we are ever going to be apart!" We drove to Reno and were married the next day! So, I determined that I was going to return to t...Expand for more