Aaron (age 10) and Josh (age 7) became part of Sarasota’s WSLR-LPFM family back in 2006, launching “The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show” after their dad saw them “playing DJ” with their Karaoke Machine. He asked them if they’d be interested in approaching a real-radio-station for a real-radio show?
Their eyes got big. Their dad called WSLR. And the station managers (Arlene Sweeting and Dave Beaton) loved the idea.
The boys attended the requisite “introduction to the equipment class” at the (now former) WSLR studio, that was fondly described as “The Crack House” because the station was located in one of Sarasota’s more questionable residential parts of town; there was no visible signage in front of the somewhat dilapidated house-like structure, it really DID look like a Crack House.
After proving they could manage the turntables, CD player and the station broadcast board, they were then awarded their very own radio slot, christened “The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show”, running from 9 to 10 a.m. the first Saturday of every month.
One evening, as dad was tucking the boys into bed, he teased Josh, “you know, you are probably the youngest DJ in the world!”
Josh quickly responded, “do you think I could get into Guinness?”
“How do you know about that?”
“We have a book in school” (Josh and Aaron both attended NewGate Montessori School in Sarasota).
So, being just as curious as Josh was, dad sent an email to the Official Guinness Record website and then the family waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And eventually the whole thing was completely forgotten about, until one Friday afternoon an email arrived: “It appears that Josh could be the Youngest DJ, however, he would need to complete the requirements prior to this Sunday as another young DJ currently holds that title.
That current Record Holder was 8 Years and 70 days old. If Josh could complete the requirements on Saturday — the very next day following when that email was received — Josh would be 8 Years and 69 days old: he would then beat the current record holder by one day.
As it fortuitously turned out, that email came on a Friday afternoon the day before the boy’s monthly radio show was scheduled.
The Guinness rules were exacting: 1) Josh would have to do the entire show by himself, meaning running the board, flying solo without Aaron’s or anyone’s help or participation; 2) the show needed to have two independent witness, not a family member, who needed to sign the official form that was attached to the email; 3) the show needed to be recorded and then sent to the Guinness Awards office for review.
The show prior to the boy’s monthly “Saturday Morning Cartoon Show” was “Mr. Rhythm’s weekly Oldies show”. Mr. Rhythm was old-school…very old school… radio being strictly a sacred entity. (“What are these kids doing on the radio??”)
Nevertheless, Dad tracked down Mr. Rhythm on the phone and asked if it would be okay if Josh could come in early, during Mr. Rhythm’s show, to learn how to operate the board independently. And, also, if Mr. Rhythm would please be willing to stick around for an extra hour after his oldies show to witness Josh’s solo show in order to meet the Guinness requirement.
After the expected, “WHAT!? WHY!?” Mr. Rhythm suddenly became warm, accommodating and, on that very early Saturday morning, walked Josh through the ropes — um, knobs and buttons — with great care and then he stayed for Josh’s show as an official witness.
[This somewhat monumental event clearly would not have been possible without Mr. Rhythm’s help; he passed away a few years later. A small shrine was erected in the corner of one of the walls in the Crack House in his memory.]
The last piece of the puzzle was to find a second independent observer, so Dad contacted one of the station DJs whom the boys always enjoyed and he agreed to wake up early to be there to help out as well.
“Man plans, God laughs”.
By 9:30 a.m. that Saturday morning everything was set…except for the arrival of the promised aforementioned DJ for the second witness.
At 15 minutes before showtime, he was clearly a no-show. (He slept-in, his name is being left out here because he still has a popular show on WSLR and he apologized profusely; felt awful for not being there. Josh of course understood, as he often slept-in himself.)
Remember: the “studio” was located at an unmarked dilapidated house in a very questionable part of town. However, right across the street was a discount supermarket, yes, the kind you might find near where Crack Houses might be.
Dad frantically ran out to their parking lot there in search of someone/anyone who would help.
After a few, “nope” um “nopes”…Dad approached a gentleman and, sputtering, explained the situation…”I know this sounds crazy but, see that house across the street, the one that looks like a Crack House over there…”
After being promised it really wasn’t a Crack House, and that the stranger wouldn’t be mugged upon entering, the gentleman greed to spend the next hour as a witness to the show.
Whew. And Josh did a fine job, doing everything himself for the first time, without his brother’s usual help.
Everything mailed in, it was back to waiting…but not for too long.
At that year’s Sarasota Blues Fest, just prior to Gregg Allman hitting the stage, Arlene presented Josh with his official Guinness certificate for being “The Youngest DJ In The World” framed along with the letter accompanying the award.
The crowd there clapped enthusiastically.
Not wanting to leave Aaron out of the picture, Arlene then gave Aaron “The Guinness Stout Award” for being “The Best Big Brother In The World“.
The crowd now awash with a collective “Awwwwww!!”
Then the press came along: The Sarasota Herald-Tribune got everything wrong (typically), The Observer made-up things that never happened (atypically), but SNN did a nice job of interviewing the boys along with Arlene, and here it is, attached.
