Yesterday I wrote about the decision of naming businesses and services.
In late 1981, I had to make a crucial decision.
At least I thought it was crucial at the time. In 1978, I had started to work part-time at the daytime-only AM radio station ten miles up the road in Marion, Kentucky. What's even funny now is that my parents or someone had to drop me off and pick me up until '79 when I could drive myself.
I always used my name on the air. Really, until late '80, I wasn't on the air all that much. Mostly, I engineered the Sunday morning church shows. Back then, most of the preachers came in live and some of them had their daughters or wives play the piano live. Yes, in Studio B, we had a real piano. Studio B was big enough for a small band to play in. But, that is another story.
Anyway, in late 1981, I was offered a part time on air job with the big FM country station in Paducah, Kentucky. WKYQ.
The first thing they suggested was a name change for on air. I would be changing on air from my family name of Quertermous to a name I came up with. Richards. Over the years, I have been asked why that name? There is no actual reason. I checked around the five or six states surrounding the area and couldn't find anyone else using the name, so I decided I would use it. A lot of people were using "stage names" back then.
I thought it would also save money, because by using a stage name, I could have a listed phone number for those who knew me and it provided protection from those who didn't but wanted to call the radio guy during odd hours. Unlisted phone numbers were quite expensive in those days.
What I didn't realize at the time was...throughout the 1980s...Tony Richards was becoming a brand. It wasn't just WHO i was...it was WHAT I was.
It turned out to be a good decision in 1985 when I received a series of life-threatening notes posted on my car every night, but my actual name and address could remain anonymous. The police that helped me home every night were awesome.
I guess it doesn't always work since I criticized the post office one morning for a mail faux pas on the show in 1990 and my home mailbox was flattened by a truck the next night. Wow...crazy days, huh?
Even though there was a huge distinction between the real me at home and the brand being presented at the time, the evolution of it all, as I look back...is quite striking. Yesterday, I wrote about how naming your new business or re-naming your business is so crucial. It caused me to reflect on my own brand evolution all the way back to my first brand naming event.
I will get back on an interesting subject next time. :)
