Al B. Love!™ has logged over twenty years in the industry and he reflects on how he became interested in broadcasting and production. "I've been interested in "sound" for as long as I can remember. I used to have a portable cassette recorder and I found that when the batteries would run low, when I recorded my voice, it would change the pitch and sound of it. I also used to make tapes for a cousin of mine in L.A. We would always try to outdo each other. He was very good at mixing but I was better at putting together elements that could be played between songs. So when I would send him tapes, they would sound like a radio show complete with liners, sweepers and even commercials I would create. When I first started out, I didn't own a lot of elaborate equipment...just a Radio Shack mixer, a cassette recorder, a really cheap microphone and some old scratchy sound effects records that I would use to create drops and things".

This was the match that lit the fire to his career choice. However, as he pursued his dream, he had to survive, performing non-broadcast related jobs along the way. While working as a grocery stocker for a local Kroger store in his hometown of Houston, TX, he remembers an incident that most people in radio can relate to. "There was this co-worker that knew about my desire to get into radio,", says Al B. "I was taking a broadcasting correspondence course I learned about in Rolling Stone magazine. One day, this particular co-worker took me out on the sales floor and said, 'you see all these groceries, this is where you are and this is where you're gonna be!!' "

After facing that "reality check", Al B. refused to be locked into what appeared at that time to be a dead end situation. After discussing his plight with his wife, (who supported him 100%), Al B. decided to leave his job at Kroger and enter into the uncertain world of radio. While watching television one day, he caught an ad for the Columbia School of Broadcasting. Using his severance incentive from Kroger, he decided to attend CSB in order to learn more about broadcasting. And as the story goes, 'His-Story' is still being written today. Since then, Al B. has worked at various stations and formats, accomplishing much of this in his hometown of Houston. He has also worked as production director at WOWI in Norfolk, VA.  And currently serves as the "signature voice"  for various internet radio stations nationally and internationally.

How did he develop his style? Al B. states, "Well, I guess my style is a combination of several people's styles that I've come to know and respect. Mitch Faulkner, former production director of KMJQ, who had exited before I began working there, is at the very top of the list. Then there's Bill Travis, Shaun O'Neal, Bill Young, James Breedlove, K.D. Bowe, Rick Party, Tre Black, and Apollo just to name a few. I listen to what all these pros do. I take a little bit from each of them and add my own flava to the mix. I guess you can say it's just like making a cake."

If his production skills can be compared to making a cake, then it can be truly said that Al B. Love!™ is having his cake and eating it, too. His advise to others interested in production, "One thing that I've found helpful is summed up in this quote, '"Press on: Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."'

"The keys to getting into and maintaining longevity is: (1) Persistence. Keep at it.  It doesn't come overnight. (2) Patience. Some pros have been in this game for decades. And I'm sure they can attest to the fact that the time has been well invested. (3) Determination. Don't let anyone dictate your destiny. You control it. And with God on your side, certain success is inevitable.  And above all (4) HUMILITY.  This industry has a way of changing you. For the better or worse. That depends on you. But if you remain humble and realize the true SOURCE of your talent then, again, you'll meet with certain success. Also be like a sponge and absorb as much as you can. Don't be afraid to ask for help when & where you may need it. Take time time to perfect your skills. Even if it takes you 35 or 45 minutes to produce a :60 spot, take the time to do it. The more you work at it, the better you get. Listen to the to radio and TV. Hear what others are doing. And stay on top of the ever-changing technology. Understand, it's not how much gear you have, but how proficent you are at using what you have.  It's taken me 20+ years to hone my skills...I'm still honing"

When receiving compliments about his work, Al B. remains humble acknowledging that Jehovah God is the true SOURCE of his talents. "I really appreciate when people like my work", says Al B., "but the talent I possess isn't mine. I'm just kinda borrowing it for awhile."

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