In the late summer of 1986, my phone rang, and a voice on the other in said, "Hi Denny, my name is Herb Brandes, and I want you to come to work for my radio station."  And so began my 27-year love affair with Sedalia.

To tell you the truth I wasn't real excited about coming here at first.  I had just lost my radio gig (yes, I got fired), and I was looking for a major market job. I had been working some weekends in Kansas City and I thought I was ready, so I wanted to wait and explore those options.  My new wife, on the other hand, thought it was more important that we paid rent and had food on the table.  But I swore coming to Sedalia was only temporary until I found something else.  Twenty-seven years later, I finally found something else, I guess.  Holy cow, what a ride it has been.  I have met so many people that have become lifelong friends whom I truly love.

I would be lying if this isn't one of the hardest things I've ever done.  I don't know what Friday will be like, waking up and not having a radio show, not having to get up at 4 a.m., not seeing the girls at the drive-thru or seeing Doug at 5 a.m.  I won't know what it's like trying to delete all the Huey Lewis songs from my show.  I have spent 30 years on the radio with the exception of a few moths here and there changing jobs.  My dad, who has a way of putting thing into a perspective, says, "Boy, it's a big deal now, but in a few weeks, you will be in the 'whatever happened to' club."  I know he's right.

I want to clear some things up: I am not getting fired and I am not leaving mad.  In fact, I think the world of these people here, so please continue to support them.  I just got an opportunity that I want to try.  Let me thank some people that need to be thanked. Dennis Polk for giving me the opportunity to come to work here and for becoming a good friend.  Doug Sokolowski makes me laugh, it was fun working with him in the mornings.  If you listened early on in our partnership, I think Doug has loosened up a bunch and hopefully learned something from me.  These are some of the best people I've ever worked with: Marcie, Bob, Julie, Marilyn, Teresa, Dee, Behka, Kaleb, the new girls, and yes, even Blog Boy.

I want to thank every musician that ever came in and played on my show for live music Friday.  I have and will always will support live music.  Thanks to the blues-loving fans who made my blues show so successful, and finally, you the listener.  Some of you have followed me from station to station and have been so loyal to me, and I don't know how to ever repay that.  The SFCC Roadrunners, wow, the great time I had doing those games for all these years.  Those coaches and players mean so much to me, thank you.  And if I can, I would like to recognize a group of ladies who call themselves the "blues sisters." They have been so loyal to me and to the music I love, each and everyone of them.

Also, Rick Hunt open up the Doo again, just wanted to throw that in there.

In conclusion, I just want the people of Sedalia to know that I love this city, and no matter where I go, I'll always be a Sedalian at heart.  Thank you for a magnificent ride!

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