User:Jim Golden

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Jim Golden: Guitarist, Radio Personality ==

Jim Golden is the professional pseudonym for guitarist and former radio personality James Kimbrel. He is not the same Jim Golden as the noted record producer of the 1970s.

Although born in Panama City, Florida on January 13, 1949, Golden actually lived in Macon, Georgia until the age of eight and was a first-grade classmate of future Atlanta Rhythm Section lead singer Ronnie Hammond (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Rhythm_Section). His family moved permanently to Panama City in December, 1957. A 1967 graduate of Bay High School in Panama City, Golden started his 21-year radio career in 1966 at WSCM-AM, a 500 watt daytime Country & Western station on Panama City Beach, FL. He moved to WPAP-FM, as one of the first staff members of a station which now dominates the ratings in the Panama City market, before leaving Panama City in 1970 to attend the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL. He was awarded his Bachelor of Arts with a Broadcast Emphasis from UWF in 1972. During this time he also became part of the staff at WBSR-AM in Pensacola, an influential Top 40 rock station, eventually rising to the position of Program and Music Director by 1978. He was nominated Music Director of the Year in 1978 by Washington, DC based "Pop Music Survey", published by Bobby Poe. During this time he was awarded Gold Records by the music industry for his contributions to the success of "Bluer Than Blue" by Michael Johnson and "Lead Me On" by Maxine Nightingale. Both songs were ballads which became million selling singles in an era dominated by Disco music. He made a significant career move in December 1979 when he moved to WHBQ-AM in Memphis, Tn. WHBQ, owned by RKO General, had achieved legendary status for being the first station to ever play an Elvis Presley record. It had also been the home of other notable personalities including Wink Martindale (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wink_Martindale), who became a well-known television personality and network TV game show host, Dewey Phillips, who first played "That's Alright Mama" by Elvis on his Red, Hot & Blue Program, and Rick Dees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Dees), who became a million selling recording artist with his novelty song "Disco Duck" and a prominent television personality. Other significant stops included two years at WKJJ-FM, which was also known at various times as KJ-100 and Majic 100 FM in Louisville, Ky., from 1982-1984, before concluding his career at G-100, WKRG-FM,TV-5 in Mobile, Al from 1984-1989. He turned down a considerable offer to move to WRNO in New Orleans, opting instead to enter private business in the Insurance industry. He ultimately became the owner and primary agent for Conway-Spence Insurance, an independent agency in Pensacola, operating the agency for over 16 years before retiring in December 2004 as a result of the sale of the agency. Not one to sit for long,in March 2005 he accepted a position with the Florida Department of Financial Services, a position which he held until January 2010.

Jim was also involved in the music business during his years in radio. A guitarist and songwriter, he played and sang in a Christian Rock duo with his sister while in high school and college, performing what was commonly called "Hippie Christian Music" and later played guitar in a group considered to be a forerunner of today's Contemporary Christian groups. The group, Jimmy Stewart and the Christiannaires, recorded three albums and traveled throughout the southeast performing a wide variety of Christian and Gospel music including several songs written by Jim. The most notable of these originals was "Heed The Call". Jim also worked as a recording session musician during this time. Later, He wrote many pop, country and Christian songs and collaborated with Los Angeles songwriter Sandi Lifson on the tune "Small Talk". Jim concentrated on his family after the birth of his only child, his son Jameson in 1985, and confined his music to playing in his church's worship band and at home.

In 2005 Jim built a small studio in his home and redirected his focus toward writing and recording original music. Now working more in the Smooth Jazz and Progressive Rock vein as a guitarist, Jim recorded and released his first CD in July 2007, an independent release titled "After Hours". Three of the songs on "After Hours" were voted Popular Vote winners in three International RiffRumble competitions conducted by Sonoma Wireworks, the manufacturers of the RiffWorks recording software package he used during the sessions. The songs,"Through The Needle's Eye", "Dezanali" and "Broken Angel" were voted winners in RiffRumbles V, VI and VII respectively. "Broken Angel" an acoustic ballad, was originally written as a love song. However, five days after the start of the RiffRumble VII competition, U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilot Kevin Davis was killed during a performance in South Carolina. A U.S. Navy wife cast a vote for the song and posted "the country does have a broken angel and that is Kevin Davis". The song was subsequently dedicated to Davis' memory. The CD has been well received, is being played on several Internet Jazz stations, and is available for sale or download on the Internet.

Today, Jim resides in Pensacola, Florida and occasionally plays small venues.