When you were young, loved to fish and hunt, and lived for the weekends, the absolute worst thing that could happen, was to get stuck with the Saturday shift, no matter where you were employed.   Working in radio broadcasting, a seven-day, seven-night industry just about doubled the odds.  Some of the best talents in broadcasting made it a habit to resign their position on Thursday or Friday, just to avoid the twelve hour weekend shifts.  It was inevitable that you would someday hear the chilling sound of a management directive to work both Saturday and Sunday shifts, six a.m. till six p.m. To cap this scenario, the weekend night guy was regularly taken with some dread disease that we named “the six hour flu,” and if his shift could not be covered by a volunteer or standby man, you automatically inherited a six hour tag shift. One broadcast day equaled eighteen hours.  This assured you were the “main man” at that station from six a.m. till midnight .   “Good experience,” management called it, with a quick reminder you would pick up some overtime that way.  In the southern stations, this meant thirty six extra dollars for the week. You figured this out by multiplying 36 hours by 36 dollars. Being involved in the communications business, there were rumors that some of the east and west coast stations were paying time and a half for overtime hours.  This “pie in the sky pay rate” was a long time coming to our beloved southland.  The quote came from Management. 

So, it wasn’t for the money that the weekend shifts were always covered.  But I happen to know first hand that those weekend shifts starred managers, sales managers, secretaries and kids off the street.  The miracle is the survival of small stations with the master of ceremonies bored to tears.   A radio station was a beehive weekdays with salesmen, newsmen, announcers, secretaries, engineers and visitors coming and going. Music always playing, telephones ringing, business machines humming, just all kinds of activity could be expected on a normal business day.    From sign-on Saturday morning, till midnight Sunday, you could hear the pin "BOUNCE."   The only relief from the “bored silly” thing was the music you were charged with playing.  If you would turn the volume to max, it was like company had come.

All this to preface a truly enjoyable experience, and it began on a beautiful but boring Saturday morning. This was in Longview , Texas at Radio Station KLTI along about 1952 or ’53.   I was Sales Manager, but on this day I was the morning, noon and night man on-the-air.   We were on a red clay hill just south of the LeTourneau Domes.   A really nice car pulled onto our parking pad, and a couple of real Southern Gentleman slowly approached the offices.   I slipped on my favorite long, long playing record and met them at the front door, thinking “Oh, Oh, these guys think they’ve found a country, western radio station.” 

As they entered, I realized I knew them.  It was the former governor of Louisiana , Jimmie Davis and just two boots behind him was Al Dexter, and after all these years, I still think of them as two of the finest people I ever met.   And they already knew that KLTI was not into the country sound.   When I said “Welcome, Governor,”  he cut me off with “I’m Jimmie and you are Al and here is another Al.” Said they’d heard my name on the station that morning, and wondered if I was the same Al Vincent that managed the Beaumont baseball club.  I told him that Al Vincent had the French spelling and mine was the English, Vinson.  Jimmie (see how quickly I adjust) explained that they had come to Longview  for the Grand Opening of The Rose Oil Company super service station on Highway 80.  Al Dexter, at that time, owned the Wishing Well Motel, in Lufkin .   And he may have been the owner of Rose or some other oil companies.  He didn't make all his money  on the pennies tossed into the wishing well in front of his motel.  There is a car wash in that location on South Chestnut in Lufkin now,  and it's fun to remember the real Honky Tonk Man, Al Dexter, when I drive out that way.   

I learned over the following years that Al had made a lot of money and knew how to handle it.  He made it in a hurry with one of the all time best selling country music songs, “Pistol Packin’ Mama.”  I’ll put a bio-page at the end of this story that will give you a better picture of the late Al Dexter than I could. And I’ll include a bio on the late Jimmie Davis, as well. 

Al & Jimmie were a comedy team that day.  They did not have to be at the Grand Opening till after noon , so they spent two hours enjoying Mr. LeTourneau’s air conditioned radio station, and “indoor bathrooms.”    After doing a five minute interview on the air with Jimmie Davis and Al Dexter, I stacked all the long-playing records and tapes, so I could enjoy their one upsmanship. As we visited and drank coffee,  I would have given anything to have a guitar, or better, two guitars that morning, but then Jim Reeves took the only one I’d ever seen around that studio.  These two men were made to be on stage together, and it’s rare when you find two more compatible, and talented men.  They were enjoying this chance to be together, unwind and enjoy the moment.  I heard more Huey Long stories that Saturday than the History Channel has covered in all it’s history. And the ones Jimmie Davis told to the two Al’s will, I guarantee you, never be heard  on the History Channel.  It was a rare privilege to enjoy their company that “Uuuugggg Saturday Shift”.

It was quite a surprise at the end of the Grand Opening when these two circled back by the station.  Seems they found the long lines at Rose Oil’s Restrooms made them think of whippin’ back by KLTI.  They were at that age of urgency.   At a certain time in the ageing process,  you want to avoid lines around a restroom.  

In looking over my music list, I was overwhelmed to find "You Are My Sunshine". Haven't heard it in so many years, and it certainly is one of the gifts Governor...eruh...Jimmie Davis left for you and this old Al.   Jimmie wouldn't let me call him governor, but he liked the job, and again became Governor of Louisiana in 1960.  I think he had the power because he knew so much on the officials over in his home state.   Wish I could remember all his stories,  but most were better forgotten. 

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