By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, January 12, 2016
English Nick, a rock mainstay in Atlanta radio, has gotten a full-time job as night-time jock at the River starting next Tuesday January 19 from 7 to midnight.
This is the first time since the River debuted ten years ago that the station has had a evening DJ. Currently, it has two other veteran rock jocks on air: morning host Kaedy Kiely and afternoon host Steve Craig. The River, which plays classic rock hits mostly from the 1970s and 1980s, remains jockless mid-days.
"It's good to be on the air doing almost what we did at 96rock music wise," English Nick said in an interview. "And to be alongside people like Steve and Katy. They're the best in the business, lifers who have done it so long."
English Nick, whose real name is Nick Parsons, has been a reliable utility player on air over the past 17 years. He has had various roles on 96rock, 80s station 105.3/The Max (under the pseudonym Simon), 99X, Rock 100.5 and for the past five years, the River. His only previous full-time on-air gig was a night jock job at Rock 100.5 in 2008 and 2009.
But Rock 100.5 dropped him after 18 months. In an interview today, he said they didn't need a full-time night jock once the Atlanta Braves began airing games on the station.
He was off radio for two years until the River hired him as a fill-in part-time jock in 2011. He has been there ever since. In recent months, he has also joined former Regular Guy Eric Von Haessler on his weekly show the Von Haessler Doctrine, which airs on sister station News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB from 1 to 3 p.m. Sundays.
"Kaedy, English Nick and I are the three most passionate people in Atlanta when it comes to rock," said Craig, who worked at 99X and Dave FM before the River. "It's a natural for him to do nights. He is the guy who spends a lot of time on the rock scene. He lives the rock-and-roll night life."
Indeed, English Nick has hosted the Metalsome live band karaoke nights at 10 High in Virginia-Highland for nearly 13 years. It has now expanded to a four-night-a-week phenomenon: Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. English Nick has been at the helm for almost all of them.
97.1/The River and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group.
About the Author
