Amy Dawson: How did you get your start at Z100?

Skeery Jones: I started as the General Manager of my college radio station for four years at Brooklyn College in 1992. That parlayed into an internship with Cousin Brucie at CBS-FM. Then I got the job at Z100 based on my passion for radio. The first mistake some people make when trying to get a radio job is thinking it's all about the free CDs and concert tickets. That was never my intention; I was majoring in broadcasting, interning at CBS-FM, and working for two college radio stations.

So Z100 saw that I was genuine, and let me through the door. They made me a DJ's apprentice. I worked for Elvis Duran in the afternoons: answering his request lines, preparing the music and commercials, running the contests and counting to caller 100. Then a year later- just as I was graduating from college in 1996- Elvis had moved to mornings and he asked me if I wanted to help out as his Assistant Producer.

The timing was so perfect. That's how I learned to do the behind the scenes production work which I still do; editing bits, interviews, etc. In 1999, I became Producer and then in 2001 Co-Executive Producer- which is the title I hold now. I pretty much help Elvis plan the show in the morning.

Dawson: Are you the same person on that radio compared to what you're like in real life?

Jones: It's funny because I'm known as a player on the Zoo. I get a bad rap in that way, you know, like Joe Concha, but it's all for the radio…unlike Joe Concha…just kidding, I love ya, Joe!

What we do on the air is pretty much a caricature of who we really are. You have to make an impression. You must be somewhat exaggerated about your thoughts and opinions. If a bunch of us are in a room discussing a topic and we want to spark debate to get good phone callers, we all can't all say the sky is blue- that just ends the conversation. Somebody has got to say the sky is green, and then the next person has to say the sky is yellow, and so on. That's what makes a great radio conversation.

Dawson: How early do you get up every morning?

Jones: 3:45 AM.

Dawson: When do you sleep?

Jones: I take two four hour naps during the day. It's just great. I get eight hours, just not in a row.

Dawson: Is that really hard to do or is it easy because of what you do?

Jones: It's easy because I love radio so much. I don't care if I have to get up in the middle of the night. I took a pay cut just to follow my career path knowing some day I'd be paid well for what I do, which is how it is now.

Dawson: Do you get noticed in Hoboken when you go out?

Jones: Only because I've lived here for so long. I feel like I've met so many people over the years. Every once in a while someone will come up to me and say they met me at a Z100 appearance or event. Also, I've had a shore house for years…Manasquan…Sea Girt, and now this year I'm graduating to Spring Lake. In addition, The Parker House, Osprey, Leggetts crew is pretty much the same people who live in Hoboken. Hoboken dwellers travel and do things together: the shore, the Hunt, Hoboken St. Patrick's Day, all those street fairs. So you run into the same people. Occasionally someone will say, "I know you from the Z100 website. You look familiar to me." Plus, we talk about Hoboken a lot on the radio, so listeners know that I hang out in those places.

Dawson: Why do you like Hoboken?

Jones: I love Hoboken because I'm from Brooklyn originally and Hoboken is one of those towns that has character. All those brownstones remind me of old school, downtown Brooklyn. It's such a vibrant community. I find myself hanging out more in Hoboken than Jersey City (which is where I live) because Jersey City doesn't have that history or attitude about it. The waterfront in Jersey City is all new construction, while Hoboken has a lot of that exposed brick and hardwood floor thing going on. Of course parking is a bitch in the Boken, but you can't have everything.

Dawson: If you could change anything about Hoboken would that be your number one thing?

Jones: Someone should invent double or triple level parking on the street. I could imagine these state of the art structures like the things they have in garages which raise cars up and pile them on top of one another. If they could have that on the street I think that'd be perfect. The parking situation definitely annoys me more than anything- there's too many cars and not enough street. And oh yeah…I need more parks and recreation. Everybody seems to be overcrowded, laying out on the grass on that pier on 1st Street.

Dawson: What do you think is the best part about Hoboken?

Jones: I like the fact that you can walk up and down Washington Street and pretty much run into everybody you know. Hoboken's got a very neighborhood feel to it. People have a sense of awareness about the community. Also, believe it or not, I think Hoboken is an easy place to meet people if you're single (I never said they were all 'quality' people though.) It's like a living, breathing "myspace dot com". In addition, I like the bars and the restaurants here. I'm a big fan of cuisine and of course I love Manhattan, but the nutty hours I work at the radio station make it much easier for me to get out to eat in Hoboken during the week rather than trek into the city. What's better than The Madison or the roof of City Bistro on a Thursday night? I'm a fan of it all. I like 340 Grill and Lua, too- but sometimes you just wanna slum it up and go to Black Bear for some wings and watch a game- and that's just fine with me.

Dawson: For all your female admirers, are you single?

Jones: I have a girlfriend. I've had a girlfriend for about a year now.

Dawson: What the best kept secret about Hoboken?

Jones: I think a lot of people just walk by Johnny Rockets and never go in but the peanut butter and chocolate shakes they make are all the rage. You haven't lived until you've had one of those.

You can catch Skeary weekday mornings from 6-10 AM on Elvis Duran and the Z-Morning Zoo on Z-100.

Amy Dawson is a former radio personality and frequent contributor to realhoboken.com. Email questions or comments to askibum96@aol.com or discuss the column using the realhoboken.com message forum.

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