Behind the Mic: Ellis Answers Listener Questions About Faith and Broadcasting
What stations have you worked for? Genres of music?
I have worked at radio stations in Long Island, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Wilmington, Norfolk, Roanoke, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Portland, Rochester, and Orlando. As far as genres, I’ve done Top 40, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Smooth Jazz, Adult Contemporary, Country, Oldies, Alternative, R&B, and all-news.
What led you to Z88.3?
My friend Tyler was working here, and when I got released from the country station, she said I should come over here and work with her. We both thought it would be fun to work together again. So, I talked to the Z, and within weeks, I was here working! Now I’ve been here for 16 years. My dad actually always wanted me to do Christian radio, so when the opportunity presented itself, I was happy to do it.
Why did you choose to go into radio?
Ever since I was a little kid, I loved the radio. My parents gave me a little transistor radio when I was about 10 years old, and I just fell in love with it. I loved being able to hear places that were far away. I loved hearing the personalities on the radio—they felt like they were my friends. It just seemed like something I could do! So, when I was 17, I landed my first part-time job in New York, and I’ve pretty much been going ever since!
How do you sleep? Do you go to bed at 7 p.m. or nap? What time do you get up on the weekends?
I’m normally in bed every night between 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. I don’t nap. I try to just power through the day, but by about 6:30 p.m., I am ready to sleep! Even on the weekends, I’m still up at about 4:00 a.m. most mornings. On weekdays, I’m up by about 2:45 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. So on the weekends, waking up at 4:00 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. is still “sleeping in.”
What’s the biggest surprise most people have when they meet you in person for the first time?
I don’t know that there are really any surprises anymore. Before the days of the internet and social media, people used to be surprised that I was African-American. That would normally shock them for some reason. But that’s pretty much it. Because we get to interact so much on social media now, there aren’t too many big surprises when they meet me for the first time.
What is your life verse?
Yes, I do! Over the years, I’ve had a couple of different ones, but currently, my life verse is Proverbs 3:5:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
– Proverbs 3:5
It seems like there are so many times I want to have the answer. I want to come up with a solution. And I realized, you know what, I don’t have all the answers. So, I’m just leaning on God. I love that verse!
You’ve traveled to so many places. What’s a place that’s still on your bucket list?
Japan! I’ve always wanted to go to Japan, especially Tokyo. I just haven’t had a chance to do it yet. It just seems like such a fascinating place, and I’m going to do it one of these days when I can find the right deal!
How do you find good deals on travel?
One of my biggest secrets (and it’s not really a secret; I’ve mentioned it many times) is a website called Google Flights. On it, you can punch in your home airport, and it will bring up a map of the whole world. You can see how much it’ll cost to fly anywhere over the next six months. It’ll give you the cheapest price during that time. So, I will just always go through that map and discover places that are unusually cheap right now. We went to China a few years ago for $400 round-trip, and I found that deal by looking on the map on Google Flights.
Who do you think you get your sense of humor from?
Definitely my dad! He was a pastor, and everybody has always said I seem so much like him. They even say that I look just like him. So, the apple did not fall far from the tree.
What’s the best job you’ve ever had?
This one right here! I feel like God has brought me through everything I’ve been through and every station I’ve ever worked at to prepare me to be right here at Z88.3. And every day, I look forward to being here, hanging out with Tyler, spending time with you, and playing encouraging music that lifts the name of Jesus Christ.