June 2003 ~ Noah Britt
When most people think about Southern Gospel Music, the first thing that usually comes to mind is their favorite singer or perhaps even their favorite musician, but the truth is that there are many people involved in getting the music to the fans. There are countless people involved with Gospel music ranging from those working in the recording studios, distributing product, song writers, booking agencies, writing and publishing magazines and Gospel newspapers, working at groups offices, driving the buses, and many other jobs. Each of these contributes greatly to keeping the artists on the road today. Another group of people who work full time jobs to bring us the music that we love are the Southern Gospel Disc Jockeys. These men and women often are up and at work well before daylight and work long days, just to bring us music on our drive to work then brighten our day with some good ole Southern Gospel Music.

This month I want to introduce you to a friend of mine that isn't an artist. This will be a first for this article, but since it is titled "Meet My Friends", I wanted to write about a good friend of mine from Southern Gospel Radio. Working throughout the week at WOSM in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, is a young man named Noah Britt. When I first joined the Dixie Echoes, I lived in Franklinton, Louisiana, and I drove back and forth to Pensacola, Florida, every week. The drive would take me three and a half hours one way, and for about two hours of my drive I could pick up WOSM as I crossed the state of Mississippi. I joined the Dixie Echoes in October of 1998 and that same month, Noah began working at WOSM.

Sometimes on the trip, I would call and request different groups, and got to know these folks over the phone. As time passed, I got directions to the station and would stop in on occasion while I was traveling to Florida. The first person at WOSM that I met was Phil Moss. Phil is the operation manager, music director, PSA director, and news director at the station. He has been with WOSM for eight years. Phil has become a good friend of mine and on several occasions has traveled to see the Dixie Echoes when we were in the area. Charles and Margaret Cooper have owned the station since it went on the air. Mississippi Gulf Coast and Mobile, Alabama area residents that listen to WOSM know that the Coopers have a top-notch station. They run a class act and have surrounded themselves with some very talented people. Other dj's at WOSM include Joe LaFrance, Charlie Emerson, and pianist Larry Pyle. Joe LaFrance was the first dj to go on air at WOSM on February 12, 1971. WOSM was the first full time commercial FM Christian radio station in the country, and is still going strong today.

Noah Britt was born on August 29, 1981, and is the oldest son of Martin and Donna Britt. He has two younger sisters, Hope and Katelyn, and one younger brother, Nathan. His hometown is Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Noah and his wife Melissa were married on December 30, 1999, and live in Gautier, Mississippi. They have two sons, Zachary and Jonathan. His uncle Mark led him to the Lord on July 10, 1987, at his Grandmothers House.

Noah's father, Martin Britt, is a preacher and works full time at the Home of Grace for men, which is a Christian alcohol and drug rehabilitation program in Vancleave, Mississippi. Noah attends First Century Christian Fellowship. His hobbies include radio, computers, and geography. Collections include sports cards and old radio equipment. His biggest influence is his boss Mr. Charles Cooper. While at the station, he works as a dj, works the sporting events, sales, works in production, and anything else that needs to be done. He first started working as a dj at an AM station in Pascagoula, MS, when he was thirteen years old. At the young age of seventeen, he was employed full time at WOSM. I asked him how he managed to get a job at a large station like WOSM when he was only seventeen. He told me that he was the announcer at a football game, and the Coopers heard him and realized that he could handle the job. He has been with WOSM for nearly five years now.

In conclusion, if you are ever passing through the Mississippi gulf coast or around Mobile, Alabama, be sure to tune your radio to 103.1 FM WOSM. We have a lot of great Southern Gospel stations across the country, I urge you to find your local Southern Gospel station and keep them tuned in on your radio. In order to help them out, support the advertisers who help the station and thank them for supporting the station. Simply thanking those advertisers is one of the easiest and best ways that you can help a Southern Gospel station! To contact WOSM, write to: WOSM, 4720 Radio Road, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, or you can send email to: wosm@wosmradio.com.