MEMPHIS, Tennessee —
While the Mid-South reopens, there are still some businesses that are not at full operation. This is the case for many in entertainment where large gatherings are still banned. Our Nextdoor buddies introduced Local 24 News to a local DJ who found another way to get people moving.
"Years ago when I first started DJing, there was nothing in the world like the power of putting the needle on a record and watch people react to that. It's like 'Ahh.' You helped create that," said Robin Knowles, Rockin' Singing Telegrams proprietor and character.
These days with the COVID-19 pandemic, that reaction for Knowles comes at a distance.
"It changed drastically because all the weddings, school dances, and graduations simply cancelled, postponed," said Knowles.
He is turning his tables to singing telegrams.
"I knew we could still approach that in a safe way be it somebody's business on the outside or somebody's residence especially with graduations and birthdays just to cheer people up," said Knowles.
Each character, routine, and celebration is different.
"It's not to embarrass them more than it is to make them feel special that you did that for them," said Knowles. "You never know what people are holding in. Being if it's a St. Jude patient or Le Bonheur or a child at youth villages to come in and do something for somebody that they were not expecting."
Knowles is simply turning the beat around with his many characters like Nerd Elvis.
"If you've got suspicious minds about COVID-19, I do too. You know what I'm saying. The thing of it is, is sometimes you've just got to shake it up," said Knowles.
He said the big bonus in the singing telegram is the smile he puts on faces.
We want to keep those smiles coming, so check in with Local 24 News Reporter, Brittani Moncrease, on Nextdoor.