R Dub!

Randy Williams was born near Chicago, Illinois, and lived there until he was three when his parents divorced. He moved to Los Angeles, California with his mother, and resided there for the next ten years until she remarried and moved back to Chicago. Williams chose to live with his father in Orlando, Florida for the next three years. During this time he missed the West Coast and grew to despise Orlando. He elaborated, "When you're a kid you think that where you live is like every other place in America."{{cite news|url=https://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/goddamn-that-dj-made-my-day/Content?oid=3898749|last=Levine|first=Joshua|date=24 October 2013|title=Goddamn, That DJ Made My Day!|work=Tucson Weekly|access-date=14 October 2023}} When Williams' mother and stepfather decided to retire to Tucson, Arizona, Williams decided to live with them as a way to get somewhat nearer to California.

Williams' first professional job in radio came when he was 16, when he was hired to work for KXCI in Tucson after having enrolled in a disc jockey class there. He presented a slow jam show called Nyte Flyte once a week. Williams' second job was at KFFN, then-branded as Power 1490. He officially renamed himself R Dub! and premiered the very first edition of Sunday Night Slow Jams (then called Sunday Nite Slow Jams) on 24 July 1994.{{cite news|url=http://fmqb.name/fusion-radio-networks-president-randy-r-dub-williams-2/|last=Burke|first=Bob|date=4 December 2009|title=Fusion Radio Networks President Randy "R Rub!" Williams|work=FMQB|access-date=14 October 2023|archive-date=4 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604165019/http://fmqb.name/fusion-radio-networks-president-randy-r-dub-williams-2/|url-status=dead}} His stage name is a stylised shortening of his initials, R.W.{{cite news|last=Severson|first=Ed|date=27 January 1999|title=DJ rising at night|work=Arizona Daily Star|page=25|via=Newspapers.com}} After Power 1490 changed formats to an alternative rock station, Williams got a job at WKGN in Knoxville, Tennessee, which he described as the "worst six months of [his] life", citing loneliness, unkind coworkers and inadequate pay. Once his lease expired, he was employed at the bilingual KOHT in Tucson.

After six months at KOHT, the station was purchased by Art Laboe. Due to Laboe's unpopular changes, Williams, supported by much of the KOHT staff, launched KSJM, branded Power 97.5, to directly compete with KOHT. Within about nine months, Power 97.5 had surpassed them in ratings. Despite this, Power 97.5 was bought out within a year, and Williams signed on with Tucson's KRQQ.{{cite news|last=Villarreal|first=Phil|date=23 June 2000|title=Dance clubs open doors to youths on summer eves|work=Arizona Daily Star|page=91|via=Newspapers.com}} In 2001, KRQQ's owner, Clear Channel Entertainment, purchased KOHT, and Williams was rehired as program director and afternoon host; Sunday Night Slow Jams also followed. Williams later grew fond of Laboe and described him as a mentor.{{cite news|url=https://news.radio-online.com/articles/n42756/Benztown-Releases-Free-Art-Laboe-Radio-Specials|date=11 October 2022|title=Benztown Releases Free Art Laboe Radio Specials|work=Radio Online|access-date=14 October 2023}}

In 2002, Sunday Night Slow Jams was syndicated in Nogales, Arizona and Tulsa, Oklahoma. That same year, Williams founded Fusion Radio Networks as Sunday Night Slow Jams added several new affiliates over the next few years. By 2005, Sunday Night Slow Jams was syndicated in three countries.{{cite news|last=Mauet|first=Sarah|date=17 February 2005|title=Gettin' down with slow jams|work=Arizona Daily Star|page=52|via=Newspapers.com}} Williams served as program director of several Clear Channel Entertainment-owned radio stations in Tucson until 2007 when he moved to Los Angeles to serve as program director of KRRL (then KHHT-FM) until March 2009 when he commenced a two-year sabbatical and moved to Brazil.{{cite news|last=Gay|first=Gerald M.|date=19 February 2009|title=R Rub keeping it slow|work=Arizona Daily Star|page=C3|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite web|url=https://slowjams.com/about-r-dub/|title=About R Rub!|work=Sunday Night Slow Jams|type=Official website|date=n.d.|access-date=14 October 2023}} In 2011, Williams moved to San Diego, California, where he currently resides, to work as program director of XHRM-FM and XHITZ-FM.

In January 2017, Williams launched Slow Jams 4 Kids in collaboration with the non-profit Water 4 Kids International, with the aim of crowdfunding money to provide children in Africa with water.{{cite news|url=https://radioink.com/2017/01/30/slow-jams-4-kids-help-children-africa/|title=Slow Jams 4 Kids To Help Children In Africa|work=Radio Ink|date=30 January 2017|access-date=14 October 2023}} In February, Williams hosted a Super Bowl promotion for XHITZ called EPIC 48 that included skydiving, a chartered flight to the Super Bowl and a meet-and-greet with Lady Gaga.{{cite news|url=https://eu.lcsun-news.com/story/entertainment/pulse/airwaves/2017/02/16/epic-48-greatest-contest-all-time/97919080/|last=Willis|first=Damien|date=16 February 2017|title=EPIC 48: The greatest contest of all-time|work=Las Cruces Sun-News|access-date=14 October 2023}} A second drive for Slow Jams 4 Africa commenced on 26 January 2018, to provide the village of Aminit in the Bukedea District, Eastern Region in Uganda with a water well.{{cite news|url=https://benztown.com/press/second-annual-slow-jams-for-kids/|title=Second annual Slow Jams for Kids|date=25 January 2018|work=Benztown|access-date=14 October 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://myb106.com/help-r-dub-from-the-slow-jam-show-save-lives/|author=Trey the Choklit Jok|date=25 January 2018|title=Help R Dub (from The Slow Jam Show) Save Lives!|work=KOOC|access-date=14 October 2023}}

{{main|Republic of Slowjamastan}}

Williams serves as the self-proclaimed sultan of his own micronation, the Republic of Slowjamastan, located in Imperial County, Southern California.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/man-creates-own-micronation-in-southern-california-slowjamastan/|last=Radin|first=Danielle|date=5 July 2023|title=Man creates own 'micronation' in Southern California: Slowjamastan|work=CBS News|access-date=14 October 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/slowjamastan-micronation-california-randy-williams-92dd8shnk|last=Southern|first=Keiran|date=16 June 2023|title=Inside Slowjamastan, where a DJ sultan declared independence from US|work=The Times|url-access=subscription|access-date=14 October 2023}} He became inspired to create his own model country after visiting the Republic of Molossia, another micronation in Dayton, Nevada, in August 2021. When he returned from the trip he immediately began working on plans for his own micronation, purchasing an {{convert|11.07|acre|adj=off}} plot of desert land in October for US$19,000. On 1 December, he declared the Republic of Slowjamastan an independent state. Although Slowjamastan has no building structures, it contains a large border sign beside the California State Route 78 highway, a border control post and an open desk that serves as Williams' office.{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/08/travel/slowjamastan-micronation|last=Collett|first=Richard|date=21 June 2023|title=He ran out of countries to visit, so he created his own|work=CNN|access-date=14 October 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://desertsun.com/story/news/2022/02/03/nation-born-slowjamastan-rises-desert-sort/6657185001/|last=Cutchin|first=James B.|date=3 February 2022|title=New micronation 'Slowjamastan' rises from the desert … sort of|work=The Desert Sun|access-date=14 October 2023}} There are plans for expanding the territory.{{cite news|url=https://wgnradio.com/john-landecker/dictator-of-the-republic-of-slowjamastan-sultan-randy-r-dub-williams/|last=Landecker|first=John|author-link=John Landecker|date=June 21, 2023|title=Meet the benevolent dictator of the Republic of Slowjamastan: Sultan Randy 'R Dub!' Williams|work=WGN Radio|access-date=14 October 2023|time=02:40–03:03}}

Williams has represented Slowjamastan at events in the micronational community such as MicroCon.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/23/slowjamastan-micronation-california-desert|last=Ulrich|first=Amanda|date=23 July 2023|title=Welcome to Slowjamastan! The desert micronation with no Crocs and no taxes|work=The Guardian|access-date=14 October 2023}}

Williams is one of at least 250 people to have visited all 193 United Nations member states.{{cite news|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/columnists/story/2023-04-15/san-diegan-visits-every-country-in-the-world|last=Bell|first=Diane|date=15 April 2023|title=San Diegan visits every country in the world|work=San Diego Union-Tribune|access-date=14 October 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/san-diego-man-accomplishes-goal-of-traveling-to-every-country-in-the-world|last=Encinas|first=Ciara|date=17 May 2023|title=San Diego man accomplishes goal of traveling to every country in the world|work=KGTV|access-date=14 October 2023}} He maintains a blog on his travels under the name Ramblin' Randy.{{cite news|url=https://dontstopliving.net/world-travellers-randy-williams-aka-ramblin-randy/|last=Blair|first=Jonny|date=14 August 2017|title=World Travellers: Randy Williams AKA Ramblin' Randy|work=Don't Stop Living|access-date=16 October 2023}} Williams has also visited both United Nations observer states, Palestine and Vatican City, and the partially recognized states of Kosovo, Taiwan, Transnistria, and Western Sahara. Williams visited his final country, Turkmenistan, on 8 May 2023. Turkmenistan had only resumed tourism in March 2023 after the country was closed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/columnists/story/2023-04-15/san-diegan-visits-every-country-in-the-world|last=Bell|first=Diane|date=13 May 2023|title=Column: Visiting every country in the world fails to end wanderlust|work=San Diego Union-Tribune|access-date=14 October 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-centralasia/central-asia-tightens-restrictions-as-coronavirus-spreads-idUSKBN218090|title=Central Asia tightens restrictions as coronavirus spreads|work=Reuters|date=21 March 2020|access-date=14 October 2023}} While he was expecting Turkmenistan to be anti-climactic, he enjoyed it immensely and called it among his "top three trips and countries of [his] entire life".

Inspired by his visit to Brazil, Williams' first goal was to visit all countries in Central and South America, excluding the Caribbean, before he turned 40—which he completed.{{cite news|url=https://globalgaz.com/randy-williams-86-countries-counting/|last=Gazarian|first=Ric|date=20 July 2017|title=Randy Williams – 86 countries … and counting!|work=GlobalGaz|access-date=16 October 2023}} Williams combined vacation time and other paid time off—such as public holidays—to best optimise his travels, which he mapped out on spreadsheets. He once visited 14 countries in Africa within 21-days. Outside of the United States, Williams' longest trip was to Brazil when he moved there for two years, and his shortest time spent was in French Guiana—an overseas department of France—where he had to depart on the same day of his arrival.

Speaking on his travels, Williams appeared in an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show on 1 May 2023, where he stated his favourite food was from Lebanon and that the most hospitable people were from the Philippines.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/national-international/dj-ramblin-randy-has-visited-192-countries-only-1-left-to-go/3219442/|date=1 May 2023|title=DJ Ramblin' Randy Has Visited 192 Countries — Only 1 Left to Go!|work=NBC San Diego|access-date=14 October 2023}}

• Coast to Coast: The Radio DJ’s Syndication How-To Guide. 2009. {{ISBN|978-055-71092-58}}.
• Go Syndicate Yourself!: From Local to National: Six Steps and Countless Secrets to Radio Syndication. 2020. {{ISBN|979-866-69213-57}}.

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Category:American radio personalities

Category:Micronational leaders

Category:People from Chicago