VOICELESS DJ TAKES TO AIR, FINDS SUPPORT IN LISTENERS.

Byline: Kelly Johnson Eureka Times Standard

When Dan Lawrence underwent surgery to remove his vocal cords in June 1994, he told his surgeon he'd never be able to be a disc jockey.

He was wrong.

"Digital Dan, the DJ with a Chip" made his debut Thursday night on KHUM, a month-old, commercial FM radio station based in this quaint Victorian-era town about 250 miles north of San Francisco. His show is called the Digital Music Zone and features music from the Vietnam era.

It was in Vietnam where Lawrence, a helicopter flight engineer, was exposed to Agent Orange. He and his doctors believe that the exposure caused his cancer and, ultimately, the loss of his voice.

As far as the KHUM staff knows, Lawrence, 45, is the only DJ in America without a voice. He "talks" with a voice synthesizer that articulates words he types into a laptop computer.

Lawrence prepares a script before going on the air live for his two-hour shift each Thursday night. On his debut show, he identified himself - via the synthesized voice in his laptop - as "Digital Dan, the DJ with a Chip" and assured listeners that he is a real person.

"It's my show. This is radio without the rules," he said.

There are songs, for example, by Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. And, he said, "any music that has a memory behind it. Music that does not cause a memory is just noise."

He also wants to discuss veterans' issues on his show, and give listeners an opportunity to talk.

Lawrence had never thought about becoming a DJ. His love was the theater. Until 1992, he was an actor at the Ferndale Repertory Theatre, the North Coast Repertory Theatre and the Pacific Arts Center.

"This was the last thing I ever thought I was going to do, even when I had a voice. I was an actor," he said.

The idea for "Digital Dan" came about one day when Lawrence and the radio staff were sitting around playing with the voice synthesizer. Lawrence has been working at the station since November as a carpenter, computer programmer and handyman.

Unsure of listeners' acceptance of a nonhuman voice, the radio aired an interview with Lawrence and asked listeners for their opinion, said Cliff Berkowitz, KHUM co-general manager and program director.

"The phones went insane," Berkowitz said.

Listeners wanted "Digital Dan."

The on-air gig is a good fit for Lawrence. He has a great passion for and knowledge of music, Berkowitz said.

"I like to listen to music while I work," Lawrence said. "Music takes me to places that you just cannot visit anywhere else. And it helps me to remember the past. Songs and events are tied together."

Lawrence has a collection of more than 700 vinyl albums. Compact discs are a little too expensive for him right now, he said. Since his surgery, he has received only Social Security and veterans' benefits.

Lawrence hopes people won't think he is being exploited.

"This is not exploitation. It's showing the world that anything you try hard enough (at) will work," he said through his computer.

The job also will help him personally. Losing his vocal cords completely changed his life, he said.

"You do not realize just how much of life is dependent on a voice," he said.

"Doing this show is great therapy. It gives me a sense of purpose. Right after the surgery I went into a state of depression because I could not do theater any more. Then when this came along, the depression seems to have left.

"I feel that this is going to show others that anything is possible," he said. "So do not give up on your dreams, for the dreams of today are the realities of tomorrow."

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Photo Radio disc jockey Dan Lawrence "talks" using his laptop computer. Associated Press