(Above: Y&T from the "Summertime Girls" video. Nice shorts.) Got word this evening that Joey Alves, the guitarist for the band Y&T, passed away after a battle with ulcerative colitis. He was 63. It's the second death for the band in the last six months following the passing of drummer Leonard Haze last fall at … Continue reading Rest in peace, Joey Alves: Y&T, “Summertime Girls” (1985)
WXLP
The big on-air farewell: Peter, Paul, and Mary, “Leaving On a Jet Plane” (1969)
(Above: Some of the trucks I've rented over the years.) One of the rarest things in radio is a planned, scheduled last show. I've had more than my share of them, across almost 30 years on the air. Usually, an air personality doesn't get a last show. It can be risky: a story that I … Continue reading The big on-air farewell: Peter, Paul, and Mary, “Leaving On a Jet Plane” (1969)
Gruesome ghouls and grisly ghosts: Henry Mancini, “Experiment in Terror” (1962)
For Halloween, let's do three stories in one. The first has to do with haunted radio stations. I understand that many of you do not believe in ghosts, or a supernatural presence, or what have you. That's fine. Had you worked with me at WXLP in the Quad Cities, you may have an opinion that … Continue reading Gruesome ghouls and grisly ghosts: Henry Mancini, “Experiment in Terror” (1962)
Radio Memories: 97X… Bam! The Future of Rock and Roll (Part 2)
Above: Mixtape, Summer 1991. 25 years ago today - 9/20/1991 - I did my last radio show on 97X in the Quad Cities. The summer of 1991 was a magical time at that station. We were a solid #1 in every demo and every daypart. The Birch ratings for the spring book had the night … Continue reading Radio Memories: 97X… Bam! The Future of Rock and Roll (Part 2)
Radio memories: 97X…Bam! The Future of Rock and Roll, Part 1 (1991)
(Above: Top, Raymond Babbit giving the station ID. Bottom, commemorating the anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley in 1991. L-R: PD Guy Perry, production director Ray Sherman, Len as Elvis, and News Director Katie Cole.) Twenty-five years ago this week I left my job at 97X in the Quad Cities. In a career that … Continue reading Radio memories: 97X…Bam! The Future of Rock and Roll, Part 1 (1991)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 