1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,640 Unknown: Announcer, welcome to a podcast about music and 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:11,640 entertainment before it all goes down to disposal. This is 3 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:13,020 circling the drain. 4 00:00:15,540 --> 00:00:18,960 Hey, thanks for coming in to circling the drain, the podcast 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,220 that definitely wants to keep the entertainment and music 6 00:00:22,220 --> 00:00:25,280 business out of the garbage disposal, if you know what I 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,220 mean, we're glad to have you on board, and we want to introduce 8 00:00:28,220 --> 00:00:31,580 ourselves, because I know a few of you, probably quite a number 9 00:00:31,580 --> 00:00:35,000 of you don't know who we are, so I'd like to go around the table 10 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,760 and introduce these fine gentlemen that are doing this 11 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,920 podcast with me. My name is Johnny B by the way over onto my 12 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,760 right is a great, great radio man and 13 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:50,860 even podcaster, yes, and an even nicer guy, yeah, a great guy, 14 00:00:50,860 --> 00:00:52,300 and so humble. 15 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,360 Jay Harper, ladies and gentlemen, Jay, tell a little 16 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,780 bit. You know, you've been in the radio business. You've been 17 00:00:58,780 --> 00:00:59,860 in the music business, 18 00:00:59,860 --> 00:01:04,080 yeah, yeah, I've had I've had fun over the last 40 some odd 19 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:09,000 years. You know, I've been broke over the last 40 some odd years. 20 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,060 But, you know, I think it's the fun that really counts. But 21 00:01:12,060 --> 00:01:17,820 yeah, you know, I found I feel like such a nerd starting out 22 00:01:17,820 --> 00:01:21,500 like this. But yeah, I did start out at a 1000 watt day timer. 23 00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:24,860 You know, radio, like all of us, yeah, like many of us that are 24 00:01:24,980 --> 00:01:28,580 that have a few years on us, but yeah, in high school, in a small 25 00:01:28,580 --> 00:01:33,920 little station, I was 17 years old, 1978 you know, little 26 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,400 station south of New Orleans that no longer exists. Well, New 27 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:39,140 Orleans exists, but the station no 28 00:01:39,380 --> 00:01:42,400 longer exists. Well, there was a point where it looked like New 29 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:43,540 Orleans wasn't going to 30 00:01:43,539 --> 00:01:47,019 exist. Yeah, that is the sad but true. Yeah, but yeah. But over 31 00:01:47,019 --> 00:01:49,719 the years, you know, work radio in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, 32 00:01:49,719 --> 00:01:55,419 Louisiana and but in 85 got an offer to come to Nashville to 33 00:01:55,419 --> 00:01:59,979 work with MCA Records in their Promotion Department. And that 34 00:01:59,979 --> 00:02:03,359 was, that was a kick ass time to be at MCA. Oh, you're not 35 00:02:03,359 --> 00:02:08,279 kidding. He has, you know, well, the great Jimmy Bowen was head 36 00:02:08,279 --> 00:02:11,699 of the label at the time. And what a character I know. We'll, 37 00:02:11,759 --> 00:02:14,819 we'll probably get into some Bowen stories at some point. 38 00:02:15,359 --> 00:02:19,559 But, you know, it was just amazing to, you know, one day 39 00:02:19,559 --> 00:02:25,219 I'm, you know, at a good size station. You know, big, big 40 00:02:25,219 --> 00:02:28,459 fish, little pond kind of thing there in Baton Rouge, with, you 41 00:02:28,459 --> 00:02:32,299 know, with 100,000 watt powerhouse. But to go from a, 42 00:02:33,199 --> 00:02:37,219 you know, radio station in Baton Rouge Louisiana to be sitting in 43 00:02:37,219 --> 00:02:41,499 a meeting a few days later with Jimmy Bowen, who would produce 44 00:02:41,499 --> 00:02:45,579 Sinatra's strangers in the night. And everybody loves 45 00:02:45,579 --> 00:02:49,899 somebody for Dean Martin and Sammy Davis and and, of course, 46 00:02:49,899 --> 00:02:53,439 at that point, you know, he was renowned for kind of 47 00:02:54,159 --> 00:02:58,119 revitalizing Hank Jr, yeah, he did, you know, with family 48 00:02:58,119 --> 00:03:02,519 tradition and produced Haggard's back to the bar rooms album, so 49 00:03:02,519 --> 00:03:05,819 he Waylon, will the wolf survive Absolutely. I was around for 50 00:03:05,819 --> 00:03:09,299 that at MCA, but anyway, just to be in that environment, Tony 51 00:03:09,299 --> 00:03:14,579 brown and then sitting in meeting and working with the 52 00:03:14,579 --> 00:03:18,899 likes of George Strait, Loretta Lynn at that time, Conway 53 00:03:18,899 --> 00:03:23,779 Twitty, Barbara Mandrell, the Oak Ridge Boys, I mean, boy, 54 00:03:23,779 --> 00:03:25,579 talk about culture shock, 55 00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:32,900 and then, and then you move to 99 seven. WTN, next to Dan 56 00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:33,500 mandus, 57 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,580 yeah, the great Weaver. And I know, yeah, Brother, brother, 58 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,980 everybody's Ken's brother. Yeah, they are, yeah, but, but yeah, 59 00:03:41,980 --> 00:03:45,700 you know, hitting, you know, working those, those records and 60 00:03:45,700 --> 00:03:49,000 stuff, getting to be around Steve Earl and Patty loveless 61 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:54,100 and Lyle Lovett when they came up and got to, got to know them 62 00:03:54,100 --> 00:03:58,000 on a more personal level than a Conway Twitty, you know, but, 63 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,040 and getting to work with Glen Campbell and Roger Miller, who 64 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:05,400 were idols of mine when I was little, especially Campbell and 65 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:10,680 Roger Miller, just some really, really fun stuff, but, but 66 00:04:10,860 --> 00:04:15,000 eventually I produce concerts at fairs and festivals around the 67 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:19,320 country. And man, you know, the the song I've been everywhere I 68 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:23,660 could sing. Well, you don't want me to sing it, but I could. I 69 00:04:23,660 --> 00:04:27,740 can relate to that song, you know, because, boy, I feel like 70 00:04:27,740 --> 00:04:30,620 I did go everywhere, producing concerts again, at fairs and 71 00:04:30,620 --> 00:04:34,580 festivals, primarily country concerts. Yeah, and did that for 72 00:04:34,580 --> 00:04:39,020 about four or five years, but have always had radio, whether 73 00:04:39,020 --> 00:04:42,820 it be full time or part time, kind of in, lurking in the 74 00:04:42,820 --> 00:04:47,380 background, you know, yes, lived in Charleston, South Carolina, 75 00:04:47,380 --> 00:04:51,040 work radio there. Work radio in Columbia, work radio outside 76 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,820 Kansas City. So, you know, I bounced around a little bit, but 77 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,000 always kind of wanted to make our way back to Nashville. I 78 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:02,280 mean, I met my wife here. My kids were. Born here. So it is 79 00:05:02,280 --> 00:05:05,340 home in many ways. So had an opportunity to come back to 80 00:05:05,340 --> 00:05:11,580 town, and that's where, yes, I got to run into and for the last 81 00:05:11,580 --> 00:05:16,140 few years get to know and find myself now sitting here with the 82 00:05:16,140 --> 00:05:21,440 great Johnny B Wow, man. You know every Jimmy Bowen, who, 83 00:05:21,500 --> 00:05:27,740 yes, exactly, you know? Jimmy B, No, I'm talking Johnny. B, so 84 00:05:27,740 --> 00:05:31,760 yes, all of the stuff I've done over the last 47 years was all 85 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:37,400 meant to circle the drain, circle back here, right, baby, 86 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:37,520 to 87 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,660 sit with you. Johnny. B, well, I'm thankful for you are my 88 00:05:40,660 --> 00:05:40,960 friend. 89 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,780 Yeah, well, man, it's cool. You know, seriously, you know, we've 90 00:05:43,780 --> 00:05:47,260 known each other a few years now, yes, and I thought I feel 91 00:05:47,260 --> 00:05:51,940 like, you know we you're such an easy guy to to like, believe me, 92 00:05:52,060 --> 00:05:53,080 but you 93 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:54,520 know, that's not what my ex wife, 94 00:05:56,980 --> 00:06:01,560 but you know, as I, you know, started working over at cumulus 95 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:06,300 and working at Ws, MFM and 99 seven and getting to work with 96 00:06:06,300 --> 00:06:10,080 you, and Dan man does, who seriously, is just such a such a 97 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:15,360 superhuman what a good dude. But, you know, it just an 98 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:19,620 immediate rapport with you, I felt like and we did. It's, you 99 00:06:19,620 --> 00:06:22,340 know, it's been great, and I'm appreciative and happy to be 100 00:06:22,340 --> 00:06:23,000 sitting here with 101 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,180 you, man. Well, we kind of came up with this idea at lunch one 102 00:06:26,180 --> 00:06:30,440 day. We just happened to Jay invited me out to lunch, and we 103 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:35,540 had tried this before, and with Campbell, Valentine and 104 00:06:35,540 --> 00:06:40,780 Campbell, and our schedule just couldn't mesh up, so we couldn't 105 00:06:40,780 --> 00:06:44,260 make it happen, and I was trying to think of somebody to do it 106 00:06:44,260 --> 00:06:47,740 with, and Jay just happened to have lunch with me. And really, 107 00:06:47,740 --> 00:06:50,560 the man that kind of got this all underway, and he is also 108 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:54,520 part of this, is Jim McCarthy. And Jim, a lot of people know 109 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:59,800 who you are, I don't know not like you, but we would like to 110 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:01,500 know more about you? Well, my 111 00:07:01,500 --> 00:07:05,700 name is Jim McCarthy, and I produce podcasts. Yes, there is 112 00:07:05,700 --> 00:07:06,120 more 113 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,000 witness protection program 114 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,140 if you're gonna, if you're averse to radio voices, man, 115 00:07:13,140 --> 00:07:14,340 this is not the show for you 116 00:07:15,780 --> 00:07:18,720 guys who speak like we're constantly on Yeah, 117 00:07:19,980 --> 00:07:21,740 sad but true. Yes, it 118 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,820 is Mommy. I started out at a at the home of rock and roll. I 95 119 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:28,940 and Dan Murray Connecticut, and, you know, former radio guy 120 00:07:28,940 --> 00:07:33,140 myself. And yeah, you know, I, you know, the money wasn't 121 00:07:33,140 --> 00:07:36,020 there, but you know, they paid us in experiences. That's true. 122 00:07:36,020 --> 00:07:38,000 The guys who made the money and the people who made the money 123 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:39,980 over those years don't have the experiences that 124 00:07:39,980 --> 00:07:43,540 we have. That's true. And with, he used to pay us with, with 125 00:07:43,540 --> 00:07:46,240 concert tickets, concert tickets. Now that doesn't happen 126 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,000 anymore, no, yeah. Or, you know, he had some trade out 127 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,560 That's right, yeah, $10 off on a haircut, yeah, anything like 128 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:56,200 that, yeah, just really life changing 129 00:07:57,700 --> 00:08:00,840 freebies, yeah? Or free drinks sometimes at clubs, you know? 130 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:01,560 Yeah, yeah, cuz 131 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:05,340 I did that too. Man, spinning records in the nightclubs. At 132 00:08:05,340 --> 00:08:08,160 the end of the night, I look over behind me and there'd be 133 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:13,200 like, 50 bourbon and coat glasses. Oh, yeah. Like, gee, I 134 00:08:13,500 --> 00:08:16,020 Yeah. People wonder why. They always go, Johnny, how did you 135 00:08:16,020 --> 00:08:19,440 get, you know what? Why did you get so hung up on alcohol and 136 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,520 all those other things? Well, because people were giving it to 137 00:08:22,700 --> 00:08:24,380 exactly, and it didn't cost me 138 00:08:24,380 --> 00:08:26,840 anything. It's like you guys were, you guys were in radio, 139 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,380 and it was a lot of fun. Yeah, it was, I got into radio and it 140 00:08:30,380 --> 00:08:32,840 stopped, kind of like it was still fun for me, don't get me 141 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,420 wrong, but probably not as fun as what you guys 142 00:08:35,419 --> 00:08:38,659 had. Yeah, well, I was in radio. Well, I got started in radio. 143 00:08:38,659 --> 00:08:43,359 One fact, to introduce myself to folks. I actually grew up in 144 00:08:43,359 --> 00:08:49,059 radio. My father owned country stations in the Midwest, and he 145 00:08:49,059 --> 00:08:54,519 also was very good friend. In fact, he came up in Alabama with 146 00:08:54,699 --> 00:08:57,999 Hank Williams. He used to do shows with Hank Williams, yeah, 147 00:08:58,299 --> 00:09:02,159 and Audrey Williams. And in fact, my mother and my father 148 00:09:02,459 --> 00:09:06,839 both sang, and mother wouldn't want to hang out with Hank and 149 00:09:06,839 --> 00:09:10,319 Audrey because they she thought they were creepy. Was what was 150 00:09:10,319 --> 00:09:14,579 dad's story. But I got started in radio, working at dad's 151 00:09:14,579 --> 00:09:19,559 station, working nine at night till six in the morning. Mercy, 152 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:25,399 that was a nine hour shift, nine hour shift, and I hate to say 153 00:09:25,399 --> 00:09:31,519 but that that's when I started getting amphetamines, you know, 154 00:09:31,519 --> 00:09:34,579 because it would help me stay up. Because, yeah, I was having 155 00:09:34,579 --> 00:09:38,959 a heck of a time staying awake. But anyway, grew up in a 156 00:09:38,959 --> 00:09:43,479 household. We had Jimmy Dean and Roy Clark were a lot, a lot of 157 00:09:43,479 --> 00:09:48,219 times a guest at the house. It was very interesting, because 158 00:09:48,219 --> 00:09:52,119 Roy was a lot of fun to have around the house, and for 159 00:09:52,119 --> 00:09:57,159 especially kids. Roy knew how to entertain kids, and I really dug 160 00:09:57,159 --> 00:10:01,139 Roy. Jimmy was a little more. Yeah, he was more for the 161 00:10:01,139 --> 00:10:05,219 adults, but he did something hilarious. I've got to share is 162 00:10:05,219 --> 00:10:09,359 Jimmy Dean. One time he was the for those that don't know. Jimmy 163 00:10:09,359 --> 00:10:13,199 Dean used to have, like, an ABC television program. He was one 164 00:10:13,199 --> 00:10:16,919 of the first, I think, country guys to have, and the Muppets 165 00:10:16,919 --> 00:10:20,399 were, yes, that's where you had Ralph start. Yeah, Ralph the 166 00:10:20,759 --> 00:10:25,519 dog, right, right? So anyway, Jimmy would stay at the house. 167 00:10:26,119 --> 00:10:28,879 Now, our neighbors didn't like us, because they call us 168 00:10:28,999 --> 00:10:31,099 hillbillies. You know, we don't want to hang out with those 169 00:10:31,099 --> 00:10:34,819 hillbillies over there, right? But when Jimmy would come visit, 170 00:10:34,819 --> 00:10:38,959 all of a sudden, like neighbors would come and bring pies and be 171 00:10:38,959 --> 00:10:42,159 looking over my because my mother was like 411 and they'd 172 00:10:42,159 --> 00:10:45,219 be looking over her to see if they could get a glimpse of 173 00:10:45,219 --> 00:10:51,399 Jimmy. But they never knew Jimmy Dean got on my dad's my dad's 174 00:10:51,399 --> 00:10:56,139 Cub Cadet, wearing his swimming trunks, and my mother's swimming 175 00:10:56,199 --> 00:11:01,139 like a shower hat she had. He just covered himself in that and 176 00:11:01,139 --> 00:11:06,839 he mowed our grass, and he later sent my dad a bill for $10,000 177 00:11:09,060 --> 00:11:10,620 for lawn care. 178 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:16,560 You just got to ask. But anyway, I could say is no, 179 00:11:16,860 --> 00:11:20,100 I worked there at Wichita for many years, then moved to 180 00:11:20,220 --> 00:11:27,800 Nashville in 1977 and worked a lot in country radio, then moved 181 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:34,220 on to moved on to contemporary hit radio, where you have a lot 182 00:11:34,220 --> 00:11:38,240 of Michael Bolton and Mariah Carey, and that's where I first 183 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:42,760 met Phil Valentine, who A lot of people know as a talk show host 184 00:11:43,420 --> 00:11:49,180 that used to be on W, L, A, C, AM, and also 99 7w, T, n. I 185 00:11:49,180 --> 00:11:54,760 worked with Phil for many years, and also Dan mandus after Phil 186 00:11:54,760 --> 00:12:00,300 passed, and that was a couple of years there, but I would like to 187 00:12:00,300 --> 00:12:04,380 dedicate this, this episode to Phil Valentine. Because if it 188 00:12:04,380 --> 00:12:07,920 weren't for Phil Valentine, all of us would have never probably 189 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,500 met. And when you come down to it, 190 00:12:10,500 --> 00:12:13,620 right, right? And you know, I never got to meet Phil. You 191 00:12:13,620 --> 00:12:16,920 know, when I first moved to Nashville in 85 I heard him on 192 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:20,960 on the music radio, yeah, W, L, A, C, Lac, yeah. But, you know, 193 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:26,900 it just goes to show a man I never met, sadly, still still 194 00:12:26,900 --> 00:12:29,660 having influences on people's lives, because just what you 195 00:12:29,660 --> 00:12:33,200 said is very true. You know, if it weren't for him, you and I 196 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,160 would not be, not be sitting here, not being I did not know 197 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:37,460 that 198 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,560 about you. You haven't met him. No, he'd never know. I never met 199 00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:47,860 Phil, no, because I came aboard 99 seven, you know, in a in a 200 00:12:47,860 --> 00:12:52,480 part time capacity right after Phil passed. So, yeah, I never 201 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:53,800 got the chance to meet him. 202 00:12:54,100 --> 00:12:57,880 Well, and it's interesting, because this brings the subject 203 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,960 that we wanted to talk about today with, because this is all 204 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,660 about entertainment. I mean, that's what we're talking about. 205 00:13:03,900 --> 00:13:12,600 And when Phil Valentine passed, I was really blown away by how 206 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:16,140 many people were coming up to me. And I'm not just talking 207 00:13:16,140 --> 00:13:18,960 about at station events. I'm talking about going to the 208 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:23,480 grocery store or anywhere else, people that had never met him. 209 00:13:25,220 --> 00:13:28,940 And I can't tell you how many tears are probably on my, you 210 00:13:28,940 --> 00:13:34,580 know, clothes from people that just missed him. They were 211 00:13:34,940 --> 00:13:38,360 hugging me, they said, but we miss him so much. And I mean, 212 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:43,120 I'm talking about men too, grown men crying. And it really got to 213 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:47,800 me. I was thinking about how people affect our lives that are 214 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:52,360 in the entertainment industry. When they pass, even if we don't 215 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:57,880 know them, it really affects us, like Elvis. I remember when 216 00:13:57,880 --> 00:13:58,600 Elvis passed. 217 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,520 Oh, me too. I was a kid. It was one of those, you know, do you 218 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:06,780 remember where you were moments Exactly? Yeah, yeah. I was, I 219 00:14:06,780 --> 00:14:10,440 was working as a bell hop. I was 16 years old, you know, August 220 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:15,960 of 77 and I was working as a bellhop at a hotel in the French 221 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:19,020 Quarter, New Orleans. Wow. And there's some stories there. 222 00:14:19,020 --> 00:14:26,180 Yeah. I can remember. The the black folks that worked at the 223 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:30,320 at the hotel, in the kitchen, one of the waiters came running 224 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:36,320 in crying, oh yeah, man, Elvis. Did you hear Elvis died? Elvis 225 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:38,540 died. They were, everybody was shocked, 226 00:14:38,540 --> 00:14:43,060 right? You know, oh they were, I mean, it was just mind numbing. 227 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:47,680 And you know, when you talk about Elvis, in fact, I have a 228 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:53,680 great story about my father's station, which was country 229 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:58,540 music, but it was after Elvis passed and the station was going 230 00:14:58,540 --> 00:15:07,320 to do you. Moment of silence for Elvis and dad's setup was kind 231 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,200 of weird, because the the transmitter building was in the 232 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:14,040 north part of Kansas, and there was a guy there that an 233 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:18,840 engineer, that all he did, his whole job was to stay there, and 234 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:26,120 if there was ever any dead air to hit a record. And so they 235 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:28,460 were going to do this. They were going to do this moment of 236 00:15:28,460 --> 00:15:32,780 silence for Elvis, and all of a sudden they start the silence. 237 00:15:32,780 --> 00:15:37,460 And there's probably about 10 seconds of silence. They have 238 00:15:37,460 --> 00:15:42,160 off air alarms. All of a sudden you hear a bluegrass song. 239 00:15:49,300 --> 00:15:53,620 Everybody was upset with old gene that he was the, he was the 240 00:15:53,620 --> 00:15:55,960 engineer up there. But I thought, you know, Elvis would 241 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,780 have dug that. Yeah, he would have thought it was hilarious. 242 00:15:58,780 --> 00:16:02,700 But, you know, Elvis was huge. Another huge one was John Lennon 243 00:16:02,940 --> 00:16:05,100 of The Beatles. That was shocking, 244 00:16:05,099 --> 00:16:10,139 yeah, again, the the immediacy, the just the shocking nature of 245 00:16:10,139 --> 00:16:13,379 that you're you're absolutely right. You know when you and I 246 00:16:13,379 --> 00:16:16,919 talked? I mean, it was about around the same time I was 247 00:16:16,919 --> 00:16:20,959 working radio. I was on the air that morning when we got the 248 00:16:20,959 --> 00:16:24,919 word in December of 82 I'm thinking it was like December 9, 249 00:16:25,159 --> 00:16:30,979 eighth or ninth of 82 when Marty Robbins passed, yes, and even 250 00:16:30,979 --> 00:16:34,339 though he had had some pretty well known health issues, he had 251 00:16:34,339 --> 00:16:39,499 heart problems as a young man. But still, I remember grown men 252 00:16:39,499 --> 00:16:42,819 calling the radio station requesting Marty Robbins in 253 00:16:42,819 --> 00:16:47,619 tears. Oh, yeah, you know, so the impact that that these, 254 00:16:47,859 --> 00:16:51,219 these celebrities have on people's lives, as you say, as 255 00:16:51,219 --> 00:16:54,339 you state, is just it's hard to measure, you know, 256 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:55,540 well, and 257 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:00,780 it made me really wonder too, it really happened with Johnny 258 00:17:00,780 --> 00:17:06,480 Cash? When Johnny Cash passed, because I was guest hosting for 259 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:11,340 Phil on WAC, and we were trying to we were going to do like 260 00:17:11,340 --> 00:17:15,120 there was like we usually do in talk radio. There's all kinds of 261 00:17:15,120 --> 00:17:17,880 political subjects we wanted to talk about, but all people 262 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,960 wanted to talk about was Johnny Cash, how he affected their 263 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:28,160 lives. And why do you think people get so involved with 264 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:32,840 like, these people's lives, like they, they is it just, do you 265 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:37,340 think it's, it's just like a part of their past is gone? Or 266 00:17:37,340 --> 00:17:39,980 do they you think they really have a they feel like they have 267 00:17:39,980 --> 00:17:41,500 a relationship? And I think 268 00:17:41,500 --> 00:17:46,180 it could be a bit of both, Johnny, you know, especially for 269 00:17:46,180 --> 00:17:51,400 musicians, because music has just such an impact on people's 270 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:55,780 emotions Exactly. You know, songs that bring up memories, 271 00:17:55,780 --> 00:17:59,200 or, you know, you remember where you were in your life when that 272 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:04,560 song was popular, or that artist just really touched a nerve with 273 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:10,500 you, or maybe a family member really loved an artist, yes, and 274 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:15,120 so that artist brings back great memories of your mom or your 275 00:18:15,120 --> 00:18:20,960 dad, because that artist was so special to them. For me, for 276 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:26,540 example, Merle Haggard is still my guy in his prime and country. 277 00:18:26,540 --> 00:18:30,020 Nobody wrote him and sang him any better than the hag. And my 278 00:18:30,020 --> 00:18:34,880 first real concert experience just me and my dad and I'm going 279 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:38,660 to get Misty here was seeing Merle Haggard in concert New 280 00:18:38,660 --> 00:18:44,140 Orleans Municipal Auditorium, 1972 and I remember there was 281 00:18:44,140 --> 00:18:48,520 like flooding in the area that night, yeah, and I remember our 282 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:51,760 car on the way to the concert. Our car got lifted up in the 283 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:56,080 flood and started floating. But anyway, we got to the show and 284 00:18:56,080 --> 00:19:00,120 even, and what's cool about that concert is it was recorded as an 285 00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:05,640 album I love Dixie blues is the name of that album, and it was 286 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:09,420 recorded live in New Orleans. And my my dad and I were there, 287 00:19:09,420 --> 00:19:12,660 and I have that album, of course. So, you know, playing 288 00:19:12,660 --> 00:19:17,580 that album, man takes me back, 12 years old, you know. But even 289 00:19:17,580 --> 00:19:20,960 the even haggard, made a comment about water dripping on his 290 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:25,220 microphone because there was a leak in the in the ceiling there 291 00:19:25,220 --> 00:19:28,940 at the Municipal Auditorium. But you know, so anyway, you know 292 00:19:28,940 --> 00:19:31,880 Merle Haggard, there's a special kind of relationship. That was 293 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:36,320 my dad's guy and it became my guy. But anyway, to just kind of 294 00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:39,440 answer your question, yeah, I think people just get 295 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:44,440 emotionally involved, especially with musicians and with certain 296 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,380 actors and other celebrities. Oh, sure, you know, Robin 297 00:19:47,380 --> 00:19:52,480 Williams, you know the way he passed was so sad. Oh, it was 298 00:19:53,140 --> 00:19:55,840 sad. And you know, you hear all these wonderful stories about 299 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:59,920 just what a good human he was, you know, just a really good. 300 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:05,700 Warm guy. So, yeah, I think that people can just relate, because 301 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:09,060 they just strike certain celebrities anyway, just strike 302 00:20:09,060 --> 00:20:10,380 emotions in people. 303 00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:14,580 Well, that's very true. I think because my guy was Waylon Jim, 304 00:20:14,580 --> 00:20:16,440 yeah, yeah, he was the whole reason I came to 305 00:20:16,439 --> 00:20:19,259 Nashville, yeah, you know, and I got to work with him a bit, and 306 00:20:19,499 --> 00:20:20,479 interesting dude, I 307 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:24,440 bet, yeah, he was interesting. But I remember when he passed. 308 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,820 It was real strange, because we were doing doing our show, and 309 00:20:28,820 --> 00:20:31,340 somebody from waylands family, they wouldn't identify 310 00:20:31,340 --> 00:20:36,920 themselves, but they called me on February 13, yeah, 2002 and 311 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:41,920 they they said that we wanted to see if you knew that Wayland had 312 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:46,360 passed. And I said, No, I did not know. And it hit me like I 313 00:20:46,360 --> 00:20:50,320 couldn't believe the loss I felt. Yeah, because and you're 314 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:53,980 right. Waylon Jennings, if it hadn't been for Waylon Jennings, 315 00:20:53,980 --> 00:20:58,420 my father and I probably would have never gotten as close, 316 00:20:59,020 --> 00:21:02,100 because I remember the first time I ever had a Waylon 317 00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:07,080 Jennings, because I before then I was deep purple, Jimi Hendrix. 318 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,560 I was all into rock and roll, and all of a sudden I'm playing, 319 00:21:11,100 --> 00:21:15,840 I think it was this time album. And dad burst into my room and 320 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:19,560 he said, Are you liking this? And I said, Oh, dig him. I said, 321 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:25,940 I think he's really good. Yes, I was probably, I would think I 322 00:21:25,940 --> 00:21:30,140 was 15 at the time. Oh, wow. Yeah, that's cool. 15 years old, 323 00:21:30,140 --> 00:21:32,420 because everything else, you know, he would hear me playing 324 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:36,920 Hendrix, and he would go, you know, son, he's hearing things 325 00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:39,800 you nobody else can hear. And I'm going, Well, Dad, I can hear 326 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:43,840 it. He didn't like that answer, but, but Waylon, Jennings, 327 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:48,280 Johnny, in fact, when dad passed, it was really I was very 328 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:53,080 gifted. I was given a great gift from God with my father passing. 329 00:21:53,980 --> 00:21:58,240 And it's strange to say that, but my dad was visiting 330 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:04,080 Nashville, and we had a moment alone for just a few minutes, 331 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:09,300 and we talked very deeply about our radio careers, and he told 332 00:22:09,300 --> 00:22:12,000 me he was proud of me and all that. And I told him I was proud 333 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:16,200 of him, but he asked me, he said, Do you miss Waylon and 334 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:20,840 Johnny catch said, Oh, yeah. World's just not the same 335 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:25,220 without those guys in it. He said, Son, it's very important 336 00:22:25,940 --> 00:22:29,840 that you live life and and appreciate all the simple 337 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,600 things. Because he said, that proves to you, right there, you 338 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:36,200 never know when your time is going to come. And it was only 339 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:40,100 10 minutes later that he went, Oh, wow. Massive heart attack. 340 00:22:40,820 --> 00:22:44,680 Oh my god. So that was a great that was a great moment and a 341 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:47,980 great life lesson. But you're right, it's all about, well, 342 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:52,180 like you and I, we were very affected by the death of Eddie 343 00:22:52,180 --> 00:22:55,720 Van Halen. Oh yeah, I remember that day vividly. 344 00:22:55,780 --> 00:22:59,140 I mean, I have actually talking about, where were you? When? 345 00:22:59,140 --> 00:23:03,900 Types of stories. You know that year 2020, was a tumultuous year 346 00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:09,480 for a lot of people. Neil Peart passed in January of that year, 347 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:13,080 great drummer, and I was in the midst of recording the rich 348 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,540 Redmond show. Rich Redmond show.com go check it out. 349 00:23:16,140 --> 00:23:20,060 Cheap plug, and got to do it whenever you can. My friend, I 350 00:23:20,060 --> 00:23:23,420 was acting producer as well as co host on that show. Rich was 351 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:27,380 main host, interviewing one of the guests, another guest, 352 00:23:27,380 --> 00:23:30,380 another drummer, who was very influenced by Neil, and I was 353 00:23:30,380 --> 00:23:32,900 just, you know, researching stuff on the computer like I 354 00:23:32,900 --> 00:23:35,480 did, and that's when I found out. You actually, could 355 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,600 actually see my visceral reaction of me finding out on 356 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:42,760 camera, when I found out that he died, man, and that's, that's, 357 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:46,360 I'm like, I don't know if I'm great. I could maybe I am 358 00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:49,120 grateful for that. But then, you know, yeah, back in October 359 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:52,360 comes and Eddie dies, and it's like crying out loud, man, these 360 00:23:52,360 --> 00:23:53,440 are two big heroes in my 361 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,080 life. Oh, you're not kidding. Well, then I was talking about 362 00:23:56,080 --> 00:24:01,740 Waylon Jennings, you know that whole from 2002 to 2003 I lost a 363 00:24:01,740 --> 00:24:05,820 lot of country heroes. I lost, you know, we lost Wayland. We 364 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:10,140 lost Johnny paycheck, yeah. Lost Johnny under appreciated, John, 365 00:24:10,140 --> 00:24:13,620 yeah, Johnny paycheck was under appreciate, yeah. He was a wild 366 00:24:13,620 --> 00:24:15,120 and crazy guy, yeah. 367 00:24:15,180 --> 00:24:18,660 But you know, when that whole Hank Williams, well, that whole 368 00:24:18,660 --> 00:24:23,060 outlaw period of country, right? You know all you hear, and 369 00:24:23,060 --> 00:24:26,480 deservedly so is Waylon and Willie Tom, Paul and the Glazer 370 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,260 brothers, Jesse Coulter, David Allen, CO, CO, yeah, but 371 00:24:30,260 --> 00:24:33,260 paycheck, man. I mean, he seems to be forgotten in that 372 00:24:33,260 --> 00:24:36,920 discussion. He shouldn't be great talent. He had some great 373 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:41,020 stuff, oh yeah, and great story. I played a few shows with him, 374 00:24:41,020 --> 00:24:43,540 and we'll have to talk about that some other time. 375 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:46,540 You talk about an interesting guy, 376 00:24:46,540 --> 00:24:49,600 but you know, you talk about, you know, your father asking 377 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:53,680 you, do you miss Waylon and Johnny Cash? And we can say, 378 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:58,360 Yes, we do. But the cool thing is, they're still there. We can 379 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:03,840 play their music. Yeah. And you know, when it comes to, you 380 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:06,960 know, we've lost our maybe you have recording maybe you have 381 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:09,120 some old air checks of your dad. I don't 382 00:25:09,120 --> 00:25:12,420 know, my dad made records. Yeah, my mother made records too. 383 00:25:12,420 --> 00:25:14,400 Yeah. They live on through 384 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,400 Okay, yeah. But you know, so many fans, we don't have that 385 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,840 now, you know I don't have, you know, my dad passed in 2011 386 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,560 Yeah, you know, I don't, all I have are photographs, you know, 387 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:27,860 and I'm thankful for that. But you know, there's something 388 00:25:27,860 --> 00:25:32,960 about hearing the voice, yeah, that really, really connects 389 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,960 with you. How was, how old was your dad? Jake, oh, mercy. He 390 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:40,520 was 77 and he just, he collapsed, pulmonary embolism. 391 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:42,100 Just, he was there, then he wasn't. 392 00:25:42,100 --> 00:25:45,400 Yep, that's way my father, Johnny, what about yours? He was 393 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:49,420 80, okay. And my mother life lived? Yeah, my mother was 394 00:25:49,420 --> 00:25:56,260 different. She died. I was just a few weeks of turning 16, and 395 00:25:56,260 --> 00:26:00,600 she was actually on Decker records, Oh, yeah. And she had a 396 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:06,120 few top 10 hits, but Dad got jealous. Dad was kind of weird 397 00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:09,300 because he didn't like he didn't like anybody else in the family, 398 00:26:09,900 --> 00:26:13,080 you know, having any kind of notoriety 399 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,120 or so, what name did your mom record under 400 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:18,600 Jeannie Pearson? And you can look it up on YouTube. Yeah, 401 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,620 have a few of her I wanted to do that. Yeah, they have a few of 402 00:26:21,620 --> 00:26:25,580 her records on there, but yeah, and Gary Stewart was another one 403 00:26:25,580 --> 00:26:29,000 that I loved, good writer, and he committed suicide, 404 00:26:29,060 --> 00:26:30,800 right? 2003 you know, 405 00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:36,200 you know, Farron young also, oh, yeah, you know, committed 406 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:40,660 suicide. And, you know, I had an interaction with him that we can 407 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:42,520 discuss one day, but 408 00:26:42,879 --> 00:26:46,539 let's discuss it now. I mean, Farron young. I used to hang out 409 00:26:46,539 --> 00:26:52,059 with him, actually, at the Hall of Fame Motor Inn. It used to 410 00:26:52,059 --> 00:26:55,479 that's what he called, right? And he would go down there, and 411 00:26:55,779 --> 00:26:59,319 I used to go there at the same time to drink, have a little 412 00:26:59,319 --> 00:27:04,559 drink in the afternoon, and he and I would start talking, I 413 00:27:04,559 --> 00:27:08,039 don't know he, I don't think he knew my name or anything, yeah, 414 00:27:08,039 --> 00:27:11,819 but, and I did know my father, I did talk about these, oh yeah, I 415 00:27:11,819 --> 00:27:16,559 know that's cool. But anyway, it was really funny because he 416 00:27:16,559 --> 00:27:19,979 started in on Wayland that, you know, waylons all screwed up on 417 00:27:19,979 --> 00:27:25,159 this cocaine, and, you know, he's gone broke. He was, I said, 418 00:27:25,159 --> 00:27:30,679 Well, Farron, what's in your glass there? He said, Coca Cola. 419 00:27:30,679 --> 00:27:33,259 And I said, Well, let me have a he said, you're not touching. 420 00:27:34,940 --> 00:27:37,340 He was a funny guy. I really did like him, 421 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:41,860 yeah, and people forget that. You know, certainly later 422 00:27:41,860 --> 00:27:46,240 generations. I'm sure many people watching this maybe have 423 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:49,960 no idea who Farron Young was, but, you know, there was a time 424 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,080 when that dude was, he was on top of the world, man, oh yeah, 425 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:56,560 he was a superstar. He was the singing sheriff. You know, he 426 00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:00,300 was in movies out in LA had his own talk show. You know, a nice 427 00:28:00,300 --> 00:28:04,980 looking guy could sing his butt off. Back in my concert 428 00:28:04,980 --> 00:28:09,360 production days, I had produced a show. It was a festival in the 429 00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:15,960 Quad Cities. Was it like Rock Island, Moline, Davenport and 430 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:19,320 Silvis, Illinois? You know where Illinois and Iowa meet? There 431 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:23,360 any Quad Cities? But there was a big festival there, and Farron 432 00:28:23,360 --> 00:28:26,120 Young was one of the acts. There were several acts on the bill 433 00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:29,540 there. And, you know, was in the heat of the summer. It's 1000 434 00:28:30,140 --> 00:28:34,760 degrees, and Farron Young is, you know, they had a big it was 435 00:28:34,820 --> 00:28:41,020 literally a tractor trailer bed, you know, as a stage, yeah, you 436 00:28:41,020 --> 00:28:44,140 know, like they would do with those fast Country Music Days, 437 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:47,080 but it was good science and stuff. Lee Greenwood was the 438 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:49,960 headliner for that. That's what everybody was waving on. But 439 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:53,860 yeah, Farron young got out there three piece suit. I'll never 440 00:28:53,860 --> 00:28:57,760 forget. It was a three piece blue suit, you know, with a tie 441 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:01,140 and all this again, 1000 degrees. And Farron young 442 00:29:01,140 --> 00:29:04,560 sounded wonderful. I mean, he got out there and sang his ass. 443 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:07,320 He was fantastic. Oh, great, great. And, you know, half the 444 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:10,740 crowd is not paying any attention to the guy. Anyway, 445 00:29:10,740 --> 00:29:14,100 later that evening, I was having dinner. It was like one in the 446 00:29:14,100 --> 00:29:16,380 morning. I think it was at a Denny's 447 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,480 that had a bar, which is that was like, wow, 448 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:23,540 that's a nice Denny. We've gone, 449 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:28,520 we've gone to heaven a Denny's with a bar. But anyway, a friend 450 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:31,340 of mine that was there with the show. Anyway, we went and had 451 00:29:31,340 --> 00:29:35,120 dinner, and I saw Farron young sitting in the corner by himself 452 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:39,560 eating. And as we got up to leave, I go up and I say, you 453 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:42,340 know, hey, Mr. Farron, you know, saw you at your show. Gosh, you 454 00:29:42,340 --> 00:29:45,760 know, you sound wonderful. It was great to see you. And he 455 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:49,480 started tearing up. Oh, wow. And he's like, Thank you, you know, 456 00:29:49,540 --> 00:29:52,480 thank you so much. You don't know how much I appreciate that, 457 00:29:53,380 --> 00:29:57,220 you know. And that has always just kind of struck me, you 458 00:29:57,220 --> 00:30:00,480 know. And it really wasn't that much later, when. The when the 459 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:01,440 poor man committed 460 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:04,380 suicide? Well, yeah, everything was kind of crumbling, yeah, 461 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:05,520 getting and you 462 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:08,160 can only imagine what it's like to be on top of the world and 463 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:11,100 then nobody, you know, give a rat's ass about you from an 464 00:30:11,100 --> 00:30:14,460 entertainment standpoint. Well, I mean, it's got to be such a 465 00:30:14,460 --> 00:30:15,600 kick to the ego. 466 00:30:15,660 --> 00:30:18,840 It really is. I mean, it's like, you know, when you're in radio 467 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:24,260 and they fire you by computer, it's, you know, it really jars. 468 00:30:26,300 --> 00:30:28,820 Who could that have happened? I don't know. I 469 00:30:29,660 --> 00:30:33,440 don't know, but it was a crime, I tell you. Anyway, we've had a 470 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:37,220 lot of this year. I couldn't get over this year. Oh man, one 471 00:30:37,220 --> 00:30:41,440 right after the other. We've had Lonnie Anderson did be krp, and 472 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:43,480 since then, she was 82 Yeah, she, 473 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:47,260 well, she, she died, I think, like the day before her 80th 474 00:30:47,260 --> 00:30:50,500 birthday. Yes, that's right, she was 79 That's 475 00:30:50,500 --> 00:30:53,860 right, yeah, she was, I met her once, yeah, did you really, 476 00:30:53,860 --> 00:30:58,540 yeah, when I was in radio in Vegas, and very, very shy, 477 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,860 really, she was memorable because she was this very kind 478 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:04,260 of, you could tell she was a bit of an introvert. And, you know, 479 00:31:04,260 --> 00:31:06,480 over the attention, I think she just wanted to live her life 480 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:09,360 well, you know, a lot of people are like that famous. You know, 481 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:13,260 they're not. We all think they're now. David Lee Roth, I 482 00:31:13,260 --> 00:31:18,060 doubt is shy. No, he certainly is not. But we also lost Hulk 483 00:31:18,060 --> 00:31:23,600 Hogan. Ozzy Osbourne, yeah. And Ozzy, I can understand why a lot 484 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,540 of people were because Ozzy Osbourne, I mean, that was my 485 00:31:26,540 --> 00:31:31,460 first rock concert. My sister took me. I was, I think I was 486 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:36,380 all of 10 or 11, wow. And that was my first rock concert, and 487 00:31:36,620 --> 00:31:40,040 first place I ever smelled marijuana. Smell it, I said, 488 00:31:40,340 --> 00:31:45,220 Peggy, what's that smell? That's marijuana, John, but I really 489 00:31:45,220 --> 00:31:50,320 liked Black Sabbath. Why am I so hungry? Why can I not remember 490 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:52,960 where we live? But anyway, 491 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:56,440 I first smelled weed at a concert, at a John Denver 492 00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:57,040 concert. Well, 493 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:58,900 of course, it was John himself. 494 00:31:59,740 --> 00:32:03,180 Another guy lost too soon. Yeah? John Denver, 495 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:06,540 yeah, yeah. And, what a great talent, underappreciated talent, 496 00:32:06,540 --> 00:32:06,720 very 497 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,900 underappreciated. But Ozzy, I can understand, because he's 498 00:32:09,900 --> 00:32:14,040 old, not only that, but he was such a part. I mean, he was on 499 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:17,760 television, you know, he did the reality TV thing. People that 500 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:19,620 weren't even into rock and roll watch 501 00:32:19,620 --> 00:32:24,320 that. Yeah, and I think in because of the reality TV he is, 502 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:30,020 he has fans in their 70s, in fans in their teens, exactly, 503 00:32:30,020 --> 00:32:35,000 you know, so a big, wide swath of Yes, of generations that 504 00:32:35,060 --> 00:32:36,140 really took to him. 505 00:32:36,140 --> 00:32:39,020 And the same with Hulk Hogan. I mean, Hulk Hogan had been in 506 00:32:39,020 --> 00:32:44,620 movies he had done, you know, reality TV. He also had Malcolm 507 00:32:44,620 --> 00:32:48,520 Jamal Warner. A lot of people may not know, but that was Theo 508 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:54,340 Huxtable exactly on the show. He also did it. My wife got into 509 00:32:54,340 --> 00:32:57,280 watching that. I want to say it was the resident, that may have 510 00:32:57,280 --> 00:32:58,240 been the name of it. 511 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:01,860 And then he was on a sitcom right on, B, E, T, yeah, like 512 00:33:01,860 --> 00:33:05,820 Malcolm and me, or something like that. Yes, yeah, yeah. So, 513 00:33:06,180 --> 00:33:09,720 great actor, yeah, you know, in 54 years old, which you know, 514 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:11,040 way too young. Yeah. 515 00:33:11,340 --> 00:33:13,860 We also lost Val Kilmer, great actor. 516 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:17,520 We lost Richard Chamberlain. A lot of people 517 00:33:17,820 --> 00:33:21,260 remember him from The Thorn Birds or Dr Kildare, 518 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:24,320 Gene Hackman, yeah, we lost Gene Hackman this 519 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:27,620 year. He was, like, his 90s, though, yes, yeah, 520 00:33:28,820 --> 00:33:33,440 was but, but so kind of bizarre and mysterious, and still they 521 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:34,460 there are questions 522 00:33:34,460 --> 00:33:37,940 about, well, yeah. And what's sad is that his wife apparently 523 00:33:37,940 --> 00:33:42,640 died before he did, right? Yeah, he was relying on her. So he 524 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:47,080 that poor man was in the house alone, not knowing, because he 525 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:52,120 was suffering from dementia. Yeah, dementia. And so he didn't 526 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:56,800 even he had to be taken care of. But she was gone. She was dead. 527 00:33:57,100 --> 00:34:01,860 And so, yeah, that was a very, very sad. And then we also had 528 00:34:01,860 --> 00:34:06,960 Dave, which David Johansen, anybody that remembered rock 529 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:11,220 from the 70s, New York Dolls? And he also Buster Poindexter, 530 00:34:11,220 --> 00:34:12,180 wasn't that is, 531 00:34:12,900 --> 00:34:17,340 Oh yeah, yeah, that's right, yeah. We lost. And they had a he 532 00:34:17,340 --> 00:34:18,960 had that somewhat hot, hot, hot, 533 00:34:19,020 --> 00:34:20,160 yes, yes, 534 00:34:21,179 --> 00:34:24,019 the Bill Murray movie, Scrooged. Yeah, right. 535 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:27,380 But you know, I think, I think with radio, like in Phil's case, 536 00:34:27,380 --> 00:34:32,300 also Rush Limbaugh's case, yeah, is that, I think the audience 537 00:34:32,300 --> 00:34:36,380 feels a little closer to somebody like that, because on 538 00:34:36,380 --> 00:34:42,160 radio, radio is such a like when you're watching a movie, or 539 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:44,620 you're listening to records, or you're going to concert, you're 540 00:34:44,620 --> 00:34:48,760 kind of sharing the experience with other people. When you're 541 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:53,140 listening to a talk show, a talk radio show, it's usually you 542 00:34:53,140 --> 00:34:57,760 alone in the car, yeah, and you start to build and you hear 543 00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:00,240 about these, you know, Rush talked about his personal. Life 544 00:35:00,900 --> 00:35:04,680 filled in constantly. You know, you got to know his boys, you 545 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:09,720 got to know Susan, his wife. And I think it's harder for people. 546 00:35:09,720 --> 00:35:13,800 I think it hits people harder when it's somebody like that 547 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:17,400 that's on the radio that they get to know, well, intimately, 548 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:22,520 especially when it's a radio personality that has mastered, 549 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:27,980 the ability to be one on one and intimate and make it feel as 550 00:35:27,980 --> 00:35:33,260 though you were the only one listening, which now was a and 551 00:35:33,260 --> 00:35:37,940 not everybody, not everybody can do that. You know, there's a 552 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,980 there's a special talent there, and also the fact that you 553 00:35:41,980 --> 00:35:46,780 listen every day, yes, you know it's like every day, they're a 554 00:35:46,780 --> 00:35:49,480 part of your a part of your 555 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:52,960 day. Well, they are. They're part of your life. And I think 556 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:57,160 that's why, because I've seen people, I mean, I've seen people 557 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:01,860 get emotional over, you know, people that are celebrities and 558 00:36:01,860 --> 00:36:07,500 whatever. But I've seen, I've seen more people get far more 559 00:36:07,500 --> 00:36:10,440 emotional when it comes to somebody that's on the radio and 560 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:13,920 especially talk show host, I don't know, like I said, I think 561 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:17,940 the reason behind that is that, like I said, that it's more 562 00:36:17,940 --> 00:36:21,740 personal. You're right there in the car with them. You feel like 563 00:36:21,740 --> 00:36:24,380 they're a part of your life, even if you don't know them, 564 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:30,080 right? And especially if it's a talk show host that is local, 565 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:34,820 yeah, and they're talking about the same, you know, they hit the 566 00:36:34,820 --> 00:36:38,240 same pothole you did this morning, and exactly, they're 567 00:36:38,300 --> 00:36:42,820 able to relate these local and personal stories, as opposed to 568 00:36:42,820 --> 00:36:46,300 maybe somebody that's syndicated and they're coming from Denver 569 00:36:46,300 --> 00:36:47,680 or whatever, right? 570 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:54,040 So, you know, even in syndication, I think Phil, I 571 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:57,100 noticed that Phil was was connecting with people in 572 00:36:57,100 --> 00:37:00,720 Florida, he was connecting with it was the same thing. And in 573 00:37:00,720 --> 00:37:05,640 fact, it got When, when, when they were doing it right, when 574 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:09,480 Westwood one was actually getting him on stations that had 575 00:37:09,540 --> 00:37:13,500 a great audience. There was at one time we couldn't hardly get 576 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:17,460 our callers in Nashville to get on, because you had so it was 577 00:37:17,460 --> 00:37:21,800 when we were on in Cincinnati, also in Houston and those 578 00:37:21,860 --> 00:37:24,920 audiences, I mean, they fell in love with him and, 579 00:37:24,980 --> 00:37:28,160 well, again, he was a special talent. Not everybody, not 580 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:28,640 everybody 581 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,460 could do that. No, they couldn't Rush was really good, 582 00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:35,480 absolutely, you know, regardless of, I know there are a lot of 583 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:38,900 radio people that did not like Rush Limbaugh because of his 584 00:37:39,020 --> 00:37:45,340 political leanings, but, but from a radio standpoint, and his 585 00:37:45,340 --> 00:37:49,780 ability to connect with an audience, he was just an 586 00:37:49,780 --> 00:37:51,100 absolute master. 587 00:37:51,100 --> 00:37:54,160 Well, it's the same with Phil. You know, there were radio 588 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:57,040 people that didn't like Phil because they didn't like his 589 00:37:57,040 --> 00:38:00,540 political stances, but I think it goes deeper than that, 590 00:38:00,540 --> 00:38:02,700 though, with radio people sometimes, sometimes it's 591 00:38:02,700 --> 00:38:06,720 jealousy. You know, jealousy, all these people are successful, 592 00:38:06,720 --> 00:38:10,140 Yeah, boy, you nailed that. And but let's face it, Limbaugh, 593 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:13,080 that man saved am radio. At the time, he 594 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:17,340 saved talk radio. He saved am radio. I mean, he made talk 595 00:38:17,340 --> 00:38:21,500 radio. If you listen to talk radio before brush a lot of it 596 00:38:21,500 --> 00:38:22,160 was boring, 597 00:38:22,220 --> 00:38:26,060 yeah. I mean, okay, you had your Larry kings and all that to 598 00:38:26,060 --> 00:38:28,580 certainly have their place in radio history. Don't get me 599 00:38:28,580 --> 00:38:32,480 wrong, but you're right. Rush Limbaugh was just a different 600 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:32,840 animal. 601 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:36,680 Man. Oh, he was Rush was great. So was I also liked, personally, 602 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:38,780 I liked Phil Hendry. I thought Phil Henry was an 603 00:38:38,780 --> 00:38:43,000 interesting character. He was man, man of 1000 voices. Yes. 604 00:38:43,180 --> 00:38:47,560 I mean, those guys just made talk radio fun to listen to, and 605 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:53,440 Phil did too, and that was probably my most fun I've ever 606 00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:58,240 had in radio. And I have to add Dan mandus and Ken Weaver and 607 00:38:58,240 --> 00:39:01,500 also Joan Jones. I was shocked, because I was shocked, because I 608 00:39:01,500 --> 00:39:05,460 didn't think I'd ever find that again, and I did. I had a lot of 609 00:39:05,460 --> 00:39:06,720 fun working with those people. 610 00:39:06,779 --> 00:39:10,199 Yeah, you know, the sucky part about it, and you and I know it 611 00:39:10,199 --> 00:39:12,539 well, is, you know, getting up two or three in the morning, 612 00:39:13,199 --> 00:39:18,059 that morning shift, it would all while it may be fun, it's still 613 00:39:18,059 --> 00:39:19,859 man kill you. 614 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:23,360 Literally, I can tell hurting my my 615 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:26,660 health, yeah, yeah. I mean, I've worked morning radio at other 616 00:39:26,660 --> 00:39:29,780 stations over the years, and boy, you know that that getting 617 00:39:29,780 --> 00:39:32,840 up two or three in the morning, it catches up to you, especially 618 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:33,500 as you get older. 619 00:39:33,500 --> 00:39:37,280 Well, I worry about Damn man, just because this guy, he will 620 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:41,740 fill in later, man, well, he will fill in on, like, on red 621 00:39:41,740 --> 00:39:45,640 eye radio, which is all night, all night, all night, then he'll 622 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:50,560 get off there, go in, do the morning show, and then do a do a 623 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:54,280 fill in in Washington, DC, somewhere later that afternoon, 624 00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:57,340 right? All in one day, all in one day. I'm thinking, How do 625 00:39:57,340 --> 00:39:58,900 you do it? Man, but he 626 00:39:58,900 --> 00:40:02,700 can. It's a race. Radio is a passionate industry. Man, yes, 627 00:40:02,700 --> 00:40:05,340 it is, that's the thing. Is that I always try to impress upon 628 00:40:05,820 --> 00:40:09,660 radio people, because there are people in radio and then there 629 00:40:09,660 --> 00:40:14,520 are radio people. Yes, there is a difference radio people like 630 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:17,400 I've always told you, even when you were on my podcast, you are 631 00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:20,600 still valued us. You still have value, even if the industry 632 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:24,500 doesn't see it. Podcasting needs you, you know, even with Mr. Dan 633 00:40:24,500 --> 00:40:27,800 mandus and stuff like that, bad buddy, you know, you probably 634 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:30,680 don't need a big bang in your head against the wall. No, you 635 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:30,920 could be 636 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:33,980 podcasting. Well, this is more fun, I'll tell you, 637 00:40:33,980 --> 00:40:36,980 right? Is more free form, that's for sure. And 638 00:40:36,980 --> 00:40:40,040 I was gonna say that before, you know, I were talking about Phil 639 00:40:40,040 --> 00:40:42,880 Valentine and what kind of what kind of, what was the connection 640 00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:45,520 that he had? I think it was kind of an every man. You know, he 641 00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:48,880 was a very relatable every man. He was the epitome of radio when 642 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:52,000 it comes to the one on one connection, absolutely. But I 643 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:54,940 think he was a brotherly and fatherly figure to a lot of 644 00:40:54,940 --> 00:40:58,840 people. He probably had a lacking element of that in their 645 00:40:58,840 --> 00:40:59,440 lives. 646 00:40:59,500 --> 00:41:02,580 Well, he was, and I'm glad you brought that up, because he was 647 00:41:02,580 --> 00:41:08,400 the kind of guy. I remember even the people that came in and 648 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:15,180 cleaned the station one year, Phil did really well, and he 649 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:20,900 gave these folks a bonus himself, handed out he didn't 650 00:41:20,900 --> 00:41:23,840 have to do that. No, he did not. And he was the kind of guy too 651 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:27,440 that I don't care if you were the cleaning crew or if you were 652 00:41:27,500 --> 00:41:33,440 you know you you were a producer on a another show, no matter who 653 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:37,040 you were, if you came in and said hello to him, man, that 654 00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:40,900 dude talked to you and got to know you, there was a guy at the 655 00:41:40,900 --> 00:41:44,140 station that didn't agree with him politically at all. This guy 656 00:41:44,140 --> 00:41:51,580 did production. This guy had written a screenplay. Do what, 657 00:41:51,580 --> 00:41:53,020 I think I know who you're talking about, 658 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:56,800 but yeah, he did a screenplay. He did a screenplay, and he 659 00:41:56,800 --> 00:42:00,300 said, man. And he told me this after Phil passed, he said it 660 00:42:00,300 --> 00:42:02,820 really touched me because Phil said, Give me a copy of I want 661 00:42:02,820 --> 00:42:07,920 to read it. And, and Phil tried to help him get his screenplay 662 00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:11,400 to the proper people. I mean, he was that kind of guy, yeah, and, 663 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,760 like, even us, you know, my wife and I were trying to buy a 664 00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:18,720 house, and we were a little short on the money side, and 665 00:42:18,720 --> 00:42:21,920 Phil helped me out, wow, and I paid back some of it. But then 666 00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:27,860 he I was I made one payment. He said, Johnny, after this, you're 667 00:42:27,860 --> 00:42:31,940 good, yeah, you're just, you're considerate, you know the bills 668 00:42:31,940 --> 00:42:34,640 pay. I said, Man, I don't want to pay you back totally. He 669 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:38,540 goes, No, just, he said, they don't pay you enough here. He 670 00:42:38,540 --> 00:42:41,440 said, You're a talented guy. You deserve it. And 671 00:42:41,439 --> 00:42:44,139 you mean he didn't put his mafia voice on and say what I'm 672 00:42:46,240 --> 00:42:51,580 gonna need to do some things for us. You know, if you don't, you 673 00:42:51,580 --> 00:42:55,480 may be swimming over here in the river somewhere. It's really we 674 00:42:55,480 --> 00:42:56,800 used to love to do those. 675 00:42:58,240 --> 00:43:04,320 But anyway, I you know that it's just hard to lose people that 676 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:08,400 have been such a big part of our lives, like, you know, Elvis 677 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:13,020 Wayland, John Lennon, Eddie Van Halen, Phil Valentine, Rush 678 00:43:13,020 --> 00:43:16,080 Limbaugh, whoever it is, whatever, even their sports 679 00:43:16,080 --> 00:43:18,960 people that we've lost like you Muhammad Ali 680 00:43:19,020 --> 00:43:23,480 Yeah, you know Ryan Sandberg, who passed here recently, yes, 681 00:43:23,540 --> 00:43:27,320 you know, I know that, especially for folks in Chicago, 682 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:31,160 you know, he really, really meant a lot, not just to the 683 00:43:31,160 --> 00:43:33,080 Cubs, but to the city. Oh, 684 00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:37,640 yeah, there's, like, also Howard Tilley with Miami Dolphin. He 685 00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:41,680 died this past year. But yeah, it's just, and you had a 686 00:43:41,740 --> 00:43:45,460 Muhammad Ali, didn't you have a Muhammad Ali picture 687 00:43:45,459 --> 00:43:48,759 that you brought? Well, yeah, I had a, well, you bring that up? 688 00:43:48,759 --> 00:43:54,159 I had, why not? Muhammad Ali was huge, yeah? And I grew up just 689 00:43:54,159 --> 00:43:57,879 fascinated by the guy, because he was a fascinating character. 690 00:43:57,879 --> 00:44:02,399 And all of the you know, political stuff aside. I know he 691 00:44:02,399 --> 00:44:06,599 turned a lot of people off, but you know, you have to consider 692 00:44:06,599 --> 00:44:11,279 the era and the time, you know the 60s is when you know there 693 00:44:11,279 --> 00:44:14,519 was so much turmoil in the country and stuff, and he 694 00:44:14,519 --> 00:44:17,999 energized as a celebrity, he interjected himself in the whole 695 00:44:17,999 --> 00:44:22,159 political thing and what was going on. But, but all that 696 00:44:22,159 --> 00:44:27,439 aside, I just found the man fascinating, not only from a 697 00:44:27,439 --> 00:44:29,959 personal standpoint, but certainly from an athletic 698 00:44:29,959 --> 00:44:33,259 standpoint. You know, kept losing the title and winning it 699 00:44:33,259 --> 00:44:38,659 back and losing the you know, right? But he, in one of his 700 00:44:38,659 --> 00:44:44,499 comebacks, he was to fight Leon Spinks in the Superdome in New 701 00:44:44,499 --> 00:44:53,079 Orleans, and it was quite a big deal. And part of the promotion 702 00:44:53,079 --> 00:44:58,719 for that fight, he came to town in New Orleans, he was going to 703 00:44:58,719 --> 00:45:02,459 make an appearance. And. He was to go to the ticket office 704 00:45:02,459 --> 00:45:05,519 there. This is back before online and all that you had to 705 00:45:05,519 --> 00:45:09,299 physically go to an office and buy a ticket, some for events. 706 00:45:09,839 --> 00:45:15,959 But so again, this is 1978 I was 17 years old, you know, living 707 00:45:15,959 --> 00:45:20,419 in New Orleans, but he came to town as part of a ticket 708 00:45:20,419 --> 00:45:23,059 promotion, and he was to, as I say, appear at the ticket 709 00:45:23,059 --> 00:45:27,019 office. But he came in in grand fashion. He came in on the 710 00:45:27,019 --> 00:45:31,579 Natchez river boat in New Orleans, up the Mississippi 711 00:45:31,579 --> 00:45:36,619 River, and he was to get off the boat and make his way to the to 712 00:45:36,619 --> 00:45:41,499 the ticket office. Well, I had a summer job at a refinery that 713 00:45:41,499 --> 00:45:47,859 year, making five bucks an hour man in 1970 78 which was pretty 714 00:45:47,859 --> 00:45:50,619 good, which was money? Yeah, you're not good. But anyway, I 715 00:45:50,619 --> 00:45:55,719 called in sick at my laborers job at the refinery because it 716 00:45:55,719 --> 00:46:00,719 was my I had a drawing. I was a fairly good artist at one time, 717 00:46:00,719 --> 00:46:03,899 and I had a Muhammad Ali drawing, and I was bound to 718 00:46:03,899 --> 00:46:09,599 determine to get him to autograph that. So I said, All 719 00:46:09,599 --> 00:46:13,079 right, I'm going to go to that ticket office, darn it, and I am 720 00:46:13,079 --> 00:46:16,439 going to get Ali to sign my drawing. Well, as I said, he 721 00:46:16,439 --> 00:46:21,199 pulled he came in big to do the the brass band and the jazz band 722 00:46:21,199 --> 00:46:24,439 and all that greet him at the dock as the Natchez river boat 723 00:46:24,439 --> 00:46:29,179 comes to the dock, he gets off, and he's in a they put him in a 724 00:46:29,179 --> 00:46:33,259 horse and carriage. They're taking him to the ticket office 725 00:46:33,259 --> 00:46:35,539 through the streets of New Orleans in the quarter. Because 726 00:46:35,539 --> 00:46:38,179 the ticket office, if I remember, was kind of downtown, 727 00:46:38,179 --> 00:46:41,919 almost in the French Quarter. But anyway, he was in a horse 728 00:46:41,919 --> 00:46:45,519 and carriage, and I got about as close to the man as we are, 729 00:46:45,579 --> 00:46:48,759 right, you know, walking along. And of course, he's got these 730 00:46:48,759 --> 00:46:51,459 guards and stuff, you know, walking along the carriage, 731 00:46:51,459 --> 00:46:54,999 which I fully understood. But anyway, I followed that care me 732 00:46:55,119 --> 00:46:59,919 and 200 other people follow that carriage all the way downtown, 733 00:46:59,919 --> 00:47:04,139 and he gets out to the to the ticket office. Well, they some 734 00:47:04,139 --> 00:47:08,159 guy came out of the office and yelled to the crowd. You know, 735 00:47:09,179 --> 00:47:13,019 if you come into the ticket office and buy a ticket, you can 736 00:47:13,019 --> 00:47:16,559 get a picture and an autograph from Ali. I'm like, son of a 737 00:47:16,559 --> 00:47:19,859 gun. I mean, the tickets were like, 25 bucks to sit in the top 738 00:47:19,859 --> 00:47:22,879 of the dome, right? Which was a lot of money. I didn't have 739 00:47:22,879 --> 00:47:29,899 that, but so well. Anyway, the crowd starts chanting, Ali, Ali. 740 00:47:30,139 --> 00:47:34,099 So finally, Mr. Ego Muhammad, Ali. He comes out of the ticket 741 00:47:34,099 --> 00:47:39,379 office. He stands on a chair and starts that Ali shtick. You 742 00:47:39,379 --> 00:47:43,479 know, the greatest, you know, all that stuff, yeah. And, of 743 00:47:43,479 --> 00:47:48,519 course, the crowds going nuts. I am in a sea of people. I am 744 00:47:48,519 --> 00:47:54,519 probably, oh gosh, 20 yards away from where he was doing all 745 00:47:54,519 --> 00:47:58,479 this. And I said to me, and I had walked to that entire I've 746 00:47:58,479 --> 00:48:01,919 been there the entire day, walking along. And this is a 747 00:48:01,919 --> 00:48:04,739 couple of hours. You know, a few hours is how long it took all 748 00:48:04,739 --> 00:48:07,739 this to transpire between him, getting off the boat, getting to 749 00:48:07,739 --> 00:48:11,579 the office. There, I had my drawing rolled up in my hand the 750 00:48:11,579 --> 00:48:16,079 entire time. So while he's going through his spiel, he looks 751 00:48:16,079 --> 00:48:20,359 around and he's, you know, the people are going crazy. I said, 752 00:48:20,419 --> 00:48:25,639 All right, Mr. Ego, here, I unrolled, I unfurled the drawing 753 00:48:25,699 --> 00:48:32,419 and held it up, and he immediately zoned in on it. Wow. 754 00:48:32,839 --> 00:48:38,719 And I'm like, champ, champ. Can you please sign this for me? And 755 00:48:38,719 --> 00:48:43,779 he just kind of looks and he goes, you know, he motions for 756 00:48:43,779 --> 00:48:47,139 it to be brought up to him. Yeah, so my heart goes in my 757 00:48:47,139 --> 00:48:53,559 throat as I hand this drawing to the people in front of me. But 758 00:48:53,619 --> 00:48:57,819 the crowd was cool. They did the, you know, they they passed 759 00:48:57,819 --> 00:49:04,259 it up to him. So he finally gets the drawing, he unrolls it, and 760 00:49:04,259 --> 00:49:11,039 he looks at it, and he smiles like approvingly, yeah, and, and 761 00:49:11,039 --> 00:49:16,979 he said he he held it up to his face. That's great. And I 762 00:49:16,979 --> 00:49:21,679 remember hearing cameras going off, yeah, to this day, I have 763 00:49:21,679 --> 00:49:26,179 yet to find anybody that I know that life mag Sports Illustrated 764 00:49:26,179 --> 00:49:30,559 somebody Yeah, has pictures of that man holding up the drawing 765 00:49:30,559 --> 00:49:33,859 to his face, yeah. But anyway, he held in the crowd. 766 00:49:34,460 --> 00:49:35,840 You didn't take a selfie. He 767 00:49:39,800 --> 00:49:45,280 holds it up to his face, and the crowd goes, yeah. And he says 768 00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:50,140 something that, well, he uses the N word, okay, yeah. And he 769 00:49:50,140 --> 00:49:59,740 said, Man, there ain't no N word fighter this pretty well. So 770 00:49:59,740 --> 00:50:04,620 him. And he signed it, and he held it back, you know, and the 771 00:50:04,620 --> 00:50:06,540 crowd, you know, 772 00:50:06,600 --> 00:50:09,720 they they brought it back to you, they brought it back to me. 773 00:50:09,960 --> 00:50:10,920 Well, that's unheard 774 00:50:10,980 --> 00:50:14,400 All right? And that wouldn't happen today. No, I would not 775 00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:16,740 this. Wow, 776 00:50:17,100 --> 00:50:21,320 if I that's really good. You drew that, yeah, 17 years old 777 00:50:21,440 --> 00:50:26,120 man. He did, that's the time when I, when I did okay. But is 778 00:50:26,120 --> 00:50:29,060 that pencil? Charkin? Chocolate, charcoal? Maybe. Yeah, this the 779 00:50:29,060 --> 00:50:33,320 drawing is just, is just pencil, but to tilt it forward a little 780 00:50:33,320 --> 00:50:39,500 bit, yeah? But he signed, it's 78 Muhammad Ali, wow. And I'm 781 00:50:39,500 --> 00:50:43,900 told that, you know, he later in life, he was, like a lot of lot 782 00:50:43,900 --> 00:50:47,920 of athletes, he signed a lot of stuff, but the fact that it was 783 00:50:47,920 --> 00:50:53,740 during his active time he signed at 78 makes this, if I ever 784 00:50:53,740 --> 00:50:56,440 wanted to get rid of it, makes it pretty valuable. Well, you're 785 00:50:56,440 --> 00:50:58,660 not kidding for Ali fans, 786 00:50:58,840 --> 00:51:00,040 and you did a great job 787 00:51:00,100 --> 00:51:05,400 on that, yeah, so, but yeah, you know, as you can imagine, that's 788 00:51:05,400 --> 00:51:07,140 a prize possession. And, 789 00:51:07,140 --> 00:51:10,740 oh yeah, hang on, that's really cool. What a great story behind. 790 00:51:10,740 --> 00:51:11,460 But that is a 791 00:51:11,460 --> 00:51:15,000 great story, yeah, so, you know. And I can remember standing 792 00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:17,940 there in the crowd, and people are jamming their hands in my 793 00:51:17,940 --> 00:51:21,200 back pockets and stuff, you know. So I I actually had my 794 00:51:21,200 --> 00:51:24,680 wallet down. I stuck it down in my underwear, over my crotch, 795 00:51:25,760 --> 00:51:30,500 because people that's that's good to know. Let's keep it the 796 00:51:30,560 --> 00:51:30,980 frame. 797 00:51:31,100 --> 00:51:35,900 I learned that. I learned that at Mardi Gras. Okay, you don't 798 00:51:35,900 --> 00:51:38,960 put your you don't put your wallet in your back pocket at 799 00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:42,940 Mardi Gras, that's where you put it. But of course, in New 800 00:51:42,940 --> 00:51:45,580 Orleans, putting stuff at your crotch, that ain't foolproof 801 00:51:45,580 --> 00:51:52,780 either. But anyway, so yeah, that was quite the experience, 802 00:51:52,780 --> 00:51:56,740 man. But yeah, you know Merle Haggard. My favorite memory. 803 00:51:56,740 --> 00:51:59,440 That's one of my favorite memories. It is a good memory. 804 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:03,360 It was kind of my my encounter with the greatest 805 00:52:03,480 --> 00:52:06,360 well, they kind of wrap this up. I'll tell you another great mom 806 00:52:06,360 --> 00:52:09,960 and Ali story. It came from Wayland, Jennings. I saw it on 807 00:52:10,560 --> 00:52:14,880 it was whatever Gary Chapman was hosting. I think it was called 808 00:52:14,880 --> 00:52:18,180 Music City. Tonight. Is after Ralph had I know there was Ralph 809 00:52:18,180 --> 00:52:21,080 Nashville. Now, wasn't it? Was it started out Nashville. Now I 810 00:52:21,080 --> 00:52:24,020 think, yeah, I think it became something, yeah, you're right. I 811 00:52:24,020 --> 00:52:26,540 don't know. I don't know. It may have kept the same. But anyway, 812 00:52:27,020 --> 00:52:30,020 he was talking to Wayland Jennings, and Waylon was talking 813 00:52:30,020 --> 00:52:35,180 about that his daughter was dating this guy, and she brought 814 00:52:35,180 --> 00:52:40,400 the guy to her house. She didn't tell him her last name, that 815 00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:44,740 Jennings was her last name. She brings, she brings this guy to 816 00:52:45,040 --> 00:52:50,200 her home, which is waylons house. He said, I answer the 817 00:52:50,200 --> 00:52:55,120 door. And he said, on one side of me is Johnny Cash, and on 818 00:52:55,120 --> 00:52:58,300 another side of me is Muhammad Ali. And he said, This poor 819 00:52:58,300 --> 00:53:02,820 boy's eyes look like the look like the donkey on Hee Haw, and 820 00:53:04,860 --> 00:53:07,560 he said, I just looked at the kids. Said, rough life, ain't 821 00:53:07,560 --> 00:53:12,000 it, son. But anyway, I appreciate everybody joining us 822 00:53:12,000 --> 00:53:15,300 on our podcast, the debut circling the drain. We're going 823 00:53:15,300 --> 00:53:18,300 to have a lot more, and we're going to have some interesting 824 00:53:18,300 --> 00:53:21,680 guests for you too in the future, but we hope you always 825 00:53:21,680 --> 00:53:26,420 join us, and we hope that you have a great day, whatever it 826 00:53:26,540 --> 00:53:30,440 is, and don't, don't just go down the drain circle the drain 827 00:53:30,440 --> 00:53:35,480 baby. That's from Johnny and Jim and Jay. We'll see you next time 828 00:53:35,480 --> 00:53:40,120 you I'm.