Once again, I get to play at being an Interviewer (maybe I will end up on the air one day, who knows!) and today I have a Blogger who was also a DJ on the air for many years. You all know him as Chili on the web. He owns and operates two awesome Rock Music Blogs ~ Classic Video Jukebox, Rock and Roll Classics and Classic Rock Blogs. He has a wealth of Rock and Roll experience, stories galore and you can tell by his music selections each week on his blogs he is supremely Rock at heart. Give his blogs a read and I promise you , you will learn things about the Rock Bands you will not hear else where.
Many thanks to Chili for taking some time to sit down and talk with me, it is an honor.
1.When did you begin your career in Radio? Did you always want to be on the air as a Disc Jockey?
My career started in 1968. No I didn’t want to be an air personality, I actually stumbled into broadcasting and radio, as a additional source of income on the weekends (to stay out of trouble). But I had been raised in a household full of music, and my parents taught me to love all styles based on their merits.
2. What was it about Rock Music that grabbed your attention? What made it different than pop in the late 60s early 70s?
The discovery of rock music, started with my brother, but actually The Beatles and the first time I saw them on Ed Sullivan grabbed my attention. The music had a grittiness and was down and dirty, different then any musical style before. You ask what made it different way back then LOL. Listen to The Spenser Davis Groups Version of I’m a Man, then Bo Diddley’s version. Then finally Chicago’s version….it was all experimentation back then, something we are missing today. Today it’s corporate, cookie cutter hits very little fly by the seat of your pants Rock and Roll.
3.What states did you broadcast in? Any stations that were your favorites?
On the broadcasting side we will start this alphabetically, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Mass, Mich, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont . On the programming side I handled quite a few more for the company. At one point or other probably having my hand in about every station across the US for them. Not always on the air at those stations.
Its sort of like your first kiss when you ask, do I have any favorites. I remember my first, in Flint Michigan, but I guess I loved them all equally. God it sounds like I’m going over my Ex list. Next Question LOL.
4. I have been asking other folks about ratings, did they ever interfere or hinder your musical decisions or hurt your shows in any way or were they helpful to you.
Ratings now we’re getting into the business side, to answer your question, yes ratings were extremely important, each percentage, point in morning or afternoon drive meant listeners. Listeners meant more station revenues, higher rates, more advertisers. I had to watch ratings constantly, Arbitron was our bible of sorts. But I guess when it came back to it if my formats worked, the listeners would follow, so basically they let me work my formula’s, to reach the listeners. Tweaking here and there.
5.Okay now for the nitty gritty, were you able to mix it up with bands while on the air, and if so who stands out in your memories the most?
Each format had it’s own free style created for the station as a whole with a lite, medium or heavy rotation. But the most important part of all the formats was giving the air personality the power to be creative within the frame work, they all had access to the Billboard Charts across the board, so they basically created their own mini programs within the format. Myself included. Probably Grand Funk Railroad, because I was lucky enough to know them in their infancy, back in Flint Michigan, before they were Grand Funk, but there were so many.
6. What is your favorite genre of music and who is your most favorite rock bands.
Wow, tough question, I’ll have to think about that one, I reserve the right to come back to this one later…I’ll have to think hard on that.
7. If you could be back on the air at a rock station today, what would your show most likely sound like? Would you have a style for it or just be free with the tunes?
Free For All, there is so much music out their, not heard, but within also the confines of the charts to a certain extent. There are so many NEW Artists who come from the roots of Classic rock today.
8. What is the most memorable part of having been a part of Rock Radio?
Meeting the Artists, early in the careers or at the beginning, and watching them succeed or fail. Along that vein in some small way breaking them as Artists in the music scene.
9 Do you still work in Radio today, and if so can we find the station on line to listen?
No longer in Radio or Programming, retired after 22 years, Woo Hoo!!!
10. I blog about the now deceased Rock station 98.5 KOME, have you ever heard the station and if it could be resurrected in some form would you consider working there?
Yes, but pretty much only thru their charts at the time. In Radio and Records. UMMMMM, excellent question, but the question should be can it be resurrected.
and finally -
11.Is Rock Radio in your opinion doing well, or has the pop scene killed it off? Are we doomed to experience only classic rock stations for ever more?
Rock radio is experiencing shrinkage as well as pop radio. It now longer holds the Iconic position it once did with multiple sources for music, its tough in the marketplace right now.
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and Back in The Saddle ~ enjoy!
