If you were at the Todd Rundgren-Akron Civic Theater show in 2009, the one when he performed his 1973 masterpiece "A Wizard, A True Star" album in its entirety, you're going to want to order this. Our beloved Civic served as the venue for this double live album, available on March 5th on rainbow-swirled vinyl. The packaging also comes with pictures from the event. Click here for the order form. 

(Image courtesy of CleoRecs.com)

Each year when the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announces its list of nominees, it spurs a vitriolic debate, not unlike something from the political arena. In fact, many detractors even claim the considered artists are picked solely for political reasons. I don't want to go down that road with this blog post. I just want to take a look at the official list and share who interests me in an observational manner. Strictly my opinion and in no particular order.

The New York Dolls, Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden, and Rage Against The Machine stand out for me from the rockier side of the genre and any of those bands are induction worthy. From the "why aren't they in already" file comes Carole King, Tina Turner, and of course...Todd Rundgren. Devo? Sure!! The others I've not mentioned get a shrug from me because their art doesn't speak to me as much as it does to others. I do want to give Kate Bush an honorable mention here because I've always liked her stuff and she was somewhat discovered by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, a man whose opinion I trust.

I admit it will be difficult to whittle these down to my personal top five so I'm going to chew on it for a while and do a follow-up in a later blog but you can let your voice be heard! Here's a link to the Rock Hall's Fan Vote page. You can vote once daily through the end of April. We'll find out who this year's inductees will be in early May. 

Keep Calm & Rock On!

(Image courtesy of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)

2020 has been rough on a lot people, but Ohioans more than others? 

If you're basing your answer the amount of booze we consumed in the Buckeye State last year, then yeah, maybe! 

According to the data from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, sales of hard liquor were up roughly 19 percent in 2020 over 2019 and 27 percent over 2018! All told, Ohioans bought about $1.5 BILLION (WITH A B) dollars worth of liquor! 

A lot of that probably had to do with quarantining and Stay-At-Home orders and such, but man... that's a lot of hooch!!! 

Specifically, Ohioans were buying more tequila than ever before, as more than 1.7 million gallons of that nasty stuff was sold in 2020. Vodka sales were the highest, as they have been for a long time now, and American whiskey came in second in total sales. 

Also increased, we can all assume, were drunk dials to ex-lovers, regretable social media posts, prayers to the porcelean gods (EWWWW), and lost wallets / keys / cellphones. 

I've seen a lot of talented animals in my day, but this parrot takes the cake! 

If you’ve already seen a parrot singing Led Zeppelin today just keep on scrolling...pic.twitter.com/UjewCOflIx

— Rex Chapman?? (@RexChapman) January 18, 2021

It's National Disc Jockey Day! One of those silly, made-up holidays that Hallmark had nothing to do with. But I smile every year when it rolls around and I take a moment to celebrate the career path I chose over forty years ago, from a love of the medium, sparked in me as a young boy. So today, I'd like to take this blog space to celebrate and remember some of the "jocks" whom I worked with, learned from, and most of all, looked up to. There are great stories behind each of these pictures. Message me on the WONE Facebook page if you'd like to hear them.

Def Leppard fans still bummed about last year's postponed show at First Energy Stadium will be happy to find out the band wants to give you a peek behind their curtain. The Leps have launched an on-line virtual museum called The Def Leppard Vault that will serve as a site where fans can find exclusive and rare photos, videos, artifacts, interviews, audio commentary, merchandise and more. Frontman Joe Elliot calls it, "a true backstage pass for any Def Leppard or rock and roll fan! Please…step inside and walk this way!"

Click the link above and see for yourself. Best of all, no mask required at this museum. 

Perhaps one of the most tragic stories in Rock and Roll lore is the story of Syd Barrett, founding member of Pink Floyd. 

Syd, whose given name was Roger Keith Barrett, named the band and was the original frontman for the band he co-founded in 1965. 

His short-lived musical career only accounted for the band's debut album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and a portion of Pink Floyd's second album "A Saucerful of Secrets." 

After a mental breakdown, that some attributed to prolonged use of psychedelic drugs throughout much of the 60's, Syd faded into obscurity, not resurfacing for three decades.  

At one point while post-Barrett-Floyd was recording "Wish You Were Here" at Abbey Road Studios, an unrecognizable Barrett waltzed in during a taping of the song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", a song that was written and dedicated to Syd Barrett himself. Barrett had put on a lot of weight and shaved his head, again unrecognizable to anyone that had known him years before, including the band. After some time, as the story goes, Roger Waters finally recognized Barrett and asked him what he thought of the song, to which Barrett replied that is sounded "kind of old." 

Barrett passed away on July 7th, 2006, at the age of 60. Today, January 6th, 2021, would have been his 75th birthday.   

97.5 WONE celebrates another trip around the sun today. When you think about it, so much could have changed over the last 36 years but WONE has remained a steadfast rock station through and through. Music styles change, formats, and personnel change but everyone will always associate these call letters with Rock & Roll. WONE is a heritage station and that is and always will be our heritage. 

We've had a little tradition here at WONE. Every new year's day morning at 6 am, we play a clip of audio from January 1st, 1985 when the official announcement was made that changed WAEZ, "Easy 97," to 97.5 WONE, the ONE for More Variety and Less Repetition playing Classic Adult Rock. As a courtesy to those of you who may have slept in, (or were sleeping off a hard New Year's Eve party from the night before), and missed it -- Click here and hear how a radio station is born.

Guitarist Leslie West has died. The leader of the band Mountain, known for the hit "Mississippi Queen," had gone into cardiac arrest on Monday in Florida, and died of an apparent heart attack today. He was 75. Click to read the full story from Rolling Stone Magazine

Were you in downtown Akron when he played at Cascade Plaza for a 4th of July weekend celebration many years ago? I was and I had the humbling pleasure to bring him up on stage. Here's how it went down.

I was waiting backstage for my cue to go up and intro the band. What I didn't know was West was already on stage waiting for me! His walk onto the stage had gone unnoticed by most of the stage hands because he walked slowly, having had the lower part of his right leg amputated because of diabetes. Next thing I know, someone was yelling at me to get up there and do my job so I sprang into action. I offered a clumsy apology when I came face to face with an angry West who was certainly not there to wait on the local radio DJ to say, "Ladies & Gentlemen ~ Leslie West & Mountain." 

He gave me some advice that I'll never forget and abide by to this day. He pointed to the center stage microphone and told me to use that one to make my announcements. Then he barked, "And don't touch the effing mic!" although he didn't say "effing." He was not as tall as me so when I approached the center stage mic, I had to squat down a little to bring him up, hands at my side because I was not about to adjust that "effing mic." 

(Picture Credit: Getty Images)