Pat O'Neill's Blog
2/4
One of my fave Super Bowl ads here. Catch "On Wisconsin" in the background.
1/27
Mary Tyler Moore and I were "neighbors," sort of. I once lived in this Minneapolis building that was used in the opening credits for the last several years of the MTM show.
Mary gets a big award this weekend...read more here.
1/22
This is very moving.
1/17
Very nice people (and very tasty cupcakes) at "Cupcakes A Go Go." They made the news today here. We're excited to be delivering their goodies to listeners next month for Magic 98's annual Valentine's Day celebration
1/11
Hate standing in a freezing garage trying to mix oil and gas for the snowblower?
Lemme suggest this:
You add one container to a gallon of gas. Costs a little more but worth it. Let it snow.
12/6
How lucky I was to find this in the $2.00 bin of a local CD store over the summer...(the clerk laughed when I brought it up to the counter).
I take pride in presenting some "offbeat" holiday music on the Magic morning show
each year, much of it from long-gone TV shows...and now I can add the Cartwright Family to my collection of other great families (Partridge, Brady Bunch, etc). "Christmas On The Ponderosa" has it's own Facebook page...and if you can't wait to enjoy it, here is Ben Cartwright!
11/20
The tip of Picnic Point is in the midst of a landscaping project, and I think it'll look
great when it's wrapped up in the spring. I took Looey there today. He's almost five months old and was ready for his longest walk yet.
11/8
The holiday season arrived yesterday at 12:43PM, when I spotted this in a grocery store:
10/26
Not sure when "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" will be on TV this year, but I've stumbled on to what became of some of the kids that provided the voices for those great TV specials. Peter Robbins ("Charlie") manages real estate, Eric Shea ("Linus") died recently, and Sally Dryer ("Lucy") is doing well in Arizona.
10/14
I know I'm not the only Middleton resident to be surprised by this...
...because when I was snapping the picture a woman slowed her car, rolled down the window and asked "is that a joke?" I knew the town had a high salamander population. I didn't know they could read.
10/2
Wish I could post something aside from "dog news," but that's my life these days. A puppy rocks a household almost as much as a newborn baby. The news is good: the housetraining is (nearly) complete, leash training is easier with the use of a "gentle leader," and we have a loving little boy, with the eager-to-please disposition golden
retrievers are known for.
9/15
My puppy Looey is doing well, but he's just 12 weeks old and moves through the house like the Tasmanian Devil. In case you don't know who that is, enjoy.
8/31
This could've gone horribly wrong.
8/17
Here's "Looey"...
...named after the famous cartoon character "Baba Looey." I'll be off for a few days helping with the meals, housetraining and general chaos that a puppy brings to a home. Looey was born at "Dichi Goldens" in Portage (named for owners Dick and Chris), champion breeders of many goldens, most of which have a lighter fur color than the reddish appearance you might expect. I've run into many Dichi dogs in Madison, and their owners are always happy to trade stories.
7/10
You don't have to be a baseball fan to appreciate this video, taken from high in the stands at Yankee Stadium. Skip to about 3 minutes in for the spine-tingling moment.
7/8
Bob Bonner and I both like the "Pink Panther" movies. Peter Sellers was a genius.
7/3
Naturally, I don't like it when we make some kind of technical mistake on the radio, but I think listeners do. There's a sense of "What' going on? What's gonna happen next?" Naturally, I like seeing screw-ups happen on TV. Here's a bad day unfolding on a BBC newscast.
6/25
It's hard to find a great malt. Most of the places that made them are gone. Does anyone recall Oregon's "Waterfall" restaurant from the 60s and 70s? The building is still there, but vacant, with weeds growing in the parking lot.
There used to be a lot of Bridgeman's restaurants around the midwest - Madison had one on Fish Hatchery Road - but they're mostly gone now, too.
5/22
Madison sportswriter Tom Oates wrote this about the 40th anniversary of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA title. These days an NBA championship team would never play a "regional" game 80 miles from their homecourt, but as a little kid back then I'm glad the Bucks did. I got to see "Lew Alcindor" up close at the Coliseum when both the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns visited Madison.
5/12
This song and video is for anyone missing a family member that's away at war.
5/6
For 2.4 million dollars you can own the "Home Alone" home.
4/28
What a great last day Augie had. A surprise visit from older sister Kate, a walk on her favorite trail, a loud "WOOF" for the UPS Man, and a special hamburger meal. Augie had delevoped an inoperable tumor next to her heart. The wonderful Dr. Jesse Sondel at Spring Harbor assisted us today, as "Aug" peacefully slipped away in the arms of her people.
Augusta "Augie" O'Neill 2001-2011
4/25
STUFF I WATCHED AND READ OVER SPRING BREAK: A young Steve Martin recalls Betty White walking up to him and saying "You're funny!"...Tommy Chong (of "Cheech and") says he drank whiskey with Janis Joplin at the bar...Carol King's first live performance was disrupted by a bomb threat. All this happened at the legendary L.A. nightclub "The Troubadour." This movie is great!
Many of the historical Civil War battlefields in the southern U.S. have been lost. This issue of Time Magazine covers it, and also says this book is "the authoritative one-volume history of the war." I found it here for under five bucks. I'm looking forward to it, but at 800+ pages it's going to take me all summer.
4/15
I've just watched this five times.
4/10
With my colleagues Jim McGaw and Lanette Hansen being so healthy with their diets recently (Lanette is always careful, and I recently saw Jim ignore a Krispy Kreme doughnut in the announcer's lounge), let me offer an alternative. Next time you're in Minneapolis, hit Annie's Parlour on the U of M campus for what I believe to be the best malt on earth. I used to go there in the 80s when I lived nearby. I visited last weekend and nothing has changed, the blueberry malt is A+.
3/22
I'm sorry Lisa Stone has lost her job. The bar is set high at U.W. sports, with a Rosebowl football team, women's hockey champions and the basketball men deep into the NCAA tournament. Lisa Stone, as Barry Alvarez noted, is a good person that has done a lot for the community. When Magic 98 presented the fundraising "Concert For Gilda's Club," Lisa was one of the first to volunteer. Then she and her family made a sizable contribution, pledging cash based on attendance at a women's game. Thank you, Coach Stone.
3/19
When you're watching Norm and Sam talking at "Cheers," what are all those extra people in the background saying? Turn out nothing. To explain, here's Ken Levine
Being an extra looks like an easy job but it’s not. There’s a lot of down time that can get real boring. The pay isn’t great. Job security is nil. In general it’s a very thankless job. The common name for extras in Hollywood is “background”. How many people in their college yearbook list “background” as their dream job of choice?
Levine has had an interesting career...L.A. disc jockey, M*A*S*H writer and now babeball announcer. His blog is hilarious.
3/12
I dreamt last night that Aretha Franklin dropped by my house. Without notice, her tour bus pulled up, she and several people knocked on the door and came in. I was caught off guard, dressed like a bum, the house wasn't straightened up. They accepted some soft drinks. She was very nice, down to earth. I grabbed an Aretha album and she autographed it....then I woke up. This morning on-line the first thing I saw was this. I like Aretha's music a lot, I've read the reports of her health situation, but that's about it. I rarely have such unusual dreams (aside from the ones about Linda Ronstadt when I was a teenager). A dream is supposed to represent something, so you tell me what this one means.
3/3
Bet I'm not alone with this, but I have several Facebook friends that I haven't otherwise seen or talked to in years. One of my "friends" is actually more of a professional "hero" to me. As a young man he traveled the Top 40 radio circuit from his tiny midwest hometown to Fargo, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and finally the Twin Cities. He impacted me in several ways. I used to listen to him on the radio when I was a teenager. When I was just starting out in Minneapolis radio, this guy arrived in town to work for a different station. He was such a strong morning show personality and brilliant manager that his station clobbered mine, which flipped formats and fired the entire staff. And then he hired me! I worked for him for less than a year, and only part-time, but it felt like broadcasting graduate school. His station had a "charisma" that's hard to describe, packed with super talent, great music and exciting promotions. Best of all, he took time to work closely with me, reviewing tapes of my work, helping me to shed some bad beginner's habits. I saw him at a radio convention several years ago, and he warmly greeted me, although I'm not really sure he remembered me. That's OK...it's been many years, and like any great teacher he's got lots of former students.
2/6
Last week's blizzard was a hassle for anyone (like me) that had to get to work. Because of the overwhelming amount of calls and e-mails (two) asking how I did it, here's my diary:
Tueday 2/1
3PM: Asked Gary "Indiana" Cannalte for his best estimate of "snow on the ground" the next morning at 3AM. He barked: "10 inches! I'm busy!" and hung up.
4PM: Went home, wolfed down some soup, packed a bag, called Denny's on Gammon Road and asked if they would be open the next morning at 3AM. They said "Yes! We're busy" and hung up.
5PM: Checked into a hotel near Gammon Road, figuring I could walk to nearby Magic 98 the next morning if Gary's forecast was accurate.
6PM: Called Bob Bonner (owner of a large truck that can power through anything), explained the situation and asked if he could pick me up at the hotel the next morning. He said "Yes! I'm busy!" and hung up.
7PM: Set wind-up alarm clock, hotel room alarm clock and cell phone for 3AM.
Wed 2/2
2:45AM: In keeping with tradition, woke up before alarm.
3AM: Drove two blocks to Denny's. Closed.
3:45AM: Had delicious in-room breakfast of oatmeal in paper cup, prepared with lukewarm watwer from hotel coffee pot.
4:00: Called Bob Bonner, who reported miserable driving conditions but steady progress en-route from his estate in Cottage Grove.
4:40: Went outside to check for Bob, slipped on ice, dropping laptop in snowbank, said "$_#^%)!" to nobody in particular.
4:41: Bob arrived and we headed for Magic 98.
1/30
OK, maybe you WON'T be in Dallas, Texas for the Packer victory, but a trip to Dallas, Wisconsin and the nearby Canoe Bay resort may be one of the coolest prizes Magic has ever offered, if only because of the timing. Even people that like winter are getting tired of cloudy days and shoveling snow. Hope you win!
1/16
I have no clue what an athlete goes through, having retired at 14 when I didn't make the Junior Varsity basketball team, but I think the Packers could win it all. They are not easily rattled, and I think that's because of Mike McCarthy. The 1996 team lead by Mike Holmgren had the same "swagger." I'm not sure what that means, but I'm guessing it's confidence, relying on teammates and not overthinking the competition.
12/27
A Christmas memory this year didn't involve sitting by the tree surrounded by family, but sitting in a restaurant surrounded by strangers. My daughter was in the typical situation of trying to please two families, one gathered in rural Minnesota Portland Oregon
11/28
My "Black Friday" tradition includes shopping, but only for old stuff. For years I've used the day to hit the various antiques malls in places like Lake Geneva, Delavan, Walworth. Milton used to have two, now they're both gone. I found a new place this year, and it's BIG. Worth the drive just across the Illinois line.
11/6
I love places like this and I'm sad they are disappearing. As easy as it is to preview and buy music on-line, it's not as much fun as searching for treasures...especially when the store is a converted old house in a cool part of Madison.
10/8
Five things about my wife:
* She smiles and makes friends easily. Our neighbors like her. She defines "Minnesota Nice"
* She is excellent with money, pushed for our first house, pays off credit cards.
* She's intelligent and well-versed on current issues. I'd choose a Seinfeld re-run, she'd choose CNN.
* She is a great mom. Our 20-something daughter still calls and visits.
* She married me 27 years ago today and just left a "Happy Anniversary" message on my voice-mail.
9/16
Here's a video of Jean and Kevin Zimmermann, talking about the Madison event that will help to increase the reward fund to find the criminal(s) that killed their daughter.
8/22
I was standing right next to rock royalty and didn't even know it. Not a household name, but Kenny Edwards was a key contributor to the "California Sound." His obit lists a stunning group of musicians he worked with and influenced. One Sunday morning at Magic about 15 years ago Kathryn Vaughn and I were waiting for singer Karla Bonoff to arrive. She was in town for a concert that night, and we were excited that she'd agreed to perform on Magic that morning. She walked in the building accompanied by a quiet man, both of them carrying guitars. Neither had an ounce of "star" arrogance, just two working class musicians who'd done this drill countless times. After chatting on-air a few minutes they performed "The water is wide." Sure wish I could find the tape of that performance. Sure wish I'd had a clue of Kenny Edwards career. Can you imagine the stories he could've told? Here's another performance from Karla and Kenny - he's on the far right.
8/11
Bob Bonner and I recall one of the all-time great Magic 98 events in 1992. We found a large screen TV, brought some snacks, rented the top floor of the old Civic Center and invited 98 listeners to watch Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" finale. I think Carson has been the single greatest entertainer in my lifetime, and his company has finally starting sharing some great "Tonight Show" moments on-line. They say 2000 people worked over the past year on digitally producing every available Carson show.
8/3
My weekday alarm clock has been set for 4AM for over 25 years, and I often wake up before it rings. When people ask about my peculiar schedule it's usually with some astonishment, like "HOW do you handle getting up so early?!" I reply with "my job is fun...and you get used to the hours." I do have some rituals and routines, though. Thankfully my wife is used to my Felix Unger-like preparations, particularly on Sundays. I'm up by 6:00 (even if she sleeps until 9:00). Always some exercise, even if it's just walking the dog. No coffee past noon, one drink (no more) around 5:00, fresh sheets on the bed, and at 8:00 I'm listening to "The Lone Ranger" or whatever is on WPR's excellent "Old Time Radio"...and fall asleep almost immediately. That's the wild lifestyle of a morning disc jockey.
7/19
I just had a great vacation and never left town. The highlight was actually at scenic Dane County Regional Airport, when my daughter arrived. We packed a lot into just a few days, including a couple "Madison" basics I'd never experienced: trips to the Babcock Hall Dairy Store (great malts) and to the observation deck at the Capitol (great view). One day we hit "Sugar Shack Records" where Kate found a Carole King CD she'd always wanted.
And we celebrated Kate's birthday with an excellent meal at L'Etoile during their final week at 25 North Pinckney. The staff there was excited about the move just down the street to 1 South Pinckney. I'm so proud of my daughter, and happy that she's in a meaningful relationship and career on the west coast. I keep waiting for the day when it's easy to say "so long for now," but so far it hasn't arrived.
6/27
I don't watch a lot of sports on TV, but I always try to catch Roger Federer at Wimbledon.
This is why. Something else I've been enjoying lately is a show about two guys, Mike and Frank, traveling the U.S. in their van to find collectibles.
6/8
The 4th of July this year falls on a Sunday, just like it did in 1976. That was the year the legendary WISM radio in Madison couldn't wait to celebrate the Bicentennial, so they created "Spirit Of Madison Day." On June 17th, 1976, Madison notables like Elroy Hirsch, Patrick Lucey and Paul Soglin provided their thoughts as to why Madison was great. The 24 hours of programming was recorded, and the tapes were delivered to the Wisconsin Historical Society, to be reviewed in 100 years. You might be around in 2076, but I doubt I will be...so here is an audio time capsule
6/1
Culver's, I like you...and I applaud your innovation...but this is too adventurous for me.
5/10
Go enjoy "Picnic Point" during the cool weather and before the bugs arrive. I took my golden "Augie" there yesterday. The signs say the typical things: bikes should go slow, dogs on leashes. One should be added: no cell phones.
4/18
I was listening to Magic's retro Casey Kasem show last night. These are the original "American Top 40" programs as heard in the 1970s, and this episode was from the spring of 1973 (Casey has retired but is alive and well in California, apparently writing his life story). On came a live version of this from Neil Diamond. It was actually his first hit in the 60s, but released on a 1972 concert album called "Hot August Night." Even these days at age 69, Diamond continues to be one of the biggest concert acts in music.
3/26
I was 6 years old when "Batman" came to television...and I was hooked. The Caped Crusader has never gone out of style for me. I'm writing this from my basement beneath "Stately O'Neill Manor." On the wall is a framed Batman poster, next to a autographed glossy of "Catwoman" Julie Newmar, next to a "Batman" lunchbox, the same one I took to first grade at Oregon Elementary School. I often play "Batman" music in the background during Magic morning traffic reports. Am I the biggest "Batfreak" around? Nope, it's Magic 98 listener Darryl, who sent me this picture.
1/16
I'm with Conan. He waited for years to host "The Tonight Show." He moved his family and staff from New York to California. And within months NBC creates one of the greatest show biz blunders ever. I am confused by one point made again and again. NBC affiliates across the country have complained of Leno's small audience leading into their local news. If you watch a specific 10:00PM Madison TV newscast, I assume you're like me and capable of tuning it in, regardless of what you were watching at 9:00. When did America become so lazy?
12/3
With the lousy economy and everybody watching their money so closely, it would be natural to see contributions to Magic's "Holiday Wish" down this year...but maybe not. We've seen some substantial gifts from listeners and businesses already, and our annual on-air fundraising event is still a week away.
10/15
Whenever a Magic listener sends me an especially nice e-mail or note, I hang on to it. I don't have anything as dramatic as the letter once sent to the legendary Dick Biondi at WLS/Chicago. One night on his show he mentioned an unusually stunning sunset. A woman on the brink of suicide was listening. She went to the window to look, thought it over some more and changed her mind. In my file I have an e-mail from a person that appreciated our morning show in the days after 9/11. Another mentioned enjoying my on-air phone call to my daughter on the day she graduated from high school. This week I received a letter from a listener who's mom had recently died. This person had the task of sorting through some belongings, found something their mom had kept for over 20 years, and decided to mail it to me. It's a color postcard (autographed!) of the 1988 Magic 98 staff...me, Juli Hinds, Johnny Marks and Tim Brickner.
9/7
Thanks to the "O'Bros" for inviting me on-stage at "Taste of Madison" to provide the intro to the Chi-Lites/Have you seen her. I spent weeks memorizing my brief lines ("One month ago today I was happy as a lark") as was happy to not blow it.
Saw a good review recently for the Alchemy on Atwood Avenue, so we tried it over the weekend. Excellent burgers and a "BLFT" featuring fried tomato, plus live music. Cool place.
8/19
Daughter Kate was back in Madison to celebrate her 25th birthday, which we did at L'Etoile, her favorite restaurant. The entire crew there is impressive, very knowledgable about their food and wine, but Chef Tory Miller is world class. No wonder "Gourmet Magazine" saluted this restaurant.
8/7
I tried a recipe for a homemade pizza crust, but it bombed. I followed the directions carefully. My toppings (pesto, black olives, several cheeses) were excellent, but the crust was gummy. Maybe 20 minutes at 325 degrees = soggy crust? Maybe I need to toss out the standard baking sheet and get a pizza stone? Your advice is welcome at pat.oneill@magic98.com
7/31
Just back from a great vacation with my wife and daughter Kate in Washington DC. We first took Kate to DC (a day and a half by car) in the hot summer of '88, and I recall carrying my toddler up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Now at 25 she's the boss, choosing the restaurants and hailing cabs. We spent hours at the assorted Smithsonian museums, shopped in Georgetown, even found a Farmer's Market. By the way, if you plan to visit this city anytime soon, Northwest has a non-stop flight under two hours from Madison to Reagan National. A scene we'll always remember: standing near the White House one evening, we wondered where the nearest "Metro" (DC's excellent subway system) stop was. Kate spotted a good looking man walking past us and asked if he could assist. As he was pointing out the route, Kate realized she was talking to hottie actor (and now White House official) Kal Penn.
7/19
Magic is airing a brief retrospective tomorrow that recalls the Apollo 11 events of this week in 1969. For me it's a slice of childhood, as the TV was always on (and always Walter Cronkite) for the various space adventures of the 1960s. It was the summer before 4th grade, but I got up early to watch the Apollo 11 launch...then stayed up late to see the moonwalk. If you happen to see the TV coverage of the lunar lander approaching the moon, note the NASA voice calling off how much fuel is left ("30 seconds!") as Neil Armstrong is attempting to find just the right spot to touch down. His performance under pressure was amazing.
6/13
On yesterday's "8:00 Honk" we played "Summer Nights" from the movie "Grease." It was Friday, sunny, and graduation day for many. As the song played I thought of the 1970s graduates that packed the theaters to see John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, then thought let's play another song from the movie, so I put on "You're The One That I Want." The phone rang and a woman said "THIS is why Magic 98 ROCKS! I'm in the BEST mood! Thanks!" People like that make getting up at 3:30AM worthwhile.
2/21
After 20+ years at Vilas Zoo, Nanuq the Polar Bear has left for Buffalo, New York...so here's a blog note from the past.
Magic 98 listeners once turned a sad event into something special. Early on a Sunday morning in March 1988 a developmentally disabled man walked into Henry Vilas Zoo and climbed into the polar bear compound, home of the massive bear "Chief." To save the man's life a Madison police officer was forced to shoot and kill Chief. People were shocked and sad.
A few days later we interviewed Zoo Director Dr. David Hall on the morning show and asked what it would cost to find a new polar bear. He estimated $25,000. I pledged that if Magic 98 listeners would contribute $9800 I would shave my head in public. While hardly an original radio tactic - my former boss Chuck Knapp at KS95 Minneapolis had done it when the Twins won the World Series, and several Madison personalities have tried it since - it got the needed attention. On March 16, 1988 Magic broadcast live all day at Vilas Zoo. We reached our goal by noon, and by the end of the day had raised $27,000. My hair stylist Amy took her shears to me with hundreds of people watching (and thousands more on WISC's "Live At 5.") I still have the stylish cap my wife, Lee, bought me.
What happened next was truly "Magical." Dr. Hall learned that the Anchorage zoo had taken possesion of two orphaned polar bear cubs and was searching for a home for them. A trip was quickly arranged, with the people at Madison icon Oscar Mayer contributing a corporate jet. I was thrilled to join a small group including Dr. Hall and Wisconsin State Journal nature writer Steve Hopkins on the one-day trip, 10 hours total in the air. A Vilas veterinarian cared for the cubs, keeping the airplane cabin frosty cool. As the bears slept during the flight home we couldn't resist petting them. What looks like golden retriever fur actually feels like steel wool. No surprise, since they do endure "polar" conditions, but there is not a cuter baby animal on earth. The plane landed in Madison and a parade lead the bears to their new home. The brothers were named "Nanuq" and "Norton."
Apparently polar bears brothers don't stay friendly as they grow older, so the amazing 800 pound Norton lives in Detroit these days. If you'd like to share this story with your kids, I found this great version on-line.
1/24
One TV news commentator listed the Obama inauguaration as among the top 5 U.S. historical dates of his life. I agree. What would make your "Top 5" list? Bob and I discussed this on-air, and our own lists were close but not exact matches. My wife's list ignored the space program. Here's what I came up with:
11/22/63 JFK assassination
4/4/68 MLK assassination
7/20/69 Man on the moon
9/11/01 Terrorist attacks
1/20/09 Obama inauguration
At first I listed the 8/9/74 Nixon resignation and 1/28/86 Challenger disaster. You can make a case that three other Presidents besides Kennedy were assassinated, but only Nixon resigned. That's what makes this a subjective exercise.
12/6
It was freezing on Friday afternoon, and I was whipped after a long week. I got home by 3PM and treated myself to a rare nap. I woke to a phone call that a Magic 98 advertiser was abruptly changing stategy and needed an immediate emergency meeting. I protested that my wife and I had dinner plans. Bring her along, I was told, it'll take ten minutes.
Still tired (and now cranky) I jumped in the shower, jumped in the car, grabbed a cup at Starbucks and grumbled on the drive to the meeting. A staffer opened the door...and then colleagues and friends yelled "surprise" at a party to celebrate my 25 years at Magic 98.
Amidst the laughter, balloons, pictures and video (hope it doesn't end up on youtube) we had a delicious dinner and margaritas, thanks to Benjamin and crew at Pasquals. Next, in the style of "This Is Your Life," it was announced that since everyone couldn't make the party we'd be listening to some recorded comments. For the next 40 minutes, in a brilliantly produced montage of music and interviews, I was treated to stories and recollections from dozens of my best friends in broadcasting, capped with a "long distance dedication" from my daughter Kate in Portland, Oregon. It was incredibly moving. When it ended I stood up and tried to let everyone in the room know how special they are to me.
We all have those unforgettable days in our lives, when we said "I do," witnessed a birth, accepted a great job offer or moved into our first house. Those are all on my list. Last night is, too. It was a "magical" moment, created by some wonderful people that I'm honored to work with.
12/1
We won’t spend a lot of time on-air talking about this, because I don’t think it’s all that interesting to all our listeners, but it’s a notable day in Magic 98 history. We turn 25 today. So I’ll use this space for a few stories.
The original Magic 98 DJ line-up was, for some reason, all guys. Craig Wood handled overnights, I was on 6-10AM, “Officer”Jim Reed (formerly on WISM) was the midday voice, a Denver radio guy named Vic Martin was hired for 2-6PM, and Johnny Marks moved from Rockford’s WZOK to host 6-11PM.
I’m proud to have hosted the first Magic morning show on December 1, 1983, but I can’t really claim 25 consecutive years. In early 1985 I was offered the morning show at Minneapolis’s W-LITE. No offense to anyone working at such a station, but to me the "Lite" radio format is a yawn. My instructions were to take no listener phone calls, just open the mic and say “Here’s Whitney Houston.” (Even when playing Michael Bolton we said “Here’s Whitney Houston.”) After just a few weeks I realized my mistake, quit and accepted Magic’s offer to return. That makes it nearly 24 years hosting mornings at the same Madison station, which I believe is a record previously held by Clyde Coffee or Jim Mader.
Did you know that half-a-dozen current staffers joined Magic 98 in the 1980s? That’s unheard of in today’s crazed media atmosphere! So here’s to my talented colleagues in this exclusive club: Bob Bonner, Jim McGaw, Kathryn Vaughn, Sara Freeman and Juli Hinds.
It’s rare these days for a radio station to last 25 years with the same approach. Our company’s legendary WISM-AM (1959-1984) set a standard, and in many ways helped launch the former “Movin’ Easy WISM-FM” into what you hear today. I think our success is based on equal parts entertainment, information and service to the community.
Looking back I realize many good things seem to happen almost by accident. Tedd O'Connell had been anchoring both morning news on Magic 98 and evening news on WISC-TV, but the long days finally caught up with him and he resigned from Magic in 1988. I wasn't impressed with any of the standard "anchor" candidates that my boss offered, and I clearly remember one heated meeting about it. I suggested that we had someone in the newsroom with a colorful personality but the wrong job description, attending city council meetings and writing standard news stories ("The man displayed a weapon and then fled on foot.") Both the General Manager and News Director predicted failure, but finally agreed to a morning show tryout for...Bob Bonner.
11/30
A "Tom & Jerry" was one of my family's holiday rituals as far back as I can remember. My Grandpa Mal was especially fond of them, always heating the mugs on the stove before mixing the drinks. The kids were served an "unloaded" version. The recipe below was contributed by a Magic 98 listener back in the 80s, and it's a big upgrade from the sugary batter you find in grocery stores. If you like it, please pass it along to your friends. It's also posted in the RECIPES section on Magic98.com.
6 eggs
6 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cream tartar
1/4 tsp all spice
3 to 4 drops oil of clove
3 to 4 drops oil of cinnamon
Separate eggs, beat white with cream of tartar until stiff. Gradually add 3 cups of sugar, set aside. Beat yolks until thick, add remaining sugar and spices and fold together. Keeps up to one week in refrigerator, or freeze.
Fill 1/3 of a heated mug with batter, fill remainder of mug with boiling water and stir. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. For adults only add one shot of rum and one shot of brandy.
8/9
Goofy assignments are part of the job when you are starting out at small town radio stations. To promote "The Adventures Of Chicken Man" on KOLM/Rochester, I was told to dress in a chicken costume and surprise customers at local Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants. I didn't know of a more absurd idea until Tedd O'Connell told his story one day on Magic 98 years ago. Recalling an early job at KCHA/Charles City, Iowa, Tedd was instructed to take a tape recorder to the local Greyhound bus station and interview folks for a new feature called "Who's Coming To Town?"
8/2
I was happy to find a CD called "Robert Palmer-The Island Years" for $5 in a re-sale store. His 70s song "Every Kinda People" is one of my favorites, although the liner notes say he was best known for his 80s video "Addicted To Love, featuring a bevy of mini-skirted deadpan models. Although his public image was that of a sharp-dressed playboy, friends knew him as a down-to-earth musician, totally uninterested in the trappings of the music business." Palmer appeared on Jay Leno's show in 1994 (for more see the 3/22 entry below) and stayed afterward to chat with a group of us radio types. I remember him as unpretentious, almost shy. He was curious how his latest release was being received. Strange-but-true: the other guest on "The Tonight Show" that evening was actor John Ritter. Years later both Palmer and Ritter would die of heart attacks within a few days of each other.
6/21
I got about 3 hours sleep Thursday, but it was worth it. I knew that the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association would be inducting Jonathan Little into their Hall of Fame, but with two Magic staffers on vacation I didn't think I could break away from work. After I read Doug Moe's column in the Wisconsin State Journal (below in case you missed it) I knew I had to be there. Thanks to Jim McGaw handling morning duty for me, I was able to get to scenic Sturgeon Bay just in time. Jonathan's standing ovation was well-deserved.
If Toni Tennille isn't doing anything Thursday, she should show up in Sturgeon Bay for Jonathan Little's induction into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
Tennille might not remember Little's name after all these years, but she owes him, and she knows it. Little in 1976 was the program director at WISM-AM, a top-40 radio station in Madison. One of the iron rules of top-40 radio was that you played hits over and over again, until everyone was sick of them, and then you played them some more.
Little, who was not famous for following the rules, used to listen to tracks on albums beyond those the record companies released as singles. One day in 1976, he stumbled on a silly but infectious song on an album by the Captain and Tennille. Little played the song on WISM-AM, which was a highly popular music station in Madison, though FM radio was on the scene and soon to assume the music radio throne.
Madison listeners embraced the dopey but lovable song. They kept calling WISM asking to hear it again. Little contacted the record company and said they might be sitting on a hit. The record company disagreed. Little played it some more. "It was our most requested song," he was recalling Tuesday.
Finally the record company woke up, and released "Muskrat Love" as a single. It was a runaway success and for many years, when she introduced the song in concert, Tennille would thank the program director in Madison who recognized a top-40 hit when he heard one.
Jonathan Little has usually gone with his instincts, and they've taken him a long way, all the way to Thursday's fete in Sturgeon Bay, where, coincidentally, Little was born. I think it is fair to say the WBA Hall of Fame is long on executives and somewhat short on programmers and personalities. Since Little has done just about everything there is to do in radio, his resume includes time in management, but his passion has always been the music and the people who make it. He has been a consistent champion of Madison and Wisconsin artists. Little's Hall of Fame induction is both inspired and deserved.
"It's pretty cool," he said of the honor. Little's voice -- instantly recognizable to two generations of Madisonians -- hasn't changed much over the years and neither has his laid-back persona. His family, though, is making a big deal of the ceremony. His wife, father and daughters -- in from Phoenix and Denver -- will attend.
Retired Packers president Bob Harlan is speaking at noon Thursday and Willie Davis, the former great Green Bay defensive end, will be inducted into the WBA Hall of Fame that night alongside Little (the other inductees are Milwaukee radio executive Mike McCormick and Burlington broadcast educator Terry Havel). Davis owned radio stations in West Allis, Milwaukee and around the country.
Little grew up in Montello, and his route to the Hall of Fame began at UW-Madison in the spring of 1962, when he worked for WLHA on campus. The call letters stood for Lakeshore Halls Association and its reach -- the station was all of 25 watts -- was such that it couldn 't be heard much farther than the hall or the lakeshore.
"But it was experience," Little said.
His first paying job was reading the news at WSPT in Stevens Point. He got $1.25 an hour and when the UPS man walked through the door, Little's radio career was almost over before it started. They chatted and it turned out the fledgling delivery company was looking for drivers and paying $3.25 an hour. "I agonized," Little said, but he stuck with radio.
After stops here and there -- including one at WDUZ in Green Bay -- Little wound up at WISM in Madison. As program director and on-air personality, he distinguished himself by scoring interviews with touring artists and then incorporating those interviews into the music programming.
Little interviewed Jimi Hendrix between 1968 shows at The Factory on Gorham Street (a poster from that concert once sold for $25,000). He got 15 minutes with Elton John, and in 1976, after Little interviewed Harry Chapin, and told Chapin how much he admired the way he ended his shows with the sing-along "Circle," Chapin invited Little on stage at the Dane County Coliseum to participate in the song.
After WISM, Little worked at several other Madison stations and is proud of having helped launch WMMM-FM in 1991. Today, he is still active, as an executive with Troy Research, a broadcast and movie market research firm, and as personal manager for a number of artists.
Toni Tennille may not make the induction ceremony Thursday night, but, hey, Willie Davis will be there. "It's nice to be going in with a defensive end," Little said.
2/8
Just read an article that claims when it comes to music we all have some guilty pleasures. Songs we secretly like. Since you're visiting my blog, here's my confession:
* Herb Alpert/This Guy's In love with You - I ridicule "Tijuana Taxi" every Friday on the "8 O'clock Honk," and this great trumpet player was hardly a great vocalist, but the melody of this song is Burt Bacharach and Hal David at their peak.
* Glen Campbell/Witchita Lineman - same thing: a great writer (Jimmy Webb) outshines an OK singer.
* Mocedades/Eres Tu - Not sure why. I don't speak Spanish, although Oregon High teacher Anna Anderson sent me the lyrics to this 1974 hit.
* Rick Derringer/Teenage Love Affair - I was 14, the lyrics were racy, etc.
1/3
I'm taking advatange of a few days off-air by staying up past 9PM! My wife and I were out the other night, and drove past Kromrey School in Middleton. The streetlights barely illuminated some animal slowly limping across the athletic field. Figuring it was an injured dog, we called Middleton Police. Minutes later an officer arrived, drove his car to the edge of the field and used his heavy duty flashlight to investigate. Then he said to us (I am not making this up) "That's not a dog, that's the three-legged Coyote." Turns out this animal has been spotted around town frequently, but remains a fugitive.
12/28/07
JD Barber hosted Madison's top-rated morning show of the 1980s on Z104. When I learned of his death this morning, I instantly thought of Monday November 28, 1983. I had moved back to my hometown after 10 years, ready to host mornings as the new "Magic 98" would take over from WISM-FM that week. It was bitterly cold in Madison. All my belongings were in boxes in a cheap apartment. As I drove to Lums for some breakfast I scanned the radio dial. "Peter B" was on WIBA. Jim Mader was playing Sinatra on WERU. But JD and his crew (Ralph Cohen, Judy Newman) were far and away the best in town. I recall thinking "this will be formidable competition"...and I was right. While Magic 98 was successful from day one, JD would continue to host the #1 rated morning show for years to come.
10/31/07
My Minneapolis radio reunion was great fun, a lotta handshakes, hugs and pictures. The turnout was strong. I think most everyone that worked there realized what a special radio station we had. I especially enjoyed introducing my daughter to this great group of professionals.
10/23/07 (warning: longest blog entry ever)
I got an early start in radio, working part-time during my high school years when my family lived in Rochester, Minnesota. When I was 16 I discovered an interesting FM station in Minneapolis. Most kids my age were listening to rock and top 40, but this particular station stood out with it’s mixture of pop, jazz and whatever. It was not unusual to hear Joni Mitchell next to Spyro Gyra next to a Chicago album cut. The announcers were personable, funny, very connected to the Twin Cities. Even the call letters were legendary: WCCO-FM. I listened to it constantly.
Joan Kutner was a Rochester-based actress and voice talent who occasionally recorded commercials at my station. We got to talking about Minneapolis radio one day and she mentioned her occasional recording projects with WCCO-FM personality Tim Russell. She said “Why don’t I ask Tim to give you a tour?”
March 8, 1978. I skipped a day of my senior year and drove the 80 miles to Minneapolis. For a radio geek like me just walking into the station was a thrill. The studios were on 11th street, with picture windows looking at the downtown skyline. This was big-time radio! I watched as Tim finished his show, then he introduced me to station manager Paul Stagg. I told Stagg how much I liked the station and how much I’d like to work there someday. I also took the opportunity to give him a demo cassette of me on-air in Rochester.
Six months later I was surprised by a phone call from Paul Stagg. He said “How'd you like to work here?” I moved to Minneapolis!
For the next four years I worked my way up the on-air ladder at WCCO-FM. Weekends, then overnights, evenings and finally afternoons. I met my future wife, Lee. I thought we’d be in Minneapolis forever.
But Twin Cities radio was changing fast. Other stations offered bigger contests, fewer commercials, and marketed themselves constantly. CCO-FM management didn't respond. Listener loyalty eroded. In September 1982 the station flipped formats to Top 40 and fired most of the staff, including me.
WCCO-FM floundered with it’s new sound, eventually changing names, formats (again) and ownership, but I enjoyed my time there and will always remember what a great station it once was. All the talented people I worked with went on to new things, and this weekend most of us are gathering in Minneapolis for the first reunion in 25 years.
10/8/07
Just back from a fun weekend in the Twin Cities, which included a performance of Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion." My wife and daughter enjoyed the music and comedy, while I (as "Radio Dork") paid close attention to the technical requirements, timing, equipment, etc. The mellow, gentle, warm sound of this radio program is a contrast to what happens in St. Paul's Fitzgerald Theater, where the production feels more like a complicated Broadway play. Keillor is clearly the boss, constantly whispering to technicians during the musical numbers and sometimes makes changes to the actor's scripts during a sketch.
10/2/07
My generation remembers Danny Bonaduce as "Danny Partridge," although he's been working in radio broadcasting for years. When a Magic 98 salesperson left Madison for a job at WLUP in the early 90s, Danny Bonaduce was their afternoon host. I gave her a gag gift CD of "The Partridge Family's Greatest Hits." A few months later it was sent to me, inscribed "To Pat O'Neill...I think I love you...Danny Bonaduce."
9/17/07
"Bruce The Carpenter" died over the weekend at age 91. Listeners to Magic in the 80s will recall his Friday morning appearances, dispensing home project advice as his theme (a piece of classical music punctuated by a handsaw, as created by former bandleader Edmundo) played in the background. That description doesn't sound like entertainment, but I thought it was a riot. Bruce was a modest, quiet man and an excellent carpenter, but I'm not sure he ever noticed that each week's question came from "Ed on Sycamore Avenue," in reality my uncle.
8/11/07
Sometimes visitors to the Magic 98 studio say it doesn't appear as they imagined. I'm sure everyone has a different version, if the thought even occurs to them. We're in our third building in the station's history, a beautiful new complex on the west side, minutes from restaurants, the Beltline, etc. The studio is big, bright, comfortable. Large windows look to the west. We're surrounded by state-of-the-art equipment. But I doubt it would have impressed me more than our company's original WISM studio, which I first saw as a teenager. (Yawning? That's OK. Only radio geeks will read further). The building was on rural Syene Road, selected because the transmitting towers could stand in the nearby swamps. That meant mice and snakes were frequent visitors. The studio was maybe 10x10 feet, one tiny window. (60s WISM DJ "King Richard" claimed morning man Clyde Coffee had the window open one early morning and found a curious horse peaking inside). There was a tremendous energy because of the one (AM mono, remember) large, always-blasting speaker that occupied most of a wall. The low ceiling had multi-colored track lighting, a mod look for the time. The personalities played music from turntables, choosing 45s from a waist-high wooden record rack in the back of the room. (For some reason I was intrigued by that piece of furniture and later had a carpenter build something similar for me. It remains in my basement to this day. My wife knows we will never get rid of it). Beyond what was in the room is what came out of the room...the music, the entertainment, the life-long memories created by the 1970s WISM crew. It was Madison's original "Magic." Since my friend Jonathan Little spent many years there creating his popular afternoon show, I've asked him for some recollections.
Pat, the WISM studio you refer to was cozy like a closet. Most of the announcers worked with the door open year round. The AC would ice up on a hot, humid summer’s day. You’d have to turn off the AC for 30 minutes or so to defrost it. It was cold in that studio in the winter months. However, with a big 5,000 watt transmitter right down the hall you could warm the studio with the door open. My first shift in that studio was a Sunday morning 7am – 12 Noon more than 40 years ago. I was working full-time in the WISM sales department, but really wanted air time in that little studio whenever possible. I didn’t do Sunday mornings long. PD Jay O’Day decided I should be on Saturday night from 8pm until 1pm and Sunday night from 7pm until 1am. Unbelievably exciting, even though it meant I was working seven days a week….every week...playing the hits on Madison’s most popular radio station. The phone rang constantly with requests and I did my best to get them on. Since we couldn’t have a phone ringing when we were talking live on the mic, the engineers had hooked a big light to the phone lines. Whenever a phone line rang, this bright light came on. When I worked Saturday and Sunday nights, I don’t think the light was ever off. Back in those days the WISM phone line was Alpine 5-1234. Here’s a story with synchronicity. The very first 45 rpm single I ever bought was “Young Love” by Sonny James, a hit in '56 while I was in high school. One Saturday while I was on the air at WISM in 1966, a tall man dressed in black and wearing a cowboy hat came in the back door and walked down the hall to the WISM studio. You can imagine how shocked I was to have Sonny James step into the studio and greet me. He was actually looking for another radio station, but he saw the WISM tower and decided to stop in. I asked if he was up for an on-air visit and he obliged. I did my very first interview of a major recording artist with Sonny James, the Country Gentleman. During my 13 or so years with WISM I conducted dozens of interviews with major artists. Some artists you hear on Saturday at the 70's who stopped by that cozy little closet in the 70's were Harry Chapin, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Dan Fogelberg, Tim Weisberg, Charlie Daniels, Burton Cummings of the Guess Who, Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon and many more. So many aspects of my radio career were launched in that little old WISM Studio at 3220 Syene Road.
6/10/07
It will take a long time to process everything from "The Concert For Gilda's Club." There was an energy and excitement at Magic 98...sometimes close to a controlled chaos...that I've never seen. Even with months of planning (What kind of incentives can we offer listeners? How do we obtain them? Where are all the "live" CDs? How do we feed the volunteers? Where can the Channel 3 crew set up for multiple "live shots" each day?) it was a tidal wave of surprises and non-stop activity. Dozens of Gilda's volunteers answering phones. Hundreds of calls responding to a genuine community need. We all heard amazingly candid on-air appearances. Gilda's brother Michael phoned from Detroit and told us of the positive impact a "Gilda's Club" has had in every city lucky enough to have one. Badger leaders Barry Alvarez, Mike Eaves, Lisa Stone, Bo Ryan and Brett Bielema showed their unified support. (It was fascinating to be around these people in-person. They all are warm yet direct, have a tangible confidence and upbeat, winning attitude. It's no wonder that the young men and women at the UW respond to them so well). WISC-TV's Toni Morrissey explained how upsetting her initial skin cancer diagnois was and how a "Gilda's Club" will support future patients. Listener Suey Starcyznski told us what a stage 4 patient deals with. Magic artist (and breast cancer survivor) Meslissa Etheridge e-mailed us a recorded endorsement for airing during the show. The late Mike McKinney's mother, Barbara, explained how much having a Madison Gilda's Club would mean to Mike. A lovely young mom, Kim Feller, and her two children Alyssa and Ben, stressed how helpful Gilda's Club had been as husband and father Mike fought cancer.
5/25/07
After the graduation celebration, my wife and daughter boarded a plane for Paris, a city Kate has dreamed of visiting for many years. I knew they would enjoy the art museums, cafes and shopping (and that I'd go nuts if I went along) so I volunteered to drive Kate's car home. I did it in one day, Boston to Madison, 20 hours. I could have gone faster, but I hopped off the interstate in Springfield, MA to see the "Basketball Hall Of Fame"...which was closed! At least I had a radio. I doubt one person has listened to more stations in a single day. Here's a partial list: "Mix"/Boston, WFAN/New York, WTIC/Hartford, WSYR/Syracuse, WJET/Erie, Q104/Cleveland, WHAS/Louisville, V98.7/Detroit, "The River"/Toledo, the legendary Dick Biondi on oldies WZZN/Chicago...and, finally, around 2AM, Magic 98.
5/22/07
Our family spent the weekend in rainy Boston, where Kate O'Neill received diplomas for her art history and journalism degrees. As much as the long hours of study have helped her decide the kind of career she'd like, I could tell from watching her hail cabs, pack her apartment and generally navigate life in the big city that these past four years have prepared her to be on her own. In a few weeks she's off to Minneapolis for an internship at the Walker Art Center.
5/17/07
My daughter graduates from college this weekend. Our friends say that it seems like Kate just left high school. To me it seems she was just born. Wonder why this milestone reminds me of that? I remember like it was yesterday. July 31, 1984 was humid in Madison. My wife had a rough final week of pregnancy. Dr. Price decided a C-section was needed. I was told I could watch, provided I get into some hospital scrubs. Nurse Kris Clary gave Kate her first bath, wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to me. It was after midnight as I carried Kate up and down the hospital halls. She had beautiful blue eyes and was very alert. When my wife awoke after the surgery she asked what happened. I said "Kate O'Neill is here." (A few years earlier we were visiting Duluth, saw a store named "Katy O'Neill's" and instantly decided on a name if we ever had a daughter). Everyone fell asleep around 4AM. I headed home...then discovered I was still wearing the hospital scrubs. I still have them.
5/2/07
I think the Donny Osmond you heard on our morning show interview is "a regular guy." (If you missed it, we'll be re-playing portions in the next few days and post a segment on Magic's website). The "pre-interview stuff" you don't hear on the radio is sometimes interesting. Will a representative call on behalf of a celebrity? Are certain questions off limits? Not with Donny. He called us himself (on-the-dot of the 7AM scheduled interview) from his home in Utah. He's been in show business for so long it's hard to ask him an original question. When Bob asked he if he regularly "hung out with Marie" he said no, he "prefers LaToya."
4/17/07
I would guess the ultimate reward for a teacher is knowing that they had a positive impact on kids. (I know they don't pursue the profession for money). Even though I started working on-air in radio while still in high school, I was a bit intimidated by the kids that had the talent and courage to get on stage for the high school musicals. Finally, in my senior year, as the school was getting set for Cole Porter's "Anything Goes," my music teacher Gerald "Smitty" Smith suggested I audition. I told him there was no way I going to sing in a roomful of people. He said, "come back here after school...you can audition for me." While he played piano I sang (or whispered) a few lines of "You're the top." I got a part in the play, had a great time...and have never forgotten his kindness. Smitty died on Monday in Arizona. Hundreds of his students have been e-mailing one another, each of them recalling their own experiences with this special teacher.
9/11/06
Most of us have moments from 9-11 permanently etched in our minds. Like many, I first heard from Bob Bonner that a plane had struck the World Trade Center. After his bulletin we turned on a TV in our studio and watched the surreal scene of the second plane crash. At that point we decided Magic listeners would best be served by wall-to-wall information, so for the better part of two days we broadcast CNN audio. It's dark in September when I arrive at Magic, and I will never forget seeing a huge, brilliantly lit American flag on the Beltline as I drove to the station the next morning. We opened our show with Paul Simon's "American Tune," with it's reference to the Statue of Liberty. Then, caring and concerned Magic 98 listeners took over, phoning in thoughtful observations. One of Bob's friends is a psychologist, who joined us on-air with helpful information on dealing with kids during such a stressful time. Production Director Paul Blair brilliantly captured audio from New York and Washington for Magic's audience. I wrote this piece for the Magic website a year later.
It was my first visit to New York City. August of 2001, just a month before the terrorist attacks. My wife and daughter and I did the things visitors to New York usually do. Broadway shows, a sandwich at Rupert Jee’s deli just around the corner from David Letterman’s studio, a drive through Central Park. While my family was occupied in the garment district, I toured NBC. On our way to hop the ferry for the Statue of Liberty trip…and doing 50 mph, thanks to our New York cab driver…we zoomed past the World Trade Center complex, never dreaming what would happen on that very spot a few weeks later.
Our vacation ended way too soon, as most vacations do. We loved our visit and we discarded our stereotypes of New York. The energy and excitement of this city is found nowhere else.
As we watched the attack a month later, it was eerie to think…”I was just there.”
A year later, August 2002, the three of us piled in the car for a long drive east, this time to look at college opportunities for my daughter. We toured several schools up and down the East Coast, then drove into Manhattan…an experience in itself. We arrived late afternoon, checked into our hotel, hailed a cab and headed to Ground Zero.
The cabby said nothing…clearly, he’d made the drive hundreds of times. He dropped us off in front of St. Paul’s Chapel, the oldest public building in New York. George Washington attended services there. It’s surrounded by a beautiful wrought-iron fence, about 12 feet high. Every inch is covered with a child’s artwork for a missing parent, a friend’s poem, pictures. Ballet slippers hang next to fireman’s boots. There’s a T-shirt sent from the Reedsburg, Wisconsin fire department.
My family joined the dozens of other people taking the emotional walk around this memorial. Ground Zero is bigger than it appears on TV. Hundreds of people are there around the clock. We introduced ourselves to a young policeman. His name was Chris, and he spent an hour telling us about September 11th.
He was testifying in a nearby courtroom when the first terrorist airplane hit. He raced to the scene, assisting a woman suffering an apparent heart attack. Concerned that buildings were in danger, he argued with a reporter to leave the scene…but the reporter, working for the Wall Street Journal, was on-the-air with CNN and refused to leave his vantage point, locking himself in an office.
I asked Chris to do an interview with us on Magic 98, knowing he might feel awkward doing so. As a police officer, he’s not allowed to comment on-the-record. Unofficially, he’s another example of the people that served above and beyond that day. He would be uncomfortable with the label “hero.”
What for him was just another conversation with a visitor to New York, was for my family a moving and meaningful visit with someone that was there. As this officer wondered out loud whether people thousands of miles away from New York cared about what had happened there, we let him know that this place was close to our hearts before all this happened…and it’s even closer now. We will never forget.
2/4
One of my fave Super Bowl ads here. Catch "On Wisconsin" in the background.
1/27
Mary Tyler Moore and I were "neighbors," sort of. I once lived in this Minneapolis building that was used in the opening credits for the last several years of the MTM show.
Mary gets a big award this weekend...read more here.
1/22
This is very moving.
1/17
Very nice people (and very tasty cupcakes) at "Cupcakes A Go Go." They made the news today here. We're excited to be delivering their goodies to listeners next month for Magic 98's annual Valentine's Day celebration
1/11
Hate standing in a freezing garage trying to mix oil and gas for the snowblower?
Lemme suggest this:
You add one container to a gallon of gas. Costs a little more but worth it. Let it snow.
12/6
How lucky I was to find this in the $2.00 bin of a local CD store over the summer...(the clerk laughed when I brought it up to the counter).
I take pride in presenting some "offbeat" holiday music on the Magic morning show
each year, much of it from long-gone TV shows...and now I can add the Cartwright Family to my collection of other great families (Partridge, Brady Bunch, etc). "Christmas On The Ponderosa" has it's own Facebook page...and if you can't wait to enjoy it, here is Ben Cartwright!
11/20
The tip of Picnic Point is in the midst of a landscaping project, and I think it'll look
great when it's wrapped up in the spring. I took Looey there today. He's almost five months old and was ready for his longest walk yet.
11/8
The holiday season arrived yesterday at 12:43PM, when I spotted this in a grocery store:
10/26
Not sure when "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" will be on TV this year, but I've stumbled on to what became of some of the kids that provided the voices for those great TV specials. Peter Robbins ("Charlie") manages real estate, Eric Shea ("Linus") died recently, and Sally Dryer ("Lucy") is doing well in Arizona.
10/14
I know I'm not the only Middleton resident to be surprised by this...
...because when I was snapping the picture a woman slowed her car, rolled down the window and asked "is that a joke?" I knew the town had a high salamander population. I didn't know they could read.
10/2
Wish I could post something aside from "dog news," but that's my life these days. A puppy rocks a household almost as much as a newborn baby. The news is good: the housetraining is (nearly) complete, leash training is easier with the use of a "gentle leader," and we have a loving little boy, with the eager-to-please disposition golden
retrievers are known for.
9/15
My puppy Looey is doing well, but he's just 12 weeks old and moves through the house like the Tasmanian Devil. In case you don't know who that is, enjoy.
8/31
This could've gone horribly wrong.
8/17
Here's "Looey"...
...named after the famous cartoon character "Baba Looey." I'll be off for a few days helping with the meals, housetraining and general chaos that a puppy brings to a home. Looey was born at "Dichi Goldens" in Portage (named for owners Dick and Chris), champion breeders of many goldens, most of which have a lighter fur color than the reddish appearance you might expect. I've run into many Dichi dogs in Madison, and their owners are always happy to trade stories.
7/10
You don't have to be a baseball fan to appreciate this video, taken from high in the stands at Yankee Stadium. Skip to about 3 minutes in for the spine-tingling moment.
7/8
Bob Bonner and I both like the "Pink Panther" movies. Peter Sellers was a genius.
7/3
Naturally, I don't like it when we make some kind of technical mistake on the radio, but I think listeners do. There's a sense of "What' going on? What's gonna happen next?" Naturally, I like seeing screw-ups happen on TV. Here's a bad day unfolding on a BBC newscast.
6/25
It's hard to find a great malt. Most of the places that made them are gone. Does anyone recall Oregon's "Waterfall" restaurant from the 60s and 70s? The building is still there, but vacant, with weeds growing in the parking lot.
There used to be a lot of Bridgeman's restaurants around the midwest - Madison had one on Fish Hatchery Road - but they're mostly gone now, too.
5/22
Madison sportswriter Tom Oates wrote this about the 40th anniversary of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA title. These days an NBA championship team would never play a "regional" game 80 miles from their homecourt, but as a little kid back then I'm glad the Bucks did. I got to see "Lew Alcindor" up close at the Coliseum when both the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns visited Madison.
5/12
This song and video is for anyone missing a family member that's away at war.
5/6
For 2.4 million dollars you can own the "Home Alone" home.
4/28
What a great last day Augie had. A surprise visit from older sister Kate, a walk on her favorite trail, a loud "WOOF" for the UPS Man, and a special hamburger meal. Augie had delevoped an inoperable tumor next to her heart. The wonderful Dr. Jesse Sondel at Spring Harbor assisted us today, as "Aug" peacefully slipped away in the arms of her people.
Augusta "Augie" O'Neill 2001-2011
4/25
STUFF I WATCHED AND READ OVER SPRING BREAK: A young Steve Martin recalls Betty White walking up to him and saying "You're funny!"...Tommy Chong (of "Cheech and") says he drank whiskey with Janis Joplin at the bar...Carol King's first live performance was disrupted by a bomb threat. All this happened at the legendary L.A. nightclub "The Troubadour." This movie is great!
Many of the historical Civil War battlefields in the southern U.S. have been lost. This issue of Time Magazine covers it, and also says this book is "the authoritative one-volume history of the war." I found it here for under five bucks. I'm looking forward to it, but at 800+ pages it's going to take me all summer.
4/15
I've just watched this five times.
4/10
With my colleagues Jim McGaw and Lanette Hansen being so healthy with their diets recently (Lanette is always careful, and I recently saw Jim ignore a Krispy Kreme doughnut in the announcer's lounge), let me offer an alternative. Next time you're in Minneapolis, hit Annie's Parlour on the U of M campus for what I believe to be the best malt on earth. I used to go there in the 80s when I lived nearby. I visited last weekend and nothing has changed, the blueberry malt is A+.
3/22
I'm sorry Lisa Stone has lost her job. The bar is set high at U.W. sports, with a Rosebowl football team, women's hockey champions and the basketball men deep into the NCAA tournament. Lisa Stone, as Barry Alvarez noted, is a good person that has done a lot for the community. When Magic 98 presented the fundraising "Concert For Gilda's Club," Lisa was one of the first to volunteer. Then she and her family made a sizable contribution, pledging cash based on attendance at a women's game. Thank you, Coach Stone.
3/19
When you're watching Norm and Sam talking at "Cheers," what are all those extra people in the background saying? Turn out nothing. To explain, here's Ken Levine
Being an extra looks like an easy job but it’s not. There’s a lot of down time that can get real boring. The pay isn’t great. Job security is nil. In general it’s a very thankless job. The common name for extras in Hollywood is “background”. How many people in their college yearbook list “background” as their dream job of choice?
Levine has had an interesting career...L.A. disc jockey, M*A*S*H writer and now babeball announcer. His blog is hilarious.
3/12
I dreamt last night that Aretha Franklin dropped by my house. Without notice, her tour bus pulled up, she and several people knocked on the door and came in. I was caught off guard, dressed like a bum, the house wasn't straightened up. They accepted some soft drinks. She was very nice, down to earth. I grabbed an Aretha album and she autographed it....then I woke up. This morning on-line the first thing I saw was this. I like Aretha's music a lot, I've read the reports of her health situation, but that's about it. I rarely have such unusual dreams (aside from the ones about Linda Ronstadt when I was a teenager). A dream is supposed to represent something, so you tell me what this one means.
3/3
Bet I'm not alone with this, but I have several Facebook friends that I haven't otherwise seen or talked to in years. One of my "friends" is actually more of a professional "hero" to me. As a young man he traveled the Top 40 radio circuit from his tiny midwest hometown to Fargo, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and finally the Twin Cities. He impacted me in several ways. I used to listen to him on the radio when I was a teenager. When I was just starting out in Minneapolis radio, this guy arrived in town to work for a different station. He was such a strong morning show personality and brilliant manager that his station clobbered mine, which flipped formats and fired the entire staff. And then he hired me! I worked for him for less than a year, and only part-time, but it felt like broadcasting graduate school. His station had a "charisma" that's hard to describe, packed with super talent, great music and exciting promotions. Best of all, he took time to work closely with me, reviewing tapes of my work, helping me to shed some bad beginner's habits. I saw him at a radio convention several years ago, and he warmly greeted me, although I'm not really sure he remembered me. That's OK...it's been many years, and like any great teacher he's got lots of former students.
2/6
Last week's blizzard was a hassle for anyone (like me) that had to get to work. Because of the overwhelming amount of calls and e-mails (two) asking how I did it, here's my diary:
Tueday 2/1
3PM: Asked Gary "Indiana" Cannalte for his best estimate of "snow on the ground" the next morning at 3AM. He barked: "10 inches! I'm busy!" and hung up.
4PM: Went home, wolfed down some soup, packed a bag, called Denny's on Gammon Road and asked if they would be open the next morning at 3AM. They said "Yes! We're busy" and hung up.
5PM: Checked into a hotel near Gammon Road, figuring I could walk to nearby Magic 98 the next morning if Gary's forecast was accurate.
6PM: Called Bob Bonner (owner of a large truck that can power through anything), explained the situation and asked if he could pick me up at the hotel the next morning. He said "Yes! I'm busy!" and hung up.
7PM: Set wind-up alarm clock, hotel room alarm clock and cell phone for 3AM.
Wed 2/2
2:45AM: In keeping with tradition, woke up before alarm.
3AM: Drove two blocks to Denny's. Closed.
3:45AM: Had delicious in-room breakfast of oatmeal in paper cup, prepared with lukewarm watwer from hotel coffee pot.
4:00: Called Bob Bonner, who reported miserable driving conditions but steady progress en-route from his estate in Cottage Grove.
4:40: Went outside to check for Bob, slipped on ice, dropping laptop in snowbank, said "$_#^%)!" to nobody in particular.
4:41: Bob arrived and we headed for Magic 98.
1/30
OK, maybe you WON'T be in Dallas, Texas for the Packer victory, but a trip to Dallas, Wisconsin and the nearby Canoe Bay resort may be one of the coolest prizes Magic has ever offered, if only because of the timing. Even people that like winter are getting tired of cloudy days and shoveling snow. Hope you win!
1/16
I have no clue what an athlete goes through, having retired at 14 when I didn't make the Junior Varsity basketball team, but I think the Packers could win it all. They are not easily rattled, and I think that's because of Mike McCarthy. The 1996 team lead by Mike Holmgren had the same "swagger." I'm not sure what that means, but I'm guessing it's confidence, relying on teammates and not overthinking the competition.
12/27
A Christmas memory this year didn't involve sitting by the tree surrounded by family, but sitting in a restaurant surrounded by strangers. My daughter was in the typical situation of trying to please two families, one gathered in rural
11/28
My "Black Friday" tradition includes shopping, but only for old stuff. For years I've used the day to hit the various antiques malls in places like Lake Geneva, Delavan, Walworth. Milton used to have two, now they're both gone. I found a new place this year, and it's BIG. Worth the drive just across the Illinois line.
11/6
I love places like this and I'm sad they are disappearing. As easy as it is to preview and buy music on-line, it's not as much fun as searching for treasures...especially when the store is a converted old house in a cool part of Madison.
10/8
Five things about my wife:
* She smiles and makes friends easily. Our neighbors like her. She defines "Minnesota Nice"
* She is excellent with money, pushed for our first house, pays off credit cards.
* She's intelligent and well-versed on current issues. I'd choose a Seinfeld re-run, she'd choose CNN.
* She is a great mom. Our 20-something daughter still calls and visits.
* She married me 27 years ago today and just left a "Happy Anniversary" message on my voice-mail.
9/16
Here's a video of Jean and Kevin Zimmermann, talking about the Madison event that will help to increase the reward fund to find the criminal(s) that killed their daughter.
8/22
I was standing right next to rock royalty and didn't even know it. Not a household name, but Kenny Edwards was a key contributor to the "California Sound." His obit lists a stunning group of musicians he worked with and influenced. One Sunday morning at Magic about 15 years ago Kathryn Vaughn and I were waiting for singer Karla Bonoff to arrive. She was in town for a concert that night, and we were excited that she'd agreed to perform on Magic that morning. She walked in the building accompanied by a quiet man, both of them carrying guitars. Neither had an ounce of "star" arrogance, just two working class musicians who'd done this drill countless times. After chatting on-air a few minutes they performed "The water is wide." Sure wish I could find the tape of that performance. Sure wish I'd had a clue of Kenny Edwards career. Can you imagine the stories he could've told? Here's another performance from Karla and Kenny - he's on the far right.
8/11
Bob Bonner and I recall one of the all-time great Magic 98 events in 1992. We found a large screen TV, brought some snacks, rented the top floor of the old Civic Center and invited 98 listeners to watch Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" finale. I think Carson has been the single greatest entertainer in my lifetime, and his company has finally starting sharing some great "Tonight Show" moments on-line. They say 2000 people worked over the past year on digitally producing every available Carson show.
8/3
My weekday alarm clock has been set for 4AM for over 25 years, and I often wake up before it rings. When people ask about my peculiar schedule it's usually with some astonishment, like "HOW do you handle getting up so early?!" I reply with "my job is fun...and you get used to the hours." I do have some rituals and routines, though. Thankfully my wife is used to my Felix Unger-like preparations, particularly on Sundays. I'm up by 6:00 (even if she sleeps until 9:00). Always some exercise, even if it's just walking the dog. No coffee past noon, one drink (no more) around 5:00, fresh sheets on the bed, and at 8:00 I'm listening to "The Lone Ranger" or whatever is on WPR's excellent "Old Time Radio"...and fall asleep almost immediately. That's the wild lifestyle of a morning disc jockey.
7/19
I just had a great vacation and never left town. The highlight was actually at scenic Dane County Regional Airport, when my daughter arrived. We packed a lot into just a few days, including a couple "Madison" basics I'd never experienced: trips to the Babcock Hall Dairy Store (great malts) and to the observation deck at the Capitol (great view). One day we hit "Sugar Shack Records" where Kate found a Carole King CD she'd always wanted.
And we celebrated Kate's birthday with an excellent meal at L'Etoile during their final week at 25 North Pinckney. The staff there was excited about the move just down the street to 1 South Pinckney. I'm so proud of my daughter, and happy that she's in a meaningful relationship and career on the west coast. I keep waiting for the day when it's easy to say "so long for now," but so far it hasn't arrived.
6/27
I don't watch a lot of sports on TV, but I always try to catch Roger Federer at Wimbledon.
This is why. Something else I've been enjoying lately is a show about two guys, Mike and Frank, traveling the U.S. in their van to find collectibles.
6/8
The 4th of July this year falls on a Sunday, just like it did in 1976. That was the year the legendary WISM radio in Madison couldn't wait to celebrate the Bicentennial, so they created "Spirit Of Madison Day." On June 17th, 1976, Madison notables like Elroy Hirsch, Patrick Lucey and Paul Soglin provided their thoughts as to why Madison was great. The 24 hours of programming was recorded, and the tapes were delivered to the Wisconsin Historical Society, to be reviewed in 100 years. You might be around in 2076, but I doubt I will be...so here is an audio time capsule
6/1
Culver's, I like you...and I applaud your innovation...but this is too adventurous for me.
5/10
Go enjoy "Picnic Point" during the cool weather and before the bugs arrive. I took my golden "Augie" there yesterday. The signs say the typical things: bikes should go slow, dogs on leashes. One should be added: no cell phones.
4/18
I was listening to Magic's retro Casey Kasem show last night. These are the original "American Top 40" programs as heard in the 1970s, and this episode was from the spring of 1973 (Casey has retired but is alive and well in California, apparently writing his life story). On came a live version of this from Neil Diamond. It was actually his first hit in the 60s, but released on a 1972 concert album called "Hot August Night." Even these days at age 69, Diamond continues to be one of the biggest concert acts in music.
3/26
I was 6 years old when "Batman" came to television...and I was hooked. The Caped Crusader has never gone out of style for me. I'm writing this from my basement beneath "Stately O'Neill Manor." On the wall is a framed Batman poster, next to a autographed glossy of "Catwoman" Julie Newmar, next to a "Batman" lunchbox, the same one I took to first grade at Oregon Elementary School. I often play "Batman" music in the background during Magic morning traffic reports. Am I the biggest "Batfreak" around? Nope, it's Magic 98 listener Darryl, who sent me this picture.
1/16
I'm with Conan. He waited for years to host "The Tonight Show." He moved his family and staff from New York to California. And within months NBC creates one of the greatest show biz blunders ever. I am confused by one point made again and again. NBC affiliates across the country have complained of Leno's small audience leading into their local news. If you watch a specific 10:00PM Madison TV newscast, I assume you're like me and capable of tuning it in, regardless of what you were watching at 9:00. When did America become so lazy?
12/3
With the lousy economy and everybody watching their money so closely, it would be natural to see contributions to Magic's "Holiday Wish" down this year...but maybe not. We've seen some substantial gifts from listeners and businesses already, and our annual on-air fundraising event is still a week away.
10/15
Whenever a Magic listener sends me an especially nice e-mail or note, I hang on to it. I don't have anything as dramatic as the letter once sent to the legendary Dick Biondi at WLS/Chicago. One night on his show he mentioned an unusually stunning sunset. A woman on the brink of suicide was listening. She went to the window to look, thought it over some more and changed her mind. In my file I have an e-mail from a person that appreciated our morning show in the days after 9/11. Another mentioned enjoying my on-air phone call to my daughter on the day she graduated from high school. This week I received a letter from a listener who's mom had recently died. This person had the task of sorting through some belongings, found something their mom had kept for over 20 years, and decided to mail it to me. It's a color postcard (autographed!) of the 1988 Magic 98 staff...me, Juli Hinds, Johnny Marks and Tim Brickner.
9/7
Thanks to the "O'Bros" for inviting me on-stage at "Taste of Madison" to provide the intro to the Chi-Lites/Have you seen her. I spent weeks memorizing my brief lines ("One month ago today I was happy as a lark") as was happy to not blow it.
Saw a good review recently for the Alchemy on Atwood Avenue, so we tried it over the weekend. Excellent burgers and a "BLFT" featuring fried tomato, plus live music. Cool place.
8/19
Daughter Kate was back in Madison to celebrate her 25th birthday, which we did at L'Etoile, her favorite restaurant. The entire crew there is impressive, very knowledgable about their food and wine, but Chef Tory Miller is world class. No wonder "Gourmet Magazine" saluted this restaurant.
8/7
I tried a recipe for a homemade pizza crust, but it bombed. I followed the directions carefully. My toppings (pesto, black olives, several cheeses) were excellent, but the crust was gummy. Maybe 20 minutes at 325 degrees = soggy crust? Maybe I need to toss out the standard baking sheet and get a pizza stone? Your advice is welcome at pat.oneill@magic98.com
7/31
Just back from a great vacation with my wife and daughter Kate in Washington DC. We first took Kate to DC (a day and a half by car) in the hot summer of '88, and I recall carrying my toddler up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Now at 25 she's the boss, choosing the restaurants and hailing cabs. We spent hours at the assorted Smithsonian museums, shopped in Georgetown, even found a Farmer's Market. By the way, if you plan to visit this city anytime soon, Northwest has a non-stop flight under two hours from Madison to Reagan National. A scene we'll always remember: standing near the White House one evening, we wondered where the nearest "Metro" (DC's excellent subway system) stop was. Kate spotted a good looking man walking past us and asked if he could assist. As he was pointing out the route, Kate realized she was talking to hottie actor (and now White House official) Kal Penn.
7/19
Magic is airing a brief retrospective tomorrow that recalls the Apollo 11 events of this week in 1969. For me it's a slice of childhood, as the TV was always on (and always Walter Cronkite) for the various space adventures of the 1960s. It was the summer before 4th grade, but I got up early to watch the Apollo 11 launch...then stayed up late to see the moonwalk. If you happen to see the TV coverage of the lunar lander approaching the moon, note the NASA voice calling off how much fuel is left ("30 seconds!") as Neil Armstrong is attempting to find just the right spot to touch down. His performance under pressure was amazing.
6/13
On yesterday's "8:00 Honk" we played "Summer Nights" from the movie "Grease." It was Friday, sunny, and graduation day for many. As the song played I thought of the 1970s graduates that packed the theaters to see John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, then thought let's play another song from the movie, so I put on "You're The One That I Want." The phone rang and a woman said "THIS is why Magic 98 ROCKS! I'm in the BEST mood! Thanks!" People like that make getting up at 3:30AM worthwhile.
2/21
After 20+ years at Vilas Zoo, Nanuq the Polar Bear has left for Buffalo, New York...so here's a blog note from the past.
Magic 98 listeners once turned a sad event into something special. Early on a Sunday morning in March 1988 a developmentally disabled man walked into Henry Vilas Zoo and climbed into the polar bear compound, home of the massive bear "Chief." To save the man's life a Madison police officer was forced to shoot and kill Chief. People were shocked and sad.
A few days later we interviewed Zoo Director Dr. David Hall on the morning show and asked what it would cost to find a new polar bear. He estimated $25,000. I pledged that if Magic 98 listeners would contribute $9800 I would shave my head in public. While hardly an original radio tactic - my former boss Chuck Knapp at KS95 Minneapolis had done it when the Twins won the World Series, and several Madison personalities have tried it since - it got the needed attention. On March 16, 1988 Magic broadcast live all day at Vilas Zoo. We reached our goal by noon, and by the end of the day had raised $27,000. My hair stylist Amy took her shears to me with hundreds of people watching (and thousands more on WISC's "Live At 5.") I still have the stylish cap my wife, Lee, bought me.
What happened next was truly "Magical." Dr. Hall learned that the Anchorage zoo had taken possesion of two orphaned polar bear cubs and was searching for a home for them. A trip was quickly arranged, with the people at Madison icon Oscar Mayer contributing a corporate jet. I was thrilled to join a small group including Dr. Hall and Wisconsin State Journal nature writer Steve Hopkins on the one-day trip, 10 hours total in the air. A Vilas veterinarian cared for the cubs, keeping the airplane cabin frosty cool. As the bears slept during the flight home we couldn't resist petting them. What looks like golden retriever fur actually feels like steel wool. No surprise, since they do endure "polar" conditions, but there is not a cuter baby animal on earth. The plane landed in Madison and a parade lead the bears to their new home. The brothers were named "Nanuq" and "Norton."
Apparently polar bears brothers don't stay friendly as they grow older, so the amazing 800 pound Norton lives in Detroit these days. If you'd like to share this story with your kids, I found this great version on-line.
1/24
One TV news commentator listed the Obama inauguaration as among the top 5 U.S. historical dates of his life. I agree. What would make your "Top 5" list? Bob and I discussed this on-air, and our own lists were close but not exact matches. My wife's list ignored the space program. Here's what I came up with:
11/22/63 JFK assassination
4/4/68 MLK assassination
7/20/69 Man on the moon
9/11/01 Terrorist attacks
1/20/09 Obama inauguration
At first I listed the 8/9/74 Nixon resignation and 1/28/86 Challenger disaster. You can make a case that three other Presidents besides Kennedy were assassinated, but only Nixon resigned. That's what makes this a subjective exercise.
12/6
It was freezing on Friday afternoon, and I was whipped after a long week. I got home by 3PM and treated myself to a rare nap. I woke to a phone call that a Magic 98 advertiser was abruptly changing stategy and needed an immediate emergency meeting. I protested that my wife and I had dinner plans. Bring her along, I was told, it'll take ten minutes.
Still tired (and now cranky) I jumped in the shower, jumped in the car, grabbed a cup at Starbucks and grumbled on the drive to the meeting. A staffer opened the door...and then colleagues and friends yelled "surprise" at a party to celebrate my 25 years at Magic 98.
Amidst the laughter, balloons, pictures and video (hope it doesn't end up on youtube) we had a delicious dinner and margaritas, thanks to Benjamin and crew at Pasquals. Next, in the style of "This Is Your Life," it was announced that since everyone couldn't make the party we'd be listening to some recorded comments. For the next 40 minutes, in a brilliantly produced montage of music and interviews, I was treated to stories and recollections from dozens of my best friends in broadcasting, capped with a "long distance dedication" from my daughter Kate in Portland, Oregon. It was incredibly moving. When it ended I stood up and tried to let everyone in the room know how special they are to me.
We all have those unforgettable days in our lives, when we said "I do," witnessed a birth, accepted a great job offer or moved into our first house. Those are all on my list. Last night is, too. It was a "magical" moment, created by some wonderful people that I'm honored to work with.
12/1
We won’t spend a lot of time on-air talking about this, because I don’t think it’s all that interesting to all our listeners, but it’s a notable day in Magic 98 history. We turn 25 today. So I’ll use this space for a few stories.
The original Magic 98 DJ line-up was, for some reason, all guys. Craig Wood handled overnights, I was on 6-10AM, “Officer”Jim Reed (formerly on WISM) was the midday voice, a Denver radio guy named Vic Martin was hired for 2-6PM, and Johnny Marks moved from Rockford’s WZOK to host 6-11PM.
I’m proud to have hosted the first Magic morning show on December 1, 1983, but I can’t really claim 25 consecutive years. In early 1985 I was offered the morning show at Minneapolis’s W-LITE. No offense to anyone working at such a station, but to me the "Lite" radio format is a yawn. My instructions were to take no listener phone calls, just open the mic and say “Here’s Whitney Houston.” (Even when playing Michael Bolton we said “Here’s Whitney Houston.”) After just a few weeks I realized my mistake, quit and accepted Magic’s offer to return. That makes it nearly 24 years hosting mornings at the same Madison station, which I believe is a record previously held by Clyde Coffee or Jim Mader.
Did you know that half-a-dozen current staffers joined Magic 98 in the 1980s? That’s unheard of in today’s crazed media atmosphere! So here’s to my talented colleagues in this exclusive club: Bob Bonner, Jim McGaw, Kathryn Vaughn, Sara Freeman and Juli Hinds.
It’s rare these days for a radio station to last 25 years with the same approach. Our company’s legendary WISM-AM (1959-1984) set a standard, and in many ways helped launch the former “Movin’ Easy WISM-FM” into what you hear today. I think our success is based on equal parts entertainment, information and service to the community.
Looking back I realize many good things seem to happen almost by accident. Tedd O'Connell had been anchoring both morning news on Magic 98 and evening news on WISC-TV, but the long days finally caught up with him and he resigned from Magic in 1988. I wasn't impressed with any of the standard "anchor" candidates that my boss offered, and I clearly remember one heated meeting about it. I suggested that we had someone in the newsroom with a colorful personality but the wrong job description, attending city council meetings and writing standard news stories ("The man displayed a weapon and then fled on foot.") Both the General Manager and News Director predicted failure, but finally agreed to a morning show tryout for...Bob Bonner.
11/30
A "Tom & Jerry" was one of my family's holiday rituals as far back as I can remember. My Grandpa Mal was especially fond of them, always heating the mugs on the stove before mixing the drinks. The kids were served an "unloaded" version. The recipe below was contributed by a Magic 98 listener back in the 80s, and it's a big upgrade from the sugary batter you find in grocery stores. If you like it, please pass it along to your friends. It's also posted in the RECIPES section on Magic98.com.
6 eggs
6 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cream tartar
1/4 tsp all spice
3 to 4 drops oil of clove
3 to 4 drops oil of cinnamon
Separate eggs, beat white with cream of tartar until stiff. Gradually add 3 cups of sugar, set aside. Beat yolks until thick, add remaining sugar and spices and fold together. Keeps up to one week in refrigerator, or freeze.
Fill 1/3 of a heated mug with batter, fill remainder of mug with boiling water and stir. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. For adults only add one shot of rum and one shot of brandy.
8/9
Goofy assignments are part of the job when you are starting out at small town radio stations. To promote "The Adventures Of Chicken Man" on KOLM/Rochester, I was told to dress in a chicken costume and surprise customers at local Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants. I didn't know of a more absurd idea until Tedd O'Connell told his story one day on Magic 98 years ago. Recalling an early job at KCHA/Charles City, Iowa, Tedd was instructed to take a tape recorder to the local Greyhound bus station and interview folks for a new feature called "Who's Coming To Town?"
8/2
I was happy to find a CD called "Robert Palmer-The Island Years" for $5 in a re-sale store. His 70s song "Every Kinda People" is one of my favorites, although the liner notes say he was best known for his 80s video "Addicted To Love, featuring a bevy of mini-skirted deadpan models. Although his public image was that of a sharp-dressed playboy, friends knew him as a down-to-earth musician, totally uninterested in the trappings of the music business." Palmer appeared on Jay Leno's show in 1994 (for more see the 3/22 entry below) and stayed afterward to chat with a group of us radio types. I remember him as unpretentious, almost shy. He was curious how his latest release was being received. Strange-but-true: the other guest on "The Tonight Show" that evening was actor John Ritter. Years later both Palmer and Ritter would die of heart attacks within a few days of each other.
6/21
I got about 3 hours sleep Thursday, but it was worth it. I knew that the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association would be inducting Jonathan Little into their Hall of Fame, but with two Magic staffers on vacation I didn't think I could break away from work. After I read Doug Moe's column in the Wisconsin State Journal (below in case you missed it) I knew I had to be there. Thanks to Jim McGaw handling morning duty for me, I was able to get to scenic Sturgeon Bay just in time. Jonathan's standing ovation was well-deserved.
If Toni Tennille isn't doing anything Thursday, she should show up in Sturgeon Bay for Jonathan Little's induction into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
Tennille might not remember Little's name after all these years, but she owes him, and she knows it. Little in 1976 was the program director at WISM-AM, a top-40 radio station in Madison. One of the iron rules of top-40 radio was that you played hits over and over again, until everyone was sick of them, and then you played them some more.
Little, who was not famous for following the rules, used to listen to tracks on albums beyond those the record companies released as singles. One day in 1976, he stumbled on a silly but infectious song on an album by the Captain and Tennille. Little played the song on WISM-AM, which was a highly popular music station in Madison, though FM radio was on the scene and soon to assume the music radio throne.
Madison listeners embraced the dopey but lovable song. They kept calling WISM asking to hear it again. Little contacted the record company and said they might be sitting on a hit. The record company disagreed. Little played it some more. "It was our most requested song," he was recalling Tuesday.
Finally the record company woke up, and released "Muskrat Love" as a single. It was a runaway success and for many years, when she introduced the song in concert, Tennille would thank the program director in Madison who recognized a top-40 hit when he heard one.
Jonathan Little has usually gone with his instincts, and they've taken him a long way, all the way to Thursday's fete in Sturgeon Bay, where, coincidentally, Little was born. I think it is fair to say the WBA Hall of Fame is long on executives and somewhat short on programmers and personalities. Since Little has done just about everything there is to do in radio, his resume includes time in management, but his passion has always been the music and the people who make it. He has been a consistent champion of Madison and Wisconsin artists. Little's Hall of Fame induction is both inspired and deserved.
"It's pretty cool," he said of the honor. Little's voice -- instantly recognizable to two generations of Madisonians -- hasn't changed much over the years and neither has his laid-back persona. His family, though, is making a big deal of the ceremony. His wife, father and daughters -- in from Phoenix and Denver -- will attend.
Retired Packers president Bob Harlan is speaking at noon Thursday and Willie Davis, the former great Green Bay defensive end, will be inducted into the WBA Hall of Fame that night alongside Little (the other inductees are Milwaukee radio executive Mike McCormick and Burlington broadcast educator Terry Havel). Davis owned radio stations in West Allis, Milwaukee and around the country.
Little grew up in Montello, and his route to the Hall of Fame began at UW-Madison in the spring of 1962, when he worked for WLHA on campus. The call letters stood for Lakeshore Halls Association and its reach -- the station was all of 25 watts -- was such that it couldn 't be heard much farther than the hall or the lakeshore.
"But it was experience," Little said.
His first paying job was reading the news at WSPT in Stevens Point. He got $1.25 an hour and when the UPS man walked through the door, Little's radio career was almost over before it started. They chatted and it turned out the fledgling delivery company was looking for drivers and paying $3.25 an hour. "I agonized," Little said, but he stuck with radio.
After stops here and there -- including one at WDUZ in Green Bay -- Little wound up at WISM in Madison. As program director and on-air personality, he distinguished himself by scoring interviews with touring artists and then incorporating those interviews into the music programming.
Little interviewed Jimi Hendrix between 1968 shows at The Factory on Gorham Street (a poster from that concert once sold for $25,000). He got 15 minutes with Elton John, and in 1976, after Little interviewed Harry Chapin, and told Chapin how much he admired the way he ended his shows with the sing-along "Circle," Chapin invited Little on stage at the Dane County Coliseum to participate in the song.
After WISM, Little worked at several other Madison stations and is proud of having helped launch WMMM-FM in 1991. Today, he is still active, as an executive with Troy Research, a broadcast and movie market research firm, and as personal manager for a number of artists.
Toni Tennille may not make the induction ceremony Thursday night, but, hey, Willie Davis will be there. "It's nice to be going in with a defensive end," Little said.
2/8
Just read an article that claims when it comes to music we all have some guilty pleasures. Songs we secretly like. Since you're visiting my blog, here's my confession:
* Herb Alpert/This Guy's In love with You - I ridicule "Tijuana Taxi" every Friday on the "8 O'clock Honk," and this great trumpet player was hardly a great vocalist, but the melody of this song is Burt Bacharach and Hal David at their peak.
* Glen Campbell/Witchita Lineman - same thing: a great writer (Jimmy Webb) outshines an OK singer.
* Mocedades/Eres Tu - Not sure why. I don't speak Spanish, although Oregon High teacher Anna Anderson sent me the lyrics to this 1974 hit.
* Rick Derringer/Teenage Love Affair - I was 14, the lyrics were racy, etc.
1/3
I'm taking advatange of a few days off-air by staying up past 9PM! My wife and I were out the other night, and drove past Kromrey School in Middleton. The streetlights barely illuminated some animal slowly limping across the athletic field. Figuring it was an injured dog, we called Middleton Police. Minutes later an officer arrived, drove his car to the edge of the field and used his heavy duty flashlight to investigate. Then he said to us (I am not making this up) "That's not a dog, that's the three-legged Coyote." Turns out this animal has been spotted around town frequently, but remains a fugitive.
12/28/07
JD Barber hosted Madison's top-rated morning show of the 1980s on Z104. When I learned of his death this morning, I instantly thought of Monday November 28, 1983. I had moved back to my hometown after 10 years, ready to host mornings as the new "Magic 98" would take over from WISM-FM that week. It was bitterly cold in Madison. All my belongings were in boxes in a cheap apartment. As I drove to Lums for some breakfast I scanned the radio dial. "Peter B" was on WIBA. Jim Mader was playing Sinatra on WERU. But JD and his crew (Ralph Cohen, Judy Newman) were far and away the best in town. I recall thinking "this will be formidable competition"...and I was right. While Magic 98 was successful from day one, JD would continue to host the #1 rated morning show for years to come.
10/31/07
My Minneapolis radio reunion was great fun, a lotta handshakes, hugs and pictures. The turnout was strong. I think most everyone that worked there realized what a special radio station we had. I especially enjoyed introducing my daughter to this great group of professionals.
10/23/07 (warning: longest blog entry ever)
I got an early start in radio, working part-time during my high school years when my family lived in Rochester, Minnesota. When I was 16 I discovered an interesting FM station in Minneapolis. Most kids my age were listening to rock and top 40, but this particular station stood out with it’s mixture of pop, jazz and whatever. It was not unusual to hear Joni Mitchell next to Spyro Gyra next to a Chicago album cut. The announcers were personable, funny, very connected to the Twin Cities. Even the call letters were legendary: WCCO-FM. I listened to it constantly.
Joan Kutner was a Rochester-based actress and voice talent who occasionally recorded commercials at my station. We got to talking about Minneapolis radio one day and she mentioned her occasional recording projects with WCCO-FM personality Tim Russell. She said “Why don’t I ask Tim to give you a tour?”
March 8, 1978. I skipped a day of my senior year and drove the 80 miles to Minneapolis. For a radio geek like me just walking into the station was a thrill. The studios were on 11th street, with picture windows looking at the downtown skyline. This was big-time radio! I watched as Tim finished his show, then he introduced me to station manager Paul Stagg. I told Stagg how much I liked the station and how much I’d like to work there someday. I also took the opportunity to give him a demo cassette of me on-air in Rochester.
Six months later I was surprised by a phone call from Paul Stagg. He said “How'd you like to work here?” I moved to Minneapolis!
For the next four years I worked my way up the on-air ladder at WCCO-FM. Weekends, then overnights, evenings and finally afternoons. I met my future wife, Lee. I thought we’d be in Minneapolis forever.
But Twin Cities radio was changing fast. Other stations offered bigger contests, fewer commercials, and marketed themselves constantly. CCO-FM management didn't respond. Listener loyalty eroded. In September 1982 the station flipped formats to Top 40 and fired most of the staff, including me.
WCCO-FM floundered with it’s new sound, eventually changing names, formats (again) and ownership, but I enjoyed my time there and will always remember what a great station it once was. All the talented people I worked with went on to new things, and this weekend most of us are gathering in Minneapolis for the first reunion in 25 years.
10/8/07
Just back from a fun weekend in the Twin Cities, which included a performance of Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion." My wife and daughter enjoyed the music and comedy, while I (as "Radio Dork") paid close attention to the technical requirements, timing, equipment, etc. The mellow, gentle, warm sound of this radio program is a contrast to what happens in St. Paul's Fitzgerald Theater, where the production feels more like a complicated Broadway play. Keillor is clearly the boss, constantly whispering to technicians during the musical numbers and sometimes makes changes to the actor's scripts during a sketch.
10/2/07
My generation remembers Danny Bonaduce as "Danny Partridge," although he's been working in radio broadcasting for years. When a Magic 98 salesperson left Madison for a job at WLUP in the early 90s, Danny Bonaduce was their afternoon host. I gave her a gag gift CD of "The Partridge Family's Greatest Hits." A few months later it was sent to me, inscribed "To Pat O'Neill...I think I love you...Danny Bonaduce."
9/17/07
"Bruce The Carpenter" died over the weekend at age 91. Listeners to Magic in the 80s will recall his Friday morning appearances, dispensing home project advice as his theme (a piece of classical music punctuated by a handsaw, as created by former bandleader Edmundo) played in the background. That description doesn't sound like entertainment, but I thought it was a riot. Bruce was a modest, quiet man and an excellent carpenter, but I'm not sure he ever noticed that each week's question came from "Ed on Sycamore Avenue," in reality my uncle.
8/11/07
Sometimes visitors to the Magic 98 studio say it doesn't appear as they imagined. I'm sure everyone has a different version, if the thought even occurs to them. We're in our third building in the station's history, a beautiful new complex on the west side, minutes from restaurants, the Beltline, etc. The studio is big, bright, comfortable. Large windows look to the west. We're surrounded by state-of-the-art equipment. But I doubt it would have impressed me more than our company's original WISM studio, which I first saw as a teenager. (Yawning? That's OK. Only radio geeks will read further). The building was on rural Syene Road, selected because the transmitting towers could stand in the nearby swamps. That meant mice and snakes were frequent visitors. The studio was maybe 10x10 feet, one tiny window. (60s WISM DJ "King Richard" claimed morning man Clyde Coffee had the window open one early morning and found a curious horse peaking inside). There was a tremendous energy because of the one (AM mono, remember) large, always-blasting speaker that occupied most of a wall. The low ceiling had multi-colored track lighting, a mod look for the time. The personalities played music from turntables, choosing 45s from a waist-high wooden record rack in the back of the room. (For some reason I was intrigued by that piece of furniture and later had a carpenter build something similar for me. It remains in my basement to this day. My wife knows we will never get rid of it). Beyond what was in the room is what came out of the room...the music, the entertainment, the life-long memories created by the 1970s WISM crew. It was Madison's original "Magic." Since my friend Jonathan Little spent many years there creating his popular afternoon show, I've asked him for some recollections.
Pat, the WISM studio you refer to was cozy like a closet. Most of the announcers worked with the door open year round. The AC would ice up on a hot, humid summer’s day. You’d have to turn off the AC for 30 minutes or so to defrost it. It was cold in that studio in the winter months. However, with a big 5,000 watt transmitter right down the hall you could warm the studio with the door open. My first shift in that studio was a Sunday morning 7am – 12 Noon more than 40 years ago. I was working full-time in the WISM sales department, but really wanted air time in that little studio whenever possible. I didn’t do Sunday mornings long. PD Jay O’Day decided I should be on Saturday night from 8pm until 1pm and Sunday night from 7pm until 1am. Unbelievably exciting, even though it meant I was working seven days a week….every week...playing the hits on Madison’s most popular radio station. The phone rang constantly with requests and I did my best to get them on. Since we couldn’t have a phone ringing when we were talking live on the mic, the engineers had hooked a big light to the phone lines. Whenever a phone line rang, this bright light came on. When I worked Saturday and Sunday nights, I don’t think the light was ever off. Back in those days the WISM phone line was Alpine 5-1234. Here’s a story with synchronicity. The very first 45 rpm single I ever bought was “Young Love” by Sonny James, a hit in '56 while I was in high school. One Saturday while I was on the air at WISM in 1966, a tall man dressed in black and wearing a cowboy hat came in the back door and walked down the hall to the WISM studio. You can imagine how shocked I was to have Sonny James step into the studio and greet me. He was actually looking for another radio station, but he saw the WISM tower and decided to stop in. I asked if he was up for an on-air visit and he obliged. I did my very first interview of a major recording artist with Sonny James, the Country Gentleman. During my 13 or so years with WISM I conducted dozens of interviews with major artists. Some artists you hear on Saturday at the 70's who stopped by that cozy little closet in the 70's were Harry Chapin, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Dan Fogelberg, Tim Weisberg, Charlie Daniels, Burton Cummings of the Guess Who, Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon and many more. So many aspects of my radio career were launched in that little old WISM Studio at 3220 Syene Road.
6/10/07
It will take a long time to process everything from "The Concert For Gilda's Club." There was an energy and excitement at Magic 98...sometimes close to a controlled chaos...that I've never seen. Even with months of planning (What kind of incentives can we offer listeners? How do we obtain them? Where are all the "live" CDs? How do we feed the volunteers? Where can the Channel 3 crew set up for multiple "live shots" each day?) it was a tidal wave of surprises and non-stop activity. Dozens of Gilda's volunteers answering phones. Hundreds of calls responding to a genuine community need. We all heard amazingly candid on-air appearances. Gilda's brother Michael phoned from Detroit and told us of the positive impact a "Gilda's Club" has had in every city lucky enough to have one. Badger leaders Barry Alvarez, Mike Eaves, Lisa Stone, Bo Ryan and Brett Bielema showed their unified support. (It was fascinating to be around these people in-person. They all are warm yet direct, have a tangible confidence and upbeat, winning attitude. It's no wonder that the young men and women at the UW respond to them so well). WISC-TV's Toni Morrissey explained how upsetting her initial skin cancer diagnois was and how a "Gilda's Club" will support future patients. Listener Suey Starcyznski told us what a stage 4 patient deals with. Magic artist (and breast cancer survivor) Meslissa Etheridge e-mailed us a recorded endorsement for airing during the show. The late Mike McKinney's mother, Barbara, explained how much having a Madison Gilda's Club would mean to Mike. A lovely young mom, Kim Feller, and her two children Alyssa and Ben, stressed how helpful Gilda's Club had been as husband and father Mike fought cancer.
5/25/07
After the graduation celebration, my wife and daughter boarded a plane for Paris, a city Kate has dreamed of visiting for many years. I knew they would enjoy the art museums, cafes and shopping (and that I'd go nuts if I went along) so I volunteered to drive Kate's car home. I did it in one day, Boston to Madison, 20 hours. I could have gone faster, but I hopped off the interstate in Springfield, MA to see the "Basketball Hall Of Fame"...which was closed! At least I had a radio. I doubt one person has listened to more stations in a single day. Here's a partial list: "Mix"/Boston, WFAN/New York, WTIC/Hartford, WSYR/Syracuse, WJET/Erie, Q104/Cleveland, WHAS/Louisville, V98.7/Detroit, "The River"/Toledo, the legendary Dick Biondi on oldies WZZN/Chicago...and, finally, around 2AM, Magic 98.
5/22/07
Our family spent the weekend in rainy Boston, where Kate O'Neill received diplomas for her art history and journalism degrees. As much as the long hours of study have helped her decide the kind of career she'd like, I could tell from watching her hail cabs, pack her apartment and generally navigate life in the big city that these past four years have prepared her to be on her own. In a few weeks she's off to Minneapolis for an internship at the Walker Art Center.
5/17/07
My daughter graduates from college this weekend. Our friends say that it seems like Kate just left high school. To me it seems she was just born. Wonder why this milestone reminds me of that? I remember like it was yesterday. July 31, 1984 was humid in Madison. My wife had a rough final week of pregnancy. Dr. Price decided a C-section was needed. I was told I could watch, provided I get into some hospital scrubs. Nurse Kris Clary gave Kate her first bath, wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to me. It was after midnight as I carried Kate up and down the hospital halls. She had beautiful blue eyes and was very alert. When my wife awoke after the surgery she asked what happened. I said "Kate O'Neill is here." (A few years earlier we were visiting Duluth, saw a store named "Katy O'Neill's" and instantly decided on a name if we ever had a daughter). Everyone fell asleep around 4AM. I headed home...then discovered I was still wearing the hospital scrubs. I still have them.
5/2/07
I think the Donny Osmond you heard on our morning show interview is "a regular guy." (If you missed it, we'll be re-playing portions in the next few days and post a segment on Magic's website). The "pre-interview stuff" you don't hear on the radio is sometimes interesting. Will a representative call on behalf of a celebrity? Are certain questions off limits? Not with Donny. He called us himself (on-the-dot of the 7AM scheduled interview) from his home in Utah. He's been in show business for so long it's hard to ask him an original question. When Bob asked he if he regularly "hung out with Marie" he said no, he "prefers LaToya."
4/17/07
I would guess the ultimate reward for a teacher is knowing that they had a positive impact on kids. (I know they don't pursue the profession for money). Even though I started working on-air in radio while still in high school, I was a bit intimidated by the kids that had the talent and courage to get on stage for the high school musicals. Finally, in my senior year, as the school was getting set for Cole Porter's "Anything Goes," my music teacher Gerald "Smitty" Smith suggested I audition. I told him there was no way I going to sing in a roomful of people. He said, "come back here after school...you can audition for me." While he played piano I sang (or whispered) a few lines of "You're the top." I got a part in the play, had a great time...and have never forgotten his kindness. Smitty died on Monday in Arizona. Hundreds of his students have been e-mailing one another, each of them recalling their own experiences with this special teacher.
9/11/06
Most of us have moments from 9-11 permanently etched in our minds. Like many, I first heard from Bob Bonner that a plane had struck the World Trade Center. After his bulletin we turned on a TV in our studio and watched the surreal scene of the second plane crash. At that point we decided Magic listeners would best be served by wall-to-wall information, so for the better part of two days we broadcast CNN audio. It's dark in September when I arrive at Magic, and I will never forget seeing a huge, brilliantly lit American flag on the Beltline as I drove to the station the next morning. We opened our show with Paul Simon's "American Tune," with it's reference to the Statue of Liberty. Then, caring and concerned Magic 98 listeners took over, phoning in thoughtful observations. One of Bob's friends is a psychologist, who joined us on-air with helpful information on dealing with kids during such a stressful time. Production Director Paul Blair brilliantly captured audio from New York and Washington for Magic's audience. I wrote this piece for the Magic website a year later.
It was my first visit to New York City. August of 2001, just a month before the terrorist attacks. My wife and daughter and I did the things visitors to New York usually do. Broadway shows, a sandwich at Rupert Jee’s deli just around the corner from David Letterman’s studio, a drive through Central Park. While my family was occupied in the garment district, I toured NBC. On our way to hop the ferry for the Statue of Liberty trip…and doing 50 mph, thanks to our New York cab driver…we zoomed past the World Trade Center complex, never dreaming what would happen on that very spot a few weeks later.
Our vacation ended way too soon, as most vacations do. We loved our visit and we discarded our stereotypes of New York. The energy and excitement of this city is found nowhere else.
As we watched the attack a month later, it was eerie to think…”I was just there.”
A year later, August 2002, the three of us piled in the car for a long drive east, this time to look at college opportunities for my daughter. We toured several schools up and down the East Coast, then drove into Manhattan…an experience in itself. We arrived late afternoon, checked into our hotel, hailed a cab and headed to Ground Zero.
The cabby said nothing…clearly, he’d made the drive hundreds of times. He dropped us off in front of St. Paul’s Chapel, the oldest public building in New York. George Washington attended services there. It’s surrounded by a beautiful wrought-iron fence, about 12 feet high. Every inch is covered with a child’s artwork for a missing parent, a friend’s poem, pictures. Ballet slippers hang next to fireman’s boots. There’s a T-shirt sent from the Reedsburg, Wisconsin fire department.
My family joined the dozens of other people taking the emotional walk around this memorial. Ground Zero is bigger than it appears on TV. Hundreds of people are there around the clock. We introduced ourselves to a young policeman. His name was Chris, and he spent an hour telling us about September 11th.
He was testifying in a nearby courtroom when the first terrorist airplane hit. He raced to the scene, assisting a woman suffering an apparent heart attack. Concerned that buildings were in danger, he argued with a reporter to leave the scene…but the reporter, working for the Wall Street Journal, was on-the-air with CNN and refused to leave his vantage point, locking himself in an office.
I asked Chris to do an interview with us on Magic 98, knowing he might feel awkward doing so. As a police officer, he’s not allowed to comment on-the-record. Unofficially, he’s another example of the people that served above and beyond that day. He would be uncomfortable with the label “hero.”
What for him was just another conversation with a visitor to New York, was for my family a moving and meaningful visit with someone that was there. As this officer wondered out loud whether people thousands of miles away from New York cared about what had happened there, we let him know that this place was close to our hearts before all this happened…and it’s even closer now. We will never forget.
