WHRU-LP 101.5 FM, HUNTLEY IL

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Ever since my last broadcast (Christmas Eve 2011), I wanted to get back on the air because “even if the whole world has forgotten, a song remembers when”. A few discussions with my home-town radio station failed to produce. In late November 2016, I contacted another local radio station about the possibility of returning to the airwaves; unfortunately, at that time, they were not looking to add to their schedule.

After noticing a changed website as of late February 2019, I sent another eMail (on a literal whim) to that same station, & to my surprise, they were interested. I met with the station’s Executive Director in late March 2019 & the return was marked, announced in a “Coming Soon” entry). I recorded the pilot episode Thursday, 04/04/2019, the day after my Dad died (noted in an “At The Heart” entry), with 3 more shows recorded Wednesday, 04/24/2019, & 2 more shows recorded Tuesday, 05/14/2019.  The official announcement (with details & my thoughts about how important, like road trips, music is to me, along with the sheer amount of artists & songs to feature) was made via the Wednesday, 05/15/2019 ,”CD Showcase” entry.

Unlike my prior shows (on my college’s radio station WBKE & Elgin IL’s WRMN), this iteration was NOT live, so I could NOT interact with listeners. Shows were ~27 minutes in length (~7 songs), aired on the radio station & available via podcast-online-on demand.  [I have enough CDs to host 15-20 shows without repeating an artist, & starting with Episode 5, each show featured 1 non-country song.]

EPISODE 1

recorded THU 04/04/2019
aired WED 05/15/2019; FRI 05/17/2019

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#1: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, “Fishin’ In The Dark”
…07/11/1987, 23 weeks, #1
(1 of Dad’s favorite songs)
#2: Crystal Gayle, “Livin’ In These Troubled Times”
…08/07/1982, 15 weeks, #9
(sister of Loretta Lynn; distant cousin of Patty Loveless)
#3: John Schneider, “At The Sound Of The Tone”
…08/30/1986, 23 weeks, #5
(Bo Duke on TV’s “Dukes Of Hazzard”)
#4: Roger Miller, “England Swings”
…11/20/1965, 16 weeks, #3
(wrote Broadway musical “Big River”)
#5: Suzy Bogguss, “Drive South”
…12/05/1992, 20 weeks, #2
(1992 CMA Horizon Award)
#6: Bellamy Brothers, “Rebels Without A Clue”
…09/03/1988, 19 weeks, #9
(brothers, Howard & David)
#7: Waylon Jennings, “Good Ol’ Boys”
…08/23/1980, 17 weeks, #1
(theme from TV’s “Dukes Of Hazzard”)
#8: Trisha Yearwood, “The Song Remembers When”
…10/16/1993, 20 weeks, #2
(radio show & website theme)

EPISODE 2

recorded WED 04/24/2019
aired WED 05/22/2019; FRI 05/24/2019

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#1: Alabama, “I’m In A Hurry”
…09/26/1992, 20 weeks, #1 [2 wks]
(band from Fort Payne AL)
#2: Bryan White, “So Much For Pretending”
…06/29/1996, 20 weeks, #1 [2 wks]
(Oklahoma native; staff writer at Glen Campbell Music)
#3: Kathy Mattea, “Where’ve You Been”
…11/25/1989, 26 weeks, #10
(CMA Song Of The Year; Country Song & Country Female Vocal Grammys)
#4: T Graham Brown, “She Couldn’t Love Me Anymore”
…09/12/1987, 22 weeks, #4
(former jingle singer)
#5: The Judds, “Let Me Tell You About Love”
…07/08/1989, 21 weeks, #1
(mother Naomi-daughter Wynonna duo; Ashley Judd is Naomi’s daughter)
#6: George Strait, “The Chair”
…09/21/1985, 22 weeks, #1
(starred in the movie ‘Pure Country’; CMA Male Vocalist 1985,1986,1996,1997; CMA Entertainer Of The Year 1989,1990)
#7: Patty Loveless, “You Can Feel Bad”
…12/30/1995, 20 weeks, #1 [2 wks]
(distant cousin of Loretta Lynn & Crystal Gayle)

EPISODE 3

recorded WED 04/24/2019
aired WED 05/29/2019; FRI 05/31/2019

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#1: Eddy Raven, “I Could Use Another You”
…07/21/1984, 18 weeks, #1
#2: KT Oslin, “80’s Ladies”
…04/25/1987, 21 weeks, #4
(acted in musicals ‘Hello Dolly’ & ‘West Side Story’; won Female Vocal & Song Of The Year Grammys)
#3: Johnny Horton, “The Battle Of New Orleans”
…04/27/1959, 21 weeks, #1 [10 wks]
(also #1 for 6 weeks on Billboard Hot 100 & won Song Of The Year, Country Record & Hall Of Fame Grammys; known as “The Singing Fisherman”, died in 1960 car crash)
#4: Rosanne Cash, “Runaway Train”
…08/13/1988, 23 weeks, #1
(daughter of Johnny Cash; married to Rodney Crowell, 1979-92)
#5: Skip Ewing, “The Coast Of Colorado”
…06/24/1989, 24 weeks, #15
#6: Dottie West, “A Lesson In Leavin’”
…02/09/1980, 15 weeks, #1
(died in 1991 car crash along Briley Parkway, Nashville TN, en route to Grand Ole Opry; song re-done by JoDee Messina)
#7: Michael Martin Murphy, “Still Takin’ Chances”
…11/13/1982, 20 weeks, #3
(acted in movies ‘Take This Job & Shove It’ & ‘Hard Country’)

EPISODE 4

recorded WED 04/24/2019
aired WED 06/05/2019; FRI 06/07/2019

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#1: Lorrie Morgan, “Watch Me”
…09/05/1992, 20 weeks, #2 [2 wks]
(married to Keith Whitley 1986-1989, his death; later was married to Sammy Kershaw)
#2: Billy Dean, “Somewhere In My Broken Heart”
…05/04/1991, 20 weeks, #3 [2 wks]
#3: Reba McEntire, “Is There Life Out There”
…01/25/1992, 20 weeks, #1 [2 wks]
(several TV shows; movie ‘Tremors’; CMA Female Vocalist 1984,1985,1986,1987; CMA Entertainer 1986)
#4: Shenandoah, “See If I Care”
…02/17/1990, 26 weeks, #6
(formed in Muscle Shoals AL; song broke a streak of 3 straight chart toppers)
#5: Carrie Underwood, “Starts With Goodbye”
…not officially released
(Winner of TV’s “American Idol” 2005 season; CMA Horizon 2006; CMA Female Vocalist 2006,2007,2008)
#6: Johnny Lee, “Prisoner Of Hope”
…05/30/1981, 16 weeks, #3
(best-known song “Lookin’ For Love”: #1 for 3 weeks on country chart & #5 on Billboard Hot 100)
#7: The Kendalls, “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away”
…08/06/1977, 20 weeks, #1 [4 wks]
(father-daughter duo from Route 66 city, St Louis MO; Country Vocal Duo & Single Of The Year Grammys)

EPISODE 5

recorded TUE 05/14/2019
aired WED 06/12/2019; FRI 06/14/2019

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#1: John Anderson, “Swingin’”
…01/15/1983, 22 weeks, #1
(CMA Single Of The Year; worked on construction of the new Grand Ole Opry Building; biggest tune was 1982’s “Wild & Blue”)
#2: Jo Dee Messina, “You’re Not In Kansas Anymore”
…07/06/1996, 20 weeks, #7
(began singing professionally in 1985; won 1999 CMA Horizon award)
#3: Keith Whitley, “Homecoming ’63”
…11/08/1986, 23 weeks, #9
(died of alcohol poisoning in 1989; this was his 2nd Top 10 tune)
#4: Tanya Tucker, “Lizzie & The Rainman”
…04/26/1975, 15 weeks, #1
(1991 CMA Female Vocalist)
#5: Richard Marx, “Chains Around My Heart”
…from 1991 album ‘Rush Street’; song debuted October 1992
(What makes my shows unique: mix of genres; expect at least 1 non-country song in each episode from now on)
#6: Lee Roy Parnell, “What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am”
…05/16/1992, 20 weeks, #2 [2 wks]
(song hit the airwaves 5 months before Richard Marx’s above)
#7: Charly McClain, “Who’s Cheatin’ Who”
…11/29/1980, 17 weeks, #1
(song also recorded by Alan Jackson)

EPISODE 6

recorded TUE 05/14/2019
aired WED 06/19/2019; FRI 06/21/2019

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#1: Jerry Reed, “She Got The Goldmine”
…07/10/1982, 17 weeks, #1 [2 wks]
(known as “The Guitar Man”; died of emphysema, 09/01/2008)
#2: Mary Chapin Carpenter, “I Take My Chances”
…04/30/1994, 20 weeks, #2
(CMA Female Vocalist 1992-1993)
#3: Doug Stone, “Come In Out Of The Pain”
…03/21/1992, 20 weeks, #3
(born in 1956 in Marietta GA, began performing in 1963, changed name from Doulas Brooks to avoid confusion with Garth Brooks, formed several groups, starred in the 1995 movie ‘Gordy’, did voiceovers for several animated shows)
#4: Cher, “If I Could Turn Back Time”
…1989, #3 Billboard Hot 100 & #1 Adult Contemporary charts
(I like to mix genres)
#5: John Berry, “Change My Mind”
…07/27/1996, 20 weeks, #10
(survived a 1981 motorcycle crash & 1994 brain surgery)
#6: Holly Dunn, “Daddy’s Hands”
…08/23/1986, 25 weeks, #7
(her 1st Top 10 tune; former staff writer at CBS & MTM Records, worked as DJ at Detroit MI’s WWWW; 1987 CMA Horizon award)
#7: Hank Williams Jr, “Attitude Adjustment”
…06/16/1984, 18 weeks, #5
(son of Hank Williams, who gave Jr the nickname “Bocephus”)

EPISODE 7

recorded TUE 06/04/2019
aired WED 06/26/2019; FRI 06/28/2019

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#1: Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, “She Used To Be Somebody’s Baby”
…08/23/1986, 22 weeks, #2
(trio of brothers from TX: Larry, born in Seminole, & Steve-Rudy, born in Olney)
#2: Clay Walker, “Where Do I Fit In The Picture”
…02/26/1994, 20 weeks, #11
(Ernest Clayton Walker born in Beaumont TX; began playing professional in TX bars in 1985; this was his 3rd release, following 2 straight chart toppers)
#3: Conway Twitty, “House On Old Lonesome Road”
…08/26/1989, 15 weeks, #19
(Harold Lloyd Jenkins, changed name in 1957 borrowing from Conway AR & Twitty TX; owned Twitty City tourist complex in Hendersonville TN; died of an abdominal aneurysm in 1993)
#4: Annie Lennox, “Walking On Broken Glass”
…1992, #14 Billboard Hot 100 & #6 Adult Contemporary
(part of Eurythmics, with hits like “Sweet Dreams”)
#5: Mark Chesnutt, “Almost Goodbye”
…09/04/1993, 20 weeks, #1
(born in Beaumont TX; this song was middle of 3 straight chart toppers)
#6: Anne Murray, “A Little Good News”
…09/17/1983, 20 weeks, #1
(from Canada; CMA Single Of The Year & Country Female Vocal Grammy)

EPISODE 8

recorded TUE 06/04/2019
aired WED 07/03/2019; FRI pre-empted

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#1: Eddie Rabbitt, “Repetitive Regret”
…03/22/1986, 19 weeks, #4
(became established after Elvis Presley recorded his song “Kentucky Rain”; died of cancer 05/07/1998)
#2: Travis Tritt, “Tell Me I Was Dreaming”
…04/15/1995, 20 weeks, #2
(began singing in Atlanta nightclubs in 1981)
#3: Roxette, “Fading Like A Flower”
…04/17/1991, #2 Billboard Hot 100
(from their ‘Joyride’ album)
#4: Glen Campbell, “Still Within The Sound Of My Voice”
…10/30/1987, 23 weeks, #5
(TV’s “Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour”, 1968-1972; acted in several movies; CMA Male Vocalist 1968; song popular when my original best friend died of an asthma attack, 12/27/1987, so it is special to me)
#5: The Forester Sisters, “Lonely Alone”
…07/05/1986, 24 weeks, #2 [2 wks]
(trio of sisters from Lookout Mountain GA: Kathy, June & Kim)
#6: Mel McDaniel, “Stand Up”
…09/14/1985, 21 weeks, #5
(began performing at age 15 in 1957; worked clubs in Alaska, 1971-73; born in Checotah OK)

EPISODE 9

recorded TUE 06/25/2019
aired WED 07/10/2019; FRI 07/12/2019 

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#1: Billy Ray Cyrus, “Could’ve Been Me”
…07/04/1992, 20 weeks, #2
(worked as an exotic dancer & car salesman before his 1992 crossover debut smash)
#2: Gary Allan, “Best I Ever Had”
…06/11/2005, 29 weeks, #7
(cover of Vertical Horizon’s 2001 Billboard Hot 100 hit)
#3: Janie Fricke, “She’s Single Again”
…05/18/1985, 22 weeks, #2
(native of S Whitley IN, a hop-skip-jump from where I went to college; former backing singer for RCA record label; sang numerous commercial jingles)
#4: Michael W Smith, “Place In This World”
…1991: #6 Billboard Hot 100, #5 Adult Contemporary, #1 Christian charts
(from album ‘Go West Young Man’
#5: TG Sheppard, “Somewhere Down The Line”
…06/02/1984, 21 weeks, #3 [2 wks]
(born William Browder; invented stage name, but initials do not mean “The Good Sheppard” or “The German Sheppard”)
#6: Mickey Gilley, “Room Full Of Roses”
…04/20/1974, 16 weeks, #1
(cousin of Jerry Lee Lewis; co-owned Gilleys nightclub, Pasadena TX, 1971-89, during which time it & Gilley were featured in the 1980 movie ‘Urban Cowboy’)
#7: Robert Ellis Orrall, “Boom! It Was Over”
…11/14/1992, 20 weeks, #19
(of 3 releases, this was his only Top 20 tune)

EPISODE 10

recorded TUE 06/25/2019
aired WED 07/17/2019; FRI 07/19/2019
& WED 07/24/2019; FRI 07/26/2019

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#1: John Conlee, “She Can’t Say That Anymore”
…09/13/1980, 17 weeks, #2 [2 wks]
(born in Versailles KY; worked as a mortician for 6 years; moved to Nashville TN’s WLAC in 1971)
#2: BJ Thomas, “2 Car Garage”
…11/26/1983, 21 weeks, #3
(how I envisioned my life as a kid, for the most part … only got the 2-tone car, a 1979 Caprice Classic sedan)
#3: Eddie Money, “I’ll Get By”
…1991: #21 Billboard Hot 100 & #7 Adult Contemporary charts
#4: Emmylou Harris, “2 More Bottles Of Wine”
…04/15/1978, 14 weeks, #1
(born in Birmingham AL; worked as folk singer in Washington DC in the late 1960s)
#5: Gary Morris, “2nd Hand Heart”
…07/28/1984, 19 weeks, #7
(acted on Broadway; had a duet with Crystal Gayle for TV’s ‘Another World’)
#6: Johnny Duncan, “She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed”
…03/11/1978, 18 weeks, #1
(born in Dublin TX; died of a heart attack 08/14/2006; lived in Clovis NM, 1959-64; moved to Nashville TN in 1964 & worked as a DJ on Franklin TN’s WAGG)
#7: Sawyer Brown, “Step That Step”
…02/09/1985, 21 weeks, #1
(band’s 1st top 10 & chart topper; formed in Nashville TN; won 1st prize on TV’s “Star Search”, 1984; won 1985 CMA Horizon Award)

EPISODE 11

recorded THU 07/11/2019
aired WED 07/31/2019; FRI 08/02/2019

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#1: Joe Diffie, “3rd Rock From The Sun”
…07/16/1994, 20 weeks, #1 [2 wks]
(born in Tulsa OK; worked in a foundry while playing local nightclubs in OK; moved to Nashville TN in 1986 to work for Gibson Guitars)
#2: Exile, “Nobody’s Talking”
…04/14/1990, 21 weeks, #2
(formed in KY; string of pop hits in the 1970s; switched to country in the 1980s)
#3: Martina McBride, “Independence Day”
…05/07/1994, 20 weeks, #12
(CMA Song Of The Year; born in Medicine Lodge KS; CMA Female Vocalist 1999,2002,2003,2004; sold T-shirts for Garth Brooks’ 1991 concert tour)
#4: Melissa Manchester, “You Should Hear How She Talks About You”
…1982: #5 Billboard Hot 100 & #10 Adult Contemporary charts
#5: Collin Raye, “Little Rock”
…04/09/1994, 20 weeks, #2
(My favorite of his; tho I have a ton of favorite songs)
#6: Lionel Cartwright, “Give Me His Last Chance”
…06/17/1989, 24 weeks, #3
(very short singing career: late 1988 to late 1992; 1 of 4 Top 10 hits with my favorite being “I Watched It All On My Radio”)

EPISODE 12

recorded THU 07/11/2019
aired WED 08/07/2019; FRI 08/09/2019

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#1: Randy Travis, “Digging Up Bones”
…08/16/1986, 21 weeks, #1
(born in NC; appeared in several movies & TV shows; won 1986 CMA Horizon award)
#2: Blackhawk, “Goodbye Says It All”
…11/20/1993, 20 weeks, #11
(debut single)
#3: Juice Newton, “Shot Full Of Love”
…unreleased
(her version of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 1983 #19 tune)
#4: Gordon Lightfoot, “Carefree Highway”
…#10 Billboard Hot 100 & #1 Adult Contemporary charts; released August 1974
(important to me because of road trips & September 1973 birth)
#5: Brad Paisley, “Then”
…04/04/2009, 17 weeks, #1 [3 wks]
(won 2000 CMA Horizon Award; this is 1 of the good newer songs)
#6: Ty Herndon, “I Want My Goodbye Back”
…06/10/1995, 20 weeks, #7
(born in Meridian MS; short career, early 1995 to ~2001)