Those Were the Days

Good morning and welcome to The Morning Show.

The voice you're hearing is not that of Phil Neese.

In fact, this show will be unique because Phil is the one being interviewed.

Welcome to The Morning Show and I'm Ken Thied and this is your history moment.

What's the history moment?

Well, this weekend, your history moment, both Thursday and Sunday, will be on Those Were the Days, the 40th anniversary.

fills with us and joining us in the studio also Fuzz Macaulay who will be part of the activity on Saturday night with the FFA alumni and of course there's so many things going on but

You know, Phil, when you scheduled this in, did you realize how much would be happening on October 3rd?

Well, kind of.

I mean, I guess originally I did it because there's a parade downtown and it seems like, you know, is there anything else to make people stay downtown?

And so that was kind of the thought, thinking that people could go to the parade and come to our show before, after or whatever they want

to do.

I think that's exactly right.

And then I'm going to lead in with this is that way you can take in a lot of stuff downtown as well.

The way you've got it set up with the music on

to be played outside and it starts with the doors opening at five and program at six and six to nine on stage.

And then you're coming back to the station here for a little quiet time for yourself.

Is that right?

It's the big after party.

The after party is what you're calling it.

Okay.

Yeah.

Okay.

Is that kind of like the pregame show where you have backtracking?

So now you have the after party.

We'll have

the after party then.

You know, I got to start you off with a question and I'm going to put you on the spot right away.

Uh-oh.

You know, with everything happening the way it has, can you put into words?

what you're feeling right now with all this coming about and everything coming together you've got a program to do it's not going to be a regular Saturday night by any means in the 40th is really a year to mark so

Can you put into words what you're feeling right now?

Well, I just, I'm very honored for one thing, you know, and then past employees and coworkers, you know, I've kind of reached out and, and so that's pretty special to all the people that have worked here, worked with me and, you know, through the years.

And some of them will be back on the program on, on Saturday night, but, but just honored.

And I think the other word I would use is lucky because lucky to still be doing it.

And you got to understand that's over the course of three different owners

of

the radio station.

So those times, you know, you never know when someone else

buys it.

Doesn't it to run fruit actually hiring you?

Is that right?

Yes, it does program director.

That's correct.

Yeah.

Remember the interview

August 18th of 1986

was my first time on the time that it took place to it.

Well, it was after a brewer game when I first took air

back

in the day.

And that was your first time on the air here at WRC or had you done some spots prior to that?

No, honestly.

I'd been at a broadcast school and

that was in Wasaw.

That was in

Wasaw.

Yes.

But then, yeah, first radio shot was I had applied at a few other stations.

Oh, did you really?

Okay.

And WRC Ohard you.

Yes.

And of course it was a great fit because local boy comes back, but it was two or three months before you started the Saturday night show.

Isn't it right?

October.

Okay.

And so how did that come about?

How did the idea for the show come about?

Well, it always had the idea and actually, you know, I kind of stole it.

Uh, cat FM used to have the, the crews, uh, Saturday night crews, Pat peace, I think was their DJ at the time.

And I always thought that was a cool thing.

I'm like, man, if I had a time and I was on the air Saturday, I'd love to do that.

So that was kind of the, uh,

approach.

And then I approached Ron fruit, of course, and he thought that was a good idea.

And, and actually he was the one because I had four or five different names for the

show,

including those were the days.

And he was the one that said, well, you should go with that because there's a song to go along.

I was going to say the theme song is kind of your trademark and part of your mantra.

And I really have to, I'm curious because when we're going back to that time period, the mid 80s, I always think of Casey Kasem.

And it's not the same type of show, but he's playing music.

He's not playing requests.

He's doing really a top 10 and he's giving you that week for that year and it's still replayed even.

Do you even go back to that

time period then with Casey Kasem?

Oh, sure.

I used to listen to that.

I used to tape the countdowns and things.

And, you know, my radio days go back to when I was just a little six transistors,

many of us

did.

And I would sit there at night trying to see how many AM stations I could get.

And of course, a lot of us stopped on the Chicago stations WLS and WCFL.

you could get them on a good night.

Well, I was K-A-A-Y on a little rock.

That was mine.

But when you bring up WLS and you got to think back to American graffiti, it's a little bit of that Wolfman Jack type setting.

I have to be honest with you and the listeners.

I've driven over here a couple of times and I can look in the window and I can see you there.

And with that being a part of it, I kind of was curious, okay, what's he doing in there?

You do enjoy yourself though when you hear I don't try to do it immensely.

I do, but it's ironic that you say that because that was

probably the moment that I knew I wanted to be in radio so I went to American graffiti with my sister and her friend was probably too young to be seeing the movie at that time but but I went and that that just that scene with Wolfman Jack still still just blows my mind you know and and when you think about the old station at WRC on Bowman Drive it looks a lot like

the station in the movie American Graffiti where he stops his car and it's like at the end of town and it was you know like the only thing there and goes into this white building and there's the guy in the back and he waves him back you know and

well the trademark I remember and you'll go on with that it was after that clip it was kind of the close to the scene where he's talking with the guy he's got you know Wolfman's got his popsicle and that was a part of your starlight driving uh shtick but

If you remember, he walks out the door and he looks back at the window and then he goes on air and there was this just a click that took place.

And I thought that was just a great scene.

Right.

Yeah.

He told him the Wolfman stops by and drops off tapes.

He's not really here.

And then later he looks back and he's talking on the air and it's Wolfman.

You, um, you've mentioned before it's part of the program and, uh, uh, by the way, there will be a full four page program and we'll talk a little bit about the sponsors in a moment.

but you have mentioned one name, Carl Perkins always comes up and you got to interview him.

Yes, I did.

What was the thrill there?

Well, really a thrill because how coughing to talk to somebody that knew firsthand buddy Holly and Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash and all these people when they first started.

And then he's on tour in England with a young man by the name of the Beatles and they're asking him, Carl, show us how you play matchbox and show us how you play, you know, this one and that one.

And so, you know, to be in the same room with the Beatles kind of teaching them and they're in awe of him and things like that.

So he was, he was talking about those things.

touring with Johnny Cash all those years as one of his guitar players and

I've been listening and if you've been playing a little bit of Johnny Cash here yeah yeah he's kind of been in your wheelhouse do you have a favorite song or a favorite group or a

a favorite album.

I would really go to albums because you talk a lot about the albums on your Saturday night show and you just mentioned it with coming back an album that sold over the years and you've talked about that on your show.

Do you have a favorite song?

Favorite song?

Yeah.

Pressure's on.

Well, you could probably name a top 10.

I could.

I usually go back to light my fire by the doors just

because it's number

one.

Yeah, I think so because it's so many things.

going on and I was, I've always been a fan of them because they're very unique.

They don't, there's no one else that's ever sounded like them.

How about a group?

Do you have a group?

Yeah, probably,

probably them.

Yeah,

or, or of course the Beatles and, and Queen, you know, you'd almost have to go by decades.

Oh, I agree with you.

Yeah.

And that's part of your show.

You go the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

It wasn't always the 90s.

You added that.

Yeah, we've kind of added that.

I mean, somebody said the other night I played, but they're like, that's, I said it's 35 years old.

I guess it's

gotta be getting close to being an oldie, right?

Well, when you started the show, did you have that plan?

Was it going to be just the 70s?

Or you catch some radio stations.

In fact, 100.9 in Madison plays 70s.

Yes, they do.

That's right.

So, you know, I just transfer whenever you drive into Madison.

I don't change the station.

I just leave it on 100.9.

Right.

Um, when we started, so we started in 86 and the cutoff year was 1974.

Oh wow.

Yeah.

So we came that recent and I remember we would get tons of requests for old time rock and roll by Bob Seeger, which was actually from 1978.

So I started playing that and people would call me on it.

Well, wait a minute.

That's not, that's newer than 74.

So we started to kind of expand the years a little bit.

Well, what I appreciate about you and I'm going to go there for a moment.

I would call in and I'd ask you what was on the flip side of the 45?

Do you have a collection or is that just something that sticks in your mind because you're excellent with music trivia?

You really are and I think you take pride in being able to know what was on the other side of the 45.

The old stuff I can do pretty well, the newer stuff not so much, but buying the records and things like that and the other thing you may remember is

you know, Jude boxes,

uh,

you know, cause I would be, you know, at the, at the Orbit lounge at the bowling alley in the

center lanes

and I'd hear a song.

I'm like, what is that?

And you go up there and here's somebody had played the B side and

it

was, and it was pretty cool.

Well, you know, you discover songs

that way too.

Can you name a B side song that you really like

that?

Uh, well the Beatles first record I want to hold your hand.

Uh, the flip side was I saw her standing there,

which was also, you know, just as, just as good.

Yeah, or better.

I remember in the chieftains teepee.

teepee and musketeer, they always had on top of the jute box.

They had a box of all the records they'd taken out and you could buy them for a quarter.

Oh.

You know, that was a deal and vinyl's coming back.

You've got to admit that.

Yeah.

But when, and what a lot of people don't know is what you go through to get ready for a show.

Now, the vibe, I'm assuming you mentioned it today, but you load up the vehicle with, and I'm, have you been able to keep records here and tapes here, but

You've got a pretty good collection.

They go back and forth.

Yeah, but yeah, I tend to leave them here a little bit more than I used to but I used to bring Vinyl albums lots of them in in in crates, you know,

well crates Yes, I've seen those suitcases that you have.

Yeah, I have suitcases of CDs.

How many suitcases?

I think there's 12 of them

12 suitcases you have and some stay here, but you're bringing that every Saturday night.

Yeah, there's 175 CDs in each case

And

every week it never fails.

Every week it never fails.

Somebody request something that I don't have.

I was just going to say, are they trying to catch you

on?

Well, see what's happened, Ken, over the years is that you and I remember songs of hearing on the radio.

That was popular.

People request things because you got the younger generation that discover them on YouTube and they think it's pretty good song and it probably is, but it's not the hit song that was played on the radio.

Oh,

OK.

Yeah.

So it might be like it might be, you know, the car is, for instance, and it's an album cut.

you know good song but it wasn't one of the ones that was played on the radio you know

sure you know

that's that's good too sometimes

are there some common songs that are requested regularly is is there kind of where you're gonna leave out a few or is there some that you'd like to mention because they're commonly requested

commonly requested quite often

Beep, beep by the playmates has been requested a lot over the years.

I wouldn't say it's one of my favorites, but you know, I learned a long time ago that you're, you're on the radio to play for the people.

You're not on

the radio to play what you like.

And, and some DJs never get that, you know, even the mobile DJs are like that too.

You know, of course we all have our favorites that we like to play,

but

you're there,

you

know, you want to, you want

to play for the masses.

You want to get them dancing.

If you're at a retirement party, you want to keep them in their era, ballpark and what they're doing.

And there are, there are a lot of groups, uh, Pink Floyd, for instance, you know, great band.

But, you know, when you got the party and you're jamming, they don't have the most upbeat songs, you know?

So if somebody requests something by them, it kind of brings it down a little bit.

Well, and you do a great job of blending.

You try to compliment.

Oh, you, you do a great job.

But is there kind of a, I've noticed like the six to seven 30, you play a certain type of music and then maybe from seven 30 to nine 30, you have a little bit more upbeat and tempo and

And you kind of wind it down a little bit by the time you get to 11.

So is there some songs in there that you select purposely?

Or I've seen you even with your list.

And sometimes it's numbered where we'll get to it as soon as we can.

But I've seen where you've got a dozen or 15 requests on a list that you've scribbled down from people calling in.

Oh,

yeah.

And then you've got a good fan base.

You need to know that.

And please take a very nice compliment.

are popular with so many people and how you play it and your delivery, you could play the music.

But please take a very nice compliment, Phil.

You very much leave a great impression on a wide variety, a wide age group, a wide genre of music.

Do you have a, without naming names, unless you choose to, is there some fandom out there where people are calling in?

Do you have a couple stories of those calls that come in on Sarayant?

You can almost time it.

It's going to be coming in at a certain time, or once they call in and the way they greet you, or the entrance, is there some that you can recall?

Oh yeah, we've had towns over the years.

One time, West Lima.

Uh, had a, uh, those were the day's night, you know,

on a

Friday night, you know, cause they actually had taped the show.

So that was kind of weird.

I went, you know, they're playing the show, you know, um, but, uh, and Casanova has got a good fan base up there as well.

So I'll get calls and texts from them, you know, the, the, uh, banks of Lee Lake, you know, so, but, but what's really cool now is how it's expanded with the online app.

because we're getting calls from, from elsewhere.

Now granted, a lot of times it's people that maybe used to live here or they have relatives that live here, but you know, not uncommon to get a Florida or California.

Um, I've even had overseas a couple of times, young man that lives in India now that grew up in Richland center calls once in a while.

It's Sunday morning over there.

It's not about the reception now.

Now it's about the access.

It is.

And it's a totally different world.

but you're still playing the same music.

Right.

And it's really rock and roll.

Let's be honest, but that can be a wide variety because if you're playing some from the fifties and you'll slip a few of them in and there's some requests that come in for it.

Is there a real twist or a way that you go about it?

Is there a plan you have when you're playing that music or does it just come to you as you go?

It comes to me, but you know, you talk about the different timeframe.

It's mostly like when I'm doing a live show, which we do most of the time, it's, it's almost all listener.

dictated.

So it's a matter of trying to, you know, build the temple, you know, so I probably am not going to go from twisted sister into Bobby V, you know, but you, but you, but we play all that stuff, you know, so then you have your, you have a transition group.

So like, let's say, okay, you've got that, then you go maybe with Cretan's Clearwater Revival, which is kind of rock, but it kind of blends the gap.

And then you come back with like Bobby V or the fifties, because they kind of

dovetail together.

Give

you a little transition too and just naming those groups and as you've talked about songs that could be that part of it that's kind of that blend that you have.

You really do have a nice fan base.

Any comments on any callers because you do get those calls sometimes I'm sure you just roll your eyes.

Well I would say I sound better as it gets later sometimes

for

some people.

Just like the bar

scene.

Yeah, exactly.

I do want to mention two individuals who are just who are no longer with us.

One of them is Beverly Burns, who was just an outstanding fan and Sherry Bunce, who just passed away this year as well.

We called her the wild woman of Woodman.

But, you know, you get to know these people because they check in each week and, you know, they become kind of the part of the family, so to speak.

Well, and after the break, we can go to really the program and what's happening or so.

Yeah.

In this first half of the show, I'd like to stay with, if I could, some of that history.

And let's go back to one name.

And I'm going to put you on the spot because it's your opportunity to really shout out.

Ray Schrader.

I knew I'd put a smile on your face.

And, and you had a very special relationship with him.

I'm, I'm aware of only, uh, on the cusp of what really you could go into, but in a, in a few minutes, could you talk about Ray and really what he meant to you and to the radio station?

Oh yeah, really did.

Well, he was kind of like a father figure to all of us who are here and he would come in, uh, with his, he brought in CDs as well.

He'd pull his car up here.

Even at 90,

he's pulling his car up here and carrying CDs in, you know, uh, but outstanding.

But he was, uh, in people, when, when we first started doing the show, um, you know, we'd always use him kind of in the, as the punchline and people would say, well, he was very serious when he worked for the DMV, you know, I don't, I don't see that side of him, but to have worked with him, he was, he was the biggest joker of anybody that worked at the radio station.

And, uh, but I got him involved in a lot of, uh,

funny things over the years that, you know, with his moped,

you know,

and, you know, we'd have fake news reports about him, you know, his moped gang invading a city or whatever.

I remember the suspenders.

That was usually something too that he hooked up and

he hooked up the tracker of the suspenders.

And

well, it's even in your program too.

You put a little clip in there about, uh, uh, he was souping up his most.

Yeah, that's right.

Campbell soup.

Campbell soup.

Yeah.

Uh, you know, that's really part of your show that you can

focus on.

In the program itself, it mentions a lot of the little clips that you include for humor, for a light-hearted approach.

What was the first one?

Because you had to have a start with, you know, Hugh Mama and the news and Johnny and June and I'm sure there was some that over the course of time you

kind of phased out.

There were some newer ones that you brought in.

What was the first one that you ever did?

Do you remember what the first clip was?

Probably the Johnny and, you know, what's the matter, baby?

You know, cause, and some of those were based on real things that June and I, like our real conversations, you

know, now you're going to be playing John Denver.

I know later on, but I shout out to June.

She's up for same to it.

And I do have a question about her before we close and I'll wait till the end for that.

Um, when, when you mentioned to Johnny and June, I just heard you do the shtick.

You do a lot of your own voiceovers.

Don't you?

We, we have over there's, yeah.

Yeah.

And that's part of the popularity of it too.

I think is there a favorite one that you have?

Um, maybe either Hugh mama, the news man

or,

uh, or the Jerital jokester and the Jerital jokester was actually based on a real guy too.

That used to Ron and I would be out at remotes or whatever.

And he come up and tell like the,

worst dad joke you've ever heard and then walk away

like, who was that guy?

I don't know.

Am I supposed to laugh at that?

Well, I always think of He-Haw too.

You know how they'd have those little clips.

Right.

And, and I have to be honest with you, you know, as I listen to them, my, my favorite is still Hugh Mama.

I

think the news reports and that's kind of the transition of the history.

And you mentioned down at the old station, which no longer is there.

It's just a slab of cement and a lot of people will forget, but

those flood years.

You spent time in downtown Richland Center at what is now Wallace Cooper and Elliott.

And they were very gracious.

The Richland County Bank I believe would be credited with that.

That's

correct.

That you were able to use half of the building and of course the space was tight.

But now you're in a different atmosphere and of course then to move out here and the station and eventually Ron retiring and and he's sold the station and now you're the station manager.

Ray did sports too.

I have to go back to that for just a second.

And he was primarily River Valley sports.

Would I be right in saying that?

That's

correct,

yes.

And you did the Richland Center games.

On my first year, I went with Ray.

Oh, did you?

It was Ray and I. Well, that had to be a story.

Yeah, it was a learning experience.

Well, and naming names, and I know past personalities will come back, but I can't help but mention, and I'm hoping he's listening, is Bill Twining.

Sure.

Bill was kind of the one that was never here.

And of course,

Bill with his knowledge of wrestling and Ron did wrestling as well.

You haven't done much wrestling, have you?

I usually help him out when the postseason rolls around.

So I've done lots of conference and regionals and sectionals over the years, but those guys were the experts and you know, it's hard

to... And some people say, how can you broadcast a soccer match and you do an outstanding job of that?

But then there's the twist coming back to those were the days that really cuts into time.

That's those were the days time backers have cut into those were the days that, you know, at times in the brewers have those were the days, but, but those were the days.

That's, that's six to midnight timeframe.

How about backtracking?

How did that come about

backtracking?

Well, I'll tell you the original schedule.

So when we started in October of 86, um,

We had backtracking from 530 to 630, which was just kind of like the songs we played newer songs than what we played on those were the days.

So we played like some 80 songs.

And then at 630, we had a program called Powerline, which was

a

religious base.

They would play top 40 songs, but they would have like meanings behind the songs.

And we played that from 637.

So those were the days started at seven.

Oh, really?

So there wasn't a six to 12 always.

Oh, and I did.

I didn't know that, so it was just five hours in.

Okay, that's news for me.

And I go to that because I joke about Ray, I always called it rockin' with Ray, but it was in a rocking chair, rather than reminiscing with Ray.

And now, of course, Chris Simonson playing from about noon, somewhere after the news, until your backtracking show.

Backtracking always advertised as the pre-game show.

You still select the songs.

You select the time period.

You have your themes that go along with that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's always

from like this week and music

history and that's a little bit with Italian with Casey Kasem.

Tell me about Dick Clark.

Cause I got, I've got to go there.

You've got him on your list of people that you had the chance to interview.

Right.

And was that at the same time as a new colony six program or was that a separate set?

It was right around that time.

Um, and, um, you know, we, I've been doing a lot of interviews and some of the interviews at the time when the internet first came in to play, a lot of these hours, it was kind of new to them and they just had their own website that they were, they would man themselves.

So you could actually reach out to them.

And I, I got a lot of years that way.

Hey, Phil me, WRC was doing an interview, you know, but the Dick Clark interview came about cause somebody kind of, I

said to be really cool to talk to him sometime.

And somebody said, well, we'll just call him.

So I just call his office, you know, just.

Yeah.

And the lady answered, I told her who I was.

It turns out she was his longtime secretary, grew up in Madison, Wisconsin.

Yeah.

And she goes, well, I know Richland center.

And so we had this, we had this nice conversation.

She goes, well, you seem like a real nice guy.

I'll put in a good word for you.

And then yes, or enough couple of days later, he was on the phone.

And what I remember about that too is they told me what time to call.

So I called him and he's like, he's like,

Hey, Phil, do you mind?

He said, Oprah's people are doing an interview.

Could you call back in about 10 minutes?

Do you,

would you have a problem with that?

No, no, that's fine.

Take a backseat to Oprah's people.

Well, I personally remember that now.

I don't know if you've replayed the clips and I think you've played snippets of it, but he's got that iconic voice

Oh, sure.

And I were you a little nervous interviewing him then or did you feel comfortable because it was on the phone?

Yeah, well,

he wasn't in

person.

He made you feel comfortable.

He was that kind of guy.

But my end with him was I talked about his start in radio because he was a DJ before he became a TV star.

So and I don't think, you know, when you interview somebody, sometimes it's kind of cool to try to add

ask him something that's not normally asked of him.

And that's where I went for there.

And he just talked on about his radio career and starting out and how he got the bandstand gig then.

Well, and you do that with your interviews too.

And you compliment Dick Clark, but many times your interviews just kind of flow.

They just go.

And a lot of it, I'm sure you just play the questions as they play into it and go, I mentioned the new Colony Six.

Could you talk about that?

Program and the 10-year anniversary because that's gonna lead us into the second part of your morning show and it's your morning show That I just kind of pirated and and we'll kind of bring in fuzz Macaulay after the break just to talk a little bit more And I think he might even have a few questions for you.

I'm sure I'm a little nervous about well He's been hanging around mr. G for quite a while And of course I officiated with mr. Dylan and I got to throw his name out there and and of course mr. Majeski.

Yes, absolutely so bad

in the day when you were doing this, did you get permission from him ahead of time or did you give him a heads up?

Oh no, but we became pretty good, pretty good friends, you know, you never would have thought that back in the

day.

Well, whether you've used this line, he told me and of course I had both his boys and I worked with his wife, but he would say that he'd call you in the office and he was just mad as hell and I'll use that term bluntly at you.

And within the time period, you'd start talking and he put his arm around you and you'd be walking out of the office, both of you smiling and laughing.

Now, is that a true story or is that embellished?

Well, it might have been, you know, a little bit true.

He told me years later, he goes, the hardest thing a lot of times is not to laugh because, and then he also told me, he said, the things that I was worried about with you and Marty and some other people.

Tame in comparison to today,

you know, cause a

lot of our stuff was just practical jokes and things like that that,

you know, disrupted things.

Were you on that first hit list?

So even you were incriminated, even though you didn't do it.

Oh, oftentimes, right.

It had to be me.

It had to be me.

So you were there.

Well, he started there and then,

you know, went on down

the line after.

You graduated and you went back and I'm sure you had conversations with him and he was very gracious that he did some clips for you and and you've coerced people.

I do need to use you instead of volunteer you were your volunteer told where I need you on this clip.

Oh, yes.

And he cooperated, I know, uh, with, with all of that.

And, and certainly as we're talking about people that have passed and, and left a very good impression with you, any

comments on Mr. Majeski?

Oh, he was, he was a great guy, but he was the, you know, and the, and the teachers that, the work for him too would say that he let them do their job, you know, and I think that's a great.

that's a sign of a great leader, you know, you got people that know what they're doing, you know, and you,

you

know, but anyway, he, but he was, he was like that with, with me and he told me that later.

He goes, he goes 10 years ago,

I'd have said they were

crazy.

If somebody told me I was having lunch with you, you know, what are my first times down the year?

And we were talking about this this morning about, we did a lot more live reads of commercials back then.

And I had a, I had a commercial for Norm's small engines and it was a featuring

Tecumseh engines, but I had never seen that word.

I'd heard it all my life, but it doesn't, it didn't look to me.

So I'm like, so stop by and see the latest in Tecumseh engines.

And I shut the mic off in the phone rings and it was Mr. Majeski calling from his office.

And he said, me, if you had paid attention in history, you know, that's named after chief Tecumseh.

It's Tecumseh.

Thank you, Mr. Majeski.

You didn't forget that one.

No.

That stuck with I heard the clip this morning as I was listening.

WKRP in Cincinnati is often the spoof as well.

And they would talk about chai-chai roder games.

Oh, sure.

And names especially are difficult.

Les Nessman.

Oh, Les Nessman, you got to appreciate it.

Well, this is kind of the iconic, uh, uh, transferred to WKRP on, uh,

Facebook and I know credit to both Bo Henrichs and to Adam Hess.

They've been really doing stellar work and getting ready for your program and we'll talk about that after the break.

But you've got some clips on there now.

If people want to catch that, the invitation.

I think I need to throw it out there right now before we go to break is you're doing the show from six till nine at the downtown city auditorium.

And doors open at five.

I heard you're giving autographs.

Is that right?

Well, they'll be worth a lot of money.

Well, someday they very well could.

And when we go there, we'll talk about your sponsors and of course the RC PAC and how everything's going to benefit them.

But I got to go back to that new colony six because you were there and it was now 30 years ago.

Yes.

That you had the new colony six there.

Have you done anything

since that or not?

We had, uh, yeah, the colony in, in 1980s, I'm sorry, 1996, 2006.

We had Bobby V, Tommy Rowe and the crickets.

And they're on your list of go to your list is very long.

And I read some of them off on the history

moment.

Tremendous show.

That

was, well, you gave me a good two dozen.

I'm sure you could have named 50 or 60.

Those names resonate though with history of music and

really rock and roll.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, they really do.

And I remember that night, we had that at the high school auditorium.

Oh, okay.

And I remember a lot of people saying, this is like rock and roll history, because

the

crickets were talking about Buddy Holly and playing his songs.

And then, of course, Tommy Roll and Bobby V were also legends, you know, in their time as well in the 60s.

But

do you

have any favorite interviews?

favorite interviews.

Well, you know, the Carl Perkins one is right up there.

And you know, every time I say, and I shut up the mic, I'll think about 10 more.

But Judy, Judy Collins is another one.

This one, and there are so many that really maybe didn't fit the format of the show.

Liza Manelli.

Oh, wow.

Steve Allen.

Sure.

Sure,

um,

you

know, early

pioneering iconic, both of those are in showbiz and not just music, but, you know, in television and movies, they can really play up our Broadway part of that.

Hal Linden from,

you know, Barney Miller.

Yeah.

Um, cause he had an album out.

I gotta, I'm curious Nancy Sinatra,

Nancy Sinatra.

That had to be a real pleasure.

That one I was a little nervous for.

Okay.

And how was that?

Uh, it was wonderful.

She, her agent or whatever, her, her.

Person told her that Phil me was on the phone and that's how she picks up.

She goes film these on the phone I better talk to him.

You know, I've got that on tape.

Sure Great timing.

Oh, yeah, right.

I've noticed that usually we've got to be cautious with you because you have most of the stuff on tape You know even with your call-in show and that call-in show is really part of what makes your show great You've had let's just say

once every two months where you tape a show and you've got things for family and friends and you do take part of that.

You've also given up time with family and friends and I even know June's been in here at least once in those 40 years and maybe many more times.

but that's got to be a special time for you that you know that those were the days segment it's kind of your getaway from everything isn't

it oh sure absolutely you know tough week and people say oh you have to work on saturday nights it's not really that much work to be honest maybe getting ready for the show but uh but no she's been very you know very gracious over the years because there there was a point in our marriage where i told her i said you know if you really

want me to give this up and she goes, no, that's such a part of you.

I would never, never say

that.

And that makes

her a special

woman.

Absolutely.

And

how many years now for you in June?

39.

So the joke is, so she, the first night when she, you know, 1986, she was there helping me find records and putting records away.

We got married in 87.

I haven't seen her since.

I, I, for the public, they need to know that isn't true.

And I know for a fact, you know, that's part of the Johnny and June you mama and all the other stories that you tell.

It's a little bit of a release time though, isn't it?

Absolutely.

And I think for everybody, you know, I think that's, that's the time of the weekend where you kick back and.

You know, let it all hang out, right?

I'm going to ask, is this a good time to take a break?

I think maybe we should.

You're the host.

Well, you got the controls and all you do is point at me.

And so I know we're there and we'll bring in Fuzz Macaulay when we come back.

Does that sound

good?

Sounds good to me.

We're coming up on the morning show.

Welcome back to the morning show.

Yeah, it was it was hijacked for a little bit but

You've taken over the controls.

I know you've got the controls back

Fuzz Macaulay is in the studio as well as as can feed fuzz Thanks for stepping up with the FFA alumni to to help out the cause on Saturday night

It was just a natural for me.

I when I heard this was kind of happening a few months ago I just thought wow this is something

we need to be a part of.

And it wasn't tough.

The toughest part was finding out the exact date.

Oh, you know, just knowing, okay, that date and we're available.

Yeah, that was the toughest part.

Bo has been great with me to communicate with.

Of course, the guys and gang at the auditorium, you know, I'm just a little nugget of what goes on there.

And so, you know, when they said they were

that it was going to be there.

I thought, oh yeah, well, we're ready to go.

Ready to do

it.

You're going to be grilling them outside, making people hungry.

And then they'll, they can go in the auditorium and

find the food.

Yeah.

We're, we're grilling hot dogs out front.

And, uh, so there'll be, like you say, yeah, all that can feed charcoal smell from the old football game.

Oh

yeah.

And that's the question.

What time are you going to start?

Because the doors open at five and you're going to be grilling outside.

So that smell is going to be coming in with the, with the charcoal.

Right.

Right.

Well, I'm thinking we're going to be there getting ready to roll a little bit before five.

Sure.

A hot dog doesn't take long, uh, but just kind of, and we've got some people there that'll be helping get them from the street side up the stairs.

Uh, they'll be, you know, like an esco up there and we'll have that baby full and.

Make that happen.

So every time the

second floor, they go up there, there'll be other things like skis going to be available.

Is that right, Phil?

That's correct.

We're going to have Gary's lawn care, the ski shed in Richland Center donated some ski.

So, and we're going to be, you know, free will offering for a can of ski.

Well, I was just going to say, we're talking about all the donations, all the money, all the funds go to the RC PAC for improvements of the auditorium.

So as far as the hot dogs go, you don't have a price set then.

Is that right?

No price set, but it's easy to work with because

Craig at the Richland locker.

Great.

Yeah.

He's always been great.

Yep.

He's donating the dogs.

That makes your life easy then.

Boom.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, we go back a ways him and I do.

A

ways, I think 40 years to his

dad.

Yeah.

When it comes to hot dogs, we had our own name for him, Aggie dogs.

Oh yeah.

These are the real deal.

These are not like what, yeah, these are the real deal as people know.

Well, I was going to ask, are you going to have some FFA alumni

personalities

or just to help you?

I'm sure you need a runner.

Yeah.

And I'm

sure you're going to have, there's some guys that are going to be there with tongs.

Yup.

You bet.

So it's like, uh, you know, back in the day when, and even now when we do a brat feed somewhere, you know, and we'll have some hot dogs.

And it's just amazing.

People will walk.

Oh, you got the real hot dogs.

I say, yep, Richland locker.

There you go.

So, well, and they'll go well with the ski.

Will they not?

Oh, they will.

And I understand you have some Saxonville sauerkraut too.

We have Saxonville sauerkraut.

And for those that may not have a clue, this is homemade.

This is not in a can.

Uh, and I have connections with those people.

Oh, I bet.

So yes, uh, that there will be

Jacksonville, Sauerkraut.

Oh man, that's going to be a real delicacy there.

And I know the auditorium folks will have some refreshments for sale

as well.

I've also heard you've got dessert going.

Is that right?

Dessert.

Yeah.

You're in charge of dessert.

Some mallocups.

Mallocups for dessert.

I've heard people are willing to bring in.

This is the rumor.

I, it's out on the street.

that I've heard from at least three different people.

They've got a bunch of those little coined cards that come in the mallocup.

Oh, and they're going to be bringing them in for you.

Now that isn't for the RC PAC, but that way you were talking a couple of weeks ago about mailing them in and how the postage for mailing them in probably costs more than getting a mallocup.

I mean, I could see getting a t-shirt.

That would be kind of cool.

Yeah.

I don't think they do that.

I think it's a, you know, I think it's a dollar 99 coupon or something like that.

I

think

it's gone

down.

So there's not even a break-even point.

Uh-uh.

It's like the cracker jack prize how that's gone down in value over the

years Well, and and I got to say the hot dogs.

I'll speak for the hot dogs They are a hundred percent beef and they are good.

So if you haven't had so I'm planning to have supper there That's Mike.

That's my life.

Good deal Well, we appreciate you stepping forward and doing that because it'll be a little little nourishment You know, so I don't get too weak when I'm up there on the stage dancing

and

stuff

I want you to tell us what your

visioning, envisioning what's going to go on in stage.

People have asked me, okay, so from

six to nine, what, what can we, when we come in,

cause it's no

admission.

I mean, you come in, you can get, you know, make donation and get the food you want, all that stuff.

And then they're going to come in and sit in that beautiful auditorium.

Oh, the seats are just

awesome.

And they want to know, okay, what, what's it going to be like when Phil's up there on stage?

Well, the thing of it

is we can't charge admission for that cause I wouldn't want somebody to say, I paid for this.

You know, picture maybe, you know, the set of the Carson show or Letterman will probably have a desk and a couch because we will have some special guests.

We're going to have some special guests from the past.

I think the likes of maybe Ron Fruit will show up.

We're going to have the musician, Jacob, I think is going to come out and maybe play a song or two.

And then the solid goal dancer is from here.

We'll be here.

So it's going to be, it's going to be a throwback picture, picture Garrison Keeler or picture.

WSM radio where the person steps to the center of the stage and does a live commercial read So we're gonna have some of those things.

They may not be legitimate commercial We'll have some of that we're gonna be playing our regular songs

And

there will be trivia and no because

you got to be there.

So on the

post game show, we're going to, you know, the post party, we'll do our regular trivia on the phone.

But yeah, I mean, people can play along at home, but you've got to be at the auditorium to win because we'll have specific questions for the night.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Cause that, that is, you know, that was what, when we kind of, we put this out on our alumni Facebook page, you know, that kind of stuff.

And so those are kind of some of the things people, okay, well, what can we kind of expect?

The other thing that I think is so cool about the evening is that it's a lights parade thing as well.

So I think that's advertised for seven, I

believe the

starting time at seven.

So for your starting time officially is like six.

So you can do all of this stuff, you know, in one evening.

And I just think that's, I mean, people are going to be obviously be in town.

for the parade stuff as well.

But of course, this is the highlight is to fill in the show is

almost

a

highlight.

Well, and before and after the parade, you know, isn't where you just come and go.

It's available throughout because you're going to be doing your program while the parade is still going.

Yes,

absolutely.

Yeah, we'll keep it going.

And I think they're broadcasting it outside as well.

So we'll, you know, you can hear it outside the auditorium if you want to go watch the parade.

Well, and I know on the alumni

Facebook page and I do know and I've got to throw the plug-in for the RCPAC.

They have a new page they want you to go to and they're advertising all their programs and it's the City Auditorium, The Tee is Caplized City, The Cee is Caplized Auditorium.com and they've got a whole set you can click on your show and and they've got a really nice promo of what you're doing.

Really?

Yes, if you haven't been done, see now you need to go there after we get done and I have not been to the

FFA Facebook page, the alumni page,

and I'm going

to be hitting that just to check it out.

Go there.

Richland.

It's Richland FFA alumni, uh, the Facebook page.

It's going to come up.

Believe it or not, you know, there's more than one Richland.

Yes.

In the United

States.

Actually, yes.

So it like, you know, when you get on there, you got to look for the American flag.

You see the American flag.

They're there.

Yeah.

Okay.

But anyway, it's certainly a treat to use it as a promo for this show and things like that.

Kind of bouncing back a little bit, Ken, with what you'd said earlier about when you interview people.

I can remember, which I'm sure you can too, we would bring students in here, usually FFA officers, to interview about, OK, what's going on, what are you guys doing, all that stuff.

and my students would be just like nerve-wracking.

In fact, there was a time or two, I wasn't sure.

Some of them were going to show up that day just because they were going to be on the radio.

Oh, I'm sick.

I would say these guys, they're just going to feed you right into stuff.

It's going to be really smooth.

Well, of course, they thought I was just promoting to get in there.

But when we'd walk out of here,

You know, they would be, that wasn't bad.

I think that was pretty easy here on the morning

show.

Can honestly

say that that's a compliment.