Luke Combs just scored is 14th consecutive #1 single with "The Kind Of Love We Make" and the other day he announced what is next single would be! 

Excited to let y’all know “Going, Going, Gone” will be my next single on country radio! pic.twitter.com/EPfz2V2OYA

— Luke Combs ? (@lukecombs) October 10, 2022

"Going, Going, Gone" was co-written by Luke, Ray Fulcher, and James McNair, and is his third single from his album Growin' Up. The ballad is a different take on a heart-break song, it's about to happen, the girl he is singing about is going to disappear and there is no way to stop her. The relationship just isn't meant to be and he knows it.

October 11th is National Coming Out Day. Today, I thought I'd share a bit about my story. I started to realize I was different somewhere in middle school. I realized I was gay in high school, but it really took me until my early 20s to fully accept who I am. I came out to friends and family at the age of 22.

It was the Spring Semester of my senior year in college...the very last one before I was to graduate. The year was 2009. We just had the financial crisis of 2008, and I was dealing with coming to accept who I was and freaking out that I'd be a college grad who couldn't find a job. I ended up suffering severe depression for quite a time. Luckily I got counseling and was able to get past all of that.

Thankfully, everyone from friends, to family, to co-workers have been extremely wonderful toward me. I know that many people aren't so lucky. I feel so grateful to have had the experiences I have had to this point and I am so happy where my life is at right now. If you know someone who is going through the process of coming out (it is a process), be supportive. They need all of the love and support they can have.

Hello there!

My name is Rachel, and this is my FIRST EVER BLOGPOST for WQMX! I am so excited to be joining such a wonderful team, and I'm so pumped to play all of the best country music just for you!

A little bit about me: as you might have seen on Facebook, I was born and raised in Central Ohio and moved up to Akron to study Communications (with a focus on Media Studies) at UA! I fell in love with radio after I joined their college station, and got a part time job right here at WQMX! After I graduated, I took a full time position at another station in Missouri, but I missed Ohio so much while I was gone. Moving somewhere new with no friends or family was a real bummer. Thankfully I got this job as the night gal back at WQMX!

Other things you should know about me: My favorite color is purple, I have a cat named Pebbles who I adore (and a dog named Sif who I tolerate ((I kid, she's a bean))), and my favorite country artist is a tie between Dolly Parton, Kelsea Ballerini, and Jon Pardi!

Once again, I'm so excited to be back, and I'm ready to roll when you are!

Since we are in the scariest month of the year.  I figured pull out some old costumes of Halloween's past for W-Boo-MX... (think I will drop them here on Tuesday or Boos-Day)  Some may scare you...  others will not...

This is not one of my more expensive costumes, but boy did I enjoy it.   It was my Hobo-Sheik Phase of costumes.

W-Boo-MX is happening all month so listen up, thru Friday from 3-7pm, to win a 4-Pack of Carnival of Horrors Passes with the Monster Mash-Up... 3 songs you know the titles as caller 9... You could win!  Good Luck!

Baseball always has and always will be my favorite sport. Being October, it's time for some postseason Baseball...and the Guardians are a part of it! Whether it's a Wild Card game against Tampa, or the World Series against the best team from the other league, October Baseball just has a different feeling to it.

I will always associate the playoffs with 1995 vs. Atlanta, 1997 vs. Florida (now Miami), and 2016 vs. the Chicago Cubs. I mean, how could I not? The three times we've made it to the series in my lifetime. Now that we are taking on New York in the next round, these games can still be as electrifying as the 2016 series, just months after the Cavs ended our championship drought. 

To be fair and honest, I don't believe we are going all the way. HOWEVER, let's just enjoy the ride while it lasts! GO GUARDS!!!

Justin Moore has released the follow up to his 11th #1 single "With A Woman You Love" and this one is a duet with Priscilla Block! Justin says "You, Me, And Whiskey" is a really cool song and a unique way to tell a story that’s been told before. It’s kind of in the same mold as some of the love songs he's done in the past where it’s not sappy, but it is a little romantic, but it’s still got a bit of a tougher side to it.

About working with Priscilla Block on this song, Justin said, "Priscilla was the first one I thought about because we had just played a show together, and I thought man, she would knock this out of the park, and she did. She did, I knew she would do fantastic, but she exceeded even my expectations, so, I’m really excited about it."

Priscilla added, "I could not be more excited for this song, it’s super, super special to me. I’ve been a fan of Justin forever, and the fact he asked me to be a part of it is just mind-blowing, I’m still freaking out. I cannot wait for everyone to fall in love with it just like I did the first time I heard it."

Box Office Results -   Smile   (Again #1 16 million)

WOW Huge Flop  - Amsterdam  - Had a 80 Million dollar budget and brought in 6 million

New This Week - Halloween Ends / Emily

New NEXT Week - Black Adam / Tickets To Paradise

Cher - Is selling her Malibu mansion for $85 million. She bought it in 1989 for $2.95 million  (Story) 

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - In theaters on June 9th, 2023

Liam Neeson - Is in talks to star in a remake of the Naked Gun  (Story)

Tom Cruise - May become “the first civilian to do a spacewalk” outside of the International Space Station when he films his next action movie  (Story)

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane (link)  Kenny Rogers

Wanda sent me a note this week asking about her favorite from years ago, Kenny Rogers.  In the three years I've been writing this article, it may seem that I have been hard on the Urban Cowboy phase of country that began in the late 1970's. I entered country radio at the same time UC was gaining huge favor.  The success of UC is not lost on me, I was part of it.  It brought us many new fans, but it hung on too long.  Few artists benefited more from the pop country culture than Mega Star, Kenny Rogers.  I proudly played all his songs for decades on great radio stations across the country

His First Country Hit - A Smash

With that said, let's clear this up right now.  Kenny Rogers was a Mega Star in every definition of the word.  His popularity is undeniable, and his legacy is sealed in stone without any question.  His fans loved him passionately then, and they still do long after his passing. Rogers did us a whole lot of good by defining country for many who were brand new to us, and made it a safe place for them if Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Conway Twitty were not their cup of tea.  He gave us tremendous national mainstream exposure when country had a very tough time getting any.  His incredible and distinctive voice set him apart from the typical country star at the time.

Early Country Success  - One Of My Favs From Him

Truth is, we all loved Rogers in those days.  He had ton of big songs, he was very likable and made his way into TV and the movies and as country fans we were thrilled for the representation.  He was recording music solo as far back as the late 1950's with no real success.  Then he moved into joining some groups and small bands.  After his time with The New Christie Minstrels and the pop group The First Edition, he branched out on his own, and charted country for many years, and it all started in 1977 with the monster song, Lucille.   It was a major hit record and gave way to many others that all have become household common knowledge. 

This Song Defined Rogers For Generations

Now what is also fact is that Rogers became incredibly popular for decades, but his real huge run on the country charts lasted about 10 years with many major hit songs.  His music was not really "country"  but many of the story songs that defined him were country in nature.  Many of his very popular ballads were piano driven, string section laden, emotive songs that were honest and pointed directly at the heart.  He recorded a ton of duets with many other stars of the era and took many of those songs to the top. That list includes Dottie West, Sheena Easton, Ronnie Milsap, Kim Carnes, James Ingram and many others.  Rogers was favorite in concert too embracing the audience with his sharp sense of humor, slick storytelling, an overall affable personality.  I saw Rogers many times in concert, and each time fans laughed, cried and hung on his every spoken and sung word.

This Song Was From The Urban Cowboy Movie Soundtrack

Rogers was a staple on our charts without question during Urban Cowboy as it hung on for a number of years until the Neo (new) Traditionalists showed up and country pivoted very quickly and mercilessly sharp to a far more country sound.  Rogers was among the very established older artists of that moment, whose chart success came to screeching halt as tons of new stars were now dotting the country chart landscape starting in 1986 or so.  The new stars were younger and so were the new listeners they brought to us, and they were looking for something very different.  It was shocking how fast it all turned over.

Hit Songs Don't Get Much Bigger Than This

But I always felt that Rogers saw that coming.  He was very much like Dolly Parton and later Reba McEntire in the fact that he knew that he wasn't going to be a recording star forever, as no one is.  With his success he had become a part of our society with his massive popularity, his extensive work on TV and in the movies. He was now pop culture, and not really a current country artist.  He still performed in the proper venues and the fans kept coming to see him.  Fact it, we all still loved Kenny Rogers, even it he wasn't on the charts anymore. 

With The Gatlin Brothers  - Terrific!

Rogers was also still insanely popular with those who loved to hear him sing his powerful ballads.  Lady is a song that will be played and loved for future generations, and songs like The Gambler, its lyrics became more than words in a song, they became part of our pop culture. Islands In The Stream, his duet with Dolly was everyone's favorite song at one time.  Rogers also recorded with dozens of other stars in and out of country as his legend grew, including The Bee Gees on his Eyes That See In The Dark album, which is terrific.  For me, that album is the best example and sheer definition of early to mid 80's pop country.  Best album of its kind without any question. To me, that album defined him and the era at the same time.  Worth a download.

Lady - One Of Country's Biggest Ballads

Rogers is the undisputed leader to me, of a group of artists that we all played and had success with. He defined country for many  -  for what country was at that time.  And what it was, was pop that was leaning country, BUT had the courage lyrically to be very deep and honest, far more than standard pop songs of the time.  It was adult for sure.  Country in the years shortly there after would be nothing like Rogers and others as it drifted back with new stars, with an edgier guitar driven sound, as we put the piano away, with a far more country image and gigantic stage shows.

What A Hit!

But with 40 some albums, 30 ish number ones, and album sales of 120 million, Kenny Rogers was a Mega Star when we didn't have many, or any.  He is one of the biggest selling male arists of all time regardless of genre.  And he remained very popular with his fans for decades after the big days on the radio were over. Rogers led a very colorful life being married five times, had five children, and passed away in 2020, he was 81.  Kenny Rogers had a career that was seven decades long, simply staggering.

Big Ballad  - A Real Favorite

Thanks Kenny, for everything you did.  At that moment  -  We needed you ...

I absolutely suck at cooking. So I end up eating out more than I really should. This past Friday, I went to Dave's Hot Chicken on Detroit Ave in Lakewood for dinner (they have another location at Westgate Shopping Center in Fairview Park). Now I have baby mouth, so I don't do heat well. I selected the Mild spice, which was more than cool enough for me. I got a tender, a slider, and crinkle cut fries. I thought it was delicious! A little taste of Nashville right here in Northeast Ohio. :)

Restless Road has released their follow up to "Growing Old With You". This new song is called "Sundown Somewhere" and it's about the hope of meeting that future someone you’re meant to be with. It was co-written by Cole Swindell, Ben Hayslip, Jacob Rice, and Cole Taylor. The music video was filmed while they were on tour in Australia and New Zealand. 

Restless Road will be at the Dusty Armadillo on Friday November 18th, click here for more info and to purchase tickets!