I answered an e-mail last week from Carmen from The Falls, who asked me about Pam Tillis.  And if I could do a Memory Lane piece on her, as she as her favorite growing up.  Of course, she was one of mine too.  Good choice, Carmen.  I am very proud to say I played all of her songs on great stations all over the country.

In the 1990's, there were so many great acts on the charts it can be tough to remember all who had big success.  As good as all the acts were, I'll always remember the dominance of many women in that decade.  Pam Tillis was one of them, in fact, she helped lead the charge.  She is the daughter of Mel Tillis, a country star in his own right from the the 60's and 70's from Plant City, Florida.  Pam was involved in a horrible car accident at 16 and had to have major reconstruction surgeries.  But she recovered fully, and had a great career.

She signed her first record deal in the early 1980's, but it would be years later when success would finally show up. She would go on to have only one #1 song, (which I find almost incredible as her hit list is long) as she recorded some terrific songs.  But #1's are tough to get, and she was always in that general area. 

The great gift that Pam Tillis gave us was an incredible voice that was filled with deep rooted passion and confident power. Her versatility was unmatched. In short, I loved hearing her sing a country song, and I still do.  As far as singing ability was concerned, she was the most passionate singer in our format - period!  She would sound good singing the dictionary.

Mi Vida Loca - Her Only #1 Song -

Her hits included her first big song, Don't Tell Me What To Do #5 in 1991.  The album was Put Yourself In My Place, and was backed by some of Nashville's biggest names at the time, it was a big hit.  The second single is a song that still haunts me, One Of Those Things #6 and Maybe It Was Memphis, #5.  She was on her way for a great run that would take her through the majority of the 90's.  Other big songs along the way were, Mi Vida Loca #1, Let That Pony Run #5, Shake The Sugar Tree #4, (should have been #1).  Cleopatra, Queen Of Denial, and my favorite, When You Walk In The Room, a remake that was a top 2 hit as well.  And there were many others.

When You Walk In The Room #2 -  1994 

Tillis had a terrific quality that is tough to come by for any singer of any era, in any format.  When you heard her sing, you absolutely knew it was her.  Her voice cut through magnificently, and was unique enough to be incredibly identifiable when she was on the radio.  Her voice never got lost within a song. A fantastic range that was enviable, and the ability to sing fun, and insanely sad songs just as well - that was her calling card.  Her ballads were so powerful, you could feel the tears in her eyes -  and yours. I emceed a few of her shows, and her voice was not lost on stage, she was/is the real deal.

One Of Those Things -  POWERFUL Song, 1991 Haunts Me Still All These Years Later

She had great success in an era that was super competitive, and she was part of what made that decade great. I liked her singing, her style, and her song choices, as she was a great songwriter as well.  She was a grownup and made grownup song choices that served her very well.  Whenever I heard her sing a song, from that moment on  - it was a "Pam Tillis" song, as she made every stanza her own.  She had a great run, and was, and is, a remarkable talent.

She didn't just sing songs, she sang really good songs that fit her perfectly.  She, in my view is the template for what a new artist can be. Sing songs that are really good, fitting, that suit you, and ones that everyone will love to hear.

If you are not old enough to really remember, she is absolutely worth a Google and YouTube search.  You'll find she still performs and is still around. 

Her Website

Trying to categorize Charlie Daniels and his amazing band is very difficult.  But it is safe to say, that no matter what kind of music you have listened to your entire life, you know him, and liked many of his songs.  Today at 83, Charlie Daniels passed away.  He was his own guy, for sure.

Here is a guy that did it his way  - always.  He helped lead the Southern Rock/Country movement for many years, and inspired tons more for decades to come.  He along with Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker Band, and others pioneered a new kind of sound, that virtually everyone liked.  Universal appeal is a tough thing have.  But in his real heyday, like Hank, Willie and others, people who "didn't like country" liked Charlie Daniels.  What they didn't know, he was about as "country" as it got, it was just dressed in a better costume at the time.  That always made me laugh.  This was not "lovey-dovey" country, this was "muddy boots in the house stuff," and people loved it.

 Huge Song!

You know his big songs, everyone does.  Songs get no bigger than, The Devil Went Down To Georgia.  Still played some 42 years later as much as any song of the era, and was played on about every radio station in the world.  He had a ton of hits, near hits, and cult classics for many years. Long Haired Country Boy, is a huge classic, Uneasy Rider as well. He went full-on Country for a time, and charted hugely popular songs like, Simple Man, and In America, and there were tons of others.  His fan base loved him, till the end.

 Big Song Years Ago

He is a member of about every Hall Of Fame there is, and was an Opry Member.  He wrote for everyone, he recorded with everyone, Grammy winner, and had the respect of about every person that was in the music industry for his talent, and his longevity.  He was also a sensational fiddle player. I was typical of many fans.  He was not at the top of my list, BUT he was always there, and like you, I liked a bunch of his songs.  Yes, he could be controversial at times, but that's a conversation for another time. 

Charlie Daniels was a big deal, and his shadow covered all genres of music, country included, and that's a tough thing to do.  Chances are, if you like music, there's a few CDB songs you like.  Giants don't leave us too often, but when they do, there is a void, True, Charlie Daniels was not the charted radio act he once was at the end, but he still played, and fans still loved him.

Not bad for an 83 year old.  Well done, rest well.

Well, I don't have a "Song Of The Week" feature, but when I hear ones like this I wish I did. Ashley McBryde has a new song out that is resonating with many, One Night Standards.  Being honest, I would love to see more songs like this.  Everything about this song is just flat out good.

This has nothing to do with being "country enough."  Although it is.  What this song is more than anything, is honest enough. This puts everyone in the exact same boat, and on equal footing when it comes to those looking for love, or lust, companionship, or battling loneliness. Its balance is a real strength here. This is a wonderfully written song, that could be sung by anyone with a tweak or two. 

It's a one night stand conversation taking place basically saying, "I'm just here for this moment, let's just do this, and move on."  Harsh for some I get it, but honest in its feel.  One thing I always hear in this song, is the longing for things to be different individually, but right now they just aren't.  Yes, this is a throw back to a more "country" approach and I'm good with that.  But throwing back to a more than honest approach is the jet fuel that gives it wings and let's it fly.  This song is very real, and we need more of that I feel. I felt that was the power behind Ingrid Andress' big song, More Hearts Than Mine, it was very real.

One Night Standards thankfully lacks the anger, bitterness, and flat out viciousness that I feel has become too prevalent in many songs today.  I'm not so sure recording hateful anthems by the dozens is the way to go for long term success and mass appeal.  Sometimes they can get you noticed, and that's fine  - mission accomplished, but they can pigeonhole you too.  Maybe recording strong songs that fit the artist is a good avenue to travel, regardless of the subject matter. When the right artist gets the right song, it's perfect. It seldom doesn't work, as versatility is a great quality to have. 

McBryde has been around a while now, and has a nice following of very loyal fans and that's great to see.  She has a style and presence that is approachable, and relatable. I like a whole lot about her.  She did a charity show for us a while back and WQMX fans loved her!  I hope this song kicks down a door to two for her. I would love to see her really take off.

It's good to see an honest song striking a chord with so many.

Well Done! - Big Fan!

Next Major Release – To Theaters is Unhinged with Russell Crowe, moved again July 31!

Blake Shelton / Gwen  / And Trace Adkins  - Doing a huge Drive-In Show at local Drive-Ins July 27 Tickets on sale Tuesday!  (Details)

Mulan – Has been delayed again, this time in theaters August 21  (Preview)

2019 – Toy Story 4 was #1 at the movies  (Remember Forky?)

Five Years Ago - Jurassic World was number one.

Ten Years Ago - The Twilight Saga: Eclipse was on top.

Twenty Years Ago - The Perfect Storm was number one.

AMC – Theaters, now will open on July 30^th. About 600 in the USA   (Story) 

Margot Robbie - Will star in a new series of Pirates Of The Caribbean movies with a female lead and cast   (Story)

There is a New - Bio-Pic about Aretha Franklyn, with Jennifer Hudson  (Preview)

Hamilton  - Debuted on Disney Plus  last weekend to rave reviews! You can still stream it (Preview)

Jude Law - May play Captain Hook in Disney’s live-action Peter Pan film Peter Pan & Wendy.  (Story)

Broadway - Extends shutdown to 2021.  (Story)

With all the changes to our lives recently, we are all looking for things to do outside of the home. Drive-In Movies have done very well, and that's good to see.  Bowling too, has seen a nice uptick.  Funny, some classic ways to have fun, making a comeback of sorts.

Drive-Ins at one time had 4,000 places to go, Now about 350 remain. There are about 3,500 bowling places in the country, as it is one of the most played sports in America with 67 million people bowling every year.  And Charger Lanes in Norton is one of them.  Jim and his crew there made us feel so welcome there as we had, and they hosted, the first WQMX Bowling outing in February as we raised money for NEOPAT.  It was a great time for hundreds of reasons, and one of them is, it's the last big thing we did before all this C-19 stuff.

Me And The NEOPAT Team In February

That was a great day. And now, as you can see from their new sign above, you can bowl again at Charger Lanes and have a fantastic time.  I admit, it's fun to see simple fun making a big comeback.  We are rediscovering some fun and cool things to do as families, that are bringing great joy to us, when we need them. My hope would be that when things go back to "normal" that we bring these fun activities with us, and reincorporate them into our "normal" lives. 

Every time I go to Charger lanes, I love the energy there. The sounds, the music, the cheers, the knowing that there are people of all ages there having fun together.  Makes for a terrific day!  Bowling makes us happy, and in many cases takes us back to a different and easier time. You can feel this by heading to Charger Lanes and lacing up the shoes!

Me, Ken, Sarah And Jim From Charger Lanes, The Main Man!

Bowling to me is a real fun time and being honest, it's something I should do more often.  Growing up here, I always equated bowling with winter as it was something to do when it's cold. But no more.  Now, it's just a great thing to do, because...... it's a great thing to do.  I can't wait to get back there and shake Jim's hand and get back to having fun no matter what the weather is. I always like the food too, some onion rings, pizza, and some long necks make it a fun time too.  You kinda have to do that!

So load up and get out to Charger Lanes in the great city or Norton!  And tell Jim that I sent you there.  Great, family fun and maybe a whole new hobby for you.

Please support local biz!  Go To Charger Lanes!!

Check out their website and follow them on Facebook!

This Fourth Of July Weekend was very different than years past.  Hopefully you found some way to celebrate that felt as normal as possible.  Windy and I found some fireworks in Canfield, drove over and had a blast.

This years celebration was tamped down and it did feel different. One change was this. Challenger The Eagle retired in late 2019, and this year was the first in a quarter century he didn't fly and amaze us at a July Fourth event. Challenger, if you don't know, has an incredible story. And he may be the most this important animal ever in this country.

Challenger was an eaglet that had to be raised by humans, after his nest was destroyed by a storm 30 years ago. Twice they tried to release him into the wild, and the second time almost killed him.  He was too imprinted by humans.  So, he was renamed Challenger (after the Space Shuttle) and trained to free fly at stadiums and other huge festivities to thrill and inspire us, and then gently land on this handlers arm as the National Anthem would finish.  He is amazing.

 Challenger With a Camera On His Back!

He has raised such awareness and inspired so many, and he has been given the credit for bald eagles to be taken off the endangered species list. Our countries national symbol rejuvenated by a single eagle.  He is awesome, and he has lead a life of wonder.  He retired this year from flying activities and now just makes appearances on his handlers arm. His list of events where he has flown and inspired us is nothing short of insane. World Series, Superbowl's, National Championship games of football and basketball, bowl games, dedications of all sorts in hundreds of cities, monuments, virtually every kind of big event one can think of.

Now, at 30, Challenger has retired, and lives at Dollywood with other birds of prey. He has led a great life, an important life, has done his civic duty, and trilled us all.  Funny, he and Smokey Bear (there was a real one, yes- a cub rescued in New Mexico in 1950 as the only living thing that remained after a forest fire - died 1990)  Each have made us so much more aware of very important issues, we owe them a debt of gratitude. I for one will miss the rare chance to see Challenger fly, but I thank him for single-handledly saving the bald eagle.

And letting us feel the thrill -  of an eagle fly.

Where The Stars And Stripes And Eagle Fly

Sara (no H) messaged me a few days ago and asked about the 1990's group, Blackhawk, what I thought about them, and what I remembered most.  I played all of their songs of course during their run and when I think back on them, one thing sticks out to me  -  outside of the music.

They recorded some really good songs, and had success for a few years as a chart regular.  But they never had the huge success that others did. But one thing about Blackhawk that is absolute. The fans that discovered them, and liked them, were HUGE fans and remain so.  For what I would call a solid mid-level act in their prime, they had a fierce following.  The three-member band broke through in 1993, and came out of the gate hot with their debut single, Goodbye Says It All.  It stalled at #11 on the country chart, but it may be the biggest #11 hit ever. People LOVE that song, and how it wasn't a #1 is still a mystery to me.  It's beloved.

Goodbye Says It All -  Maybe the biggest non top ten hit in Country Music History.  Play it, and watch people at the club.

Their debut album, Blackhawk had 5 singles off of it, all moderate hits, BUT is went multi-platinum, and that is not small feat in any era.  Two million sold and not a major hit record on it. That in itself is unheard of, but a testament to the loyalty of their fans, and also sometimes the total inaccuracy of the charts.  The next few albums had again, moderate success commercially and on the charts.  They never had a #1 song, but were always right there. Most of their hits solid.  Big Guitar #8 / I'm Not Strong Enough To Say No  #2 / Like There Ain't No Yesterday #3 / There You Have It #4. And there were others!

Almost A Memory Now - A real GREAT Blackhawk treasure song.  Top 10, but should have been a #1

They even survived a death of one of the founding members, Van Stephenson  (formerly of Restless Heart) he died of cancer in 2001. There have been a few members come and go over the years, and they are still making music today, although not a charted act.  Their run on the charts was short but sweet.  They were slick, and new, and had a sound that was absolutely unique.  They possessed a trait that is extremely difficult to acheive, that you KNEW it was them on the radio.  Strong harmonies, and a great image for young fans in that era when we were getting younger all the time.

In another decade they may have been a bigger player. But the 1990's were simply packed with gigantic superstars and the new traditionalists were dominating, Think about it, Garth, Strait, Jackson, Black, Cyrus, McGraw, Chestnut, Lawrence, Diffie, Stone, Chesney, Toby, along with a huge group of highly successful women controlling the charts, like Twain, Clark, Tillis, Messina, Morgan, Loveless, and McEntire,  It was a great time in country, but tough too. The competition was brutal, but Blackhawk held their own. The found a fan base and kept them, and keep them still.

 Next week we will take a look back at Pam Tillis

Over the past few months things have been different.  And none of us, have really been through anything like this before.  But we are up to this.

There is no doubt that everyone's health is very important, and I think it goes without saying that in one way shape or form that is on everyone's mind during the day.  But this has made us different in other ways too.  There is the unknown, and that place, limbo, that is no one's favorite place. That is universal even in what could be called "normal" times.

I feel that in many ways until a few months ago, we have never been more organized in our world.  Technology has a bunch to do with that. Smart phones especially have made it so.  At the tip of your fingers it solves about every problem we have.  Whether it's gathering info, buying something, learning something, directions, temp, rain or not, it keeps us on time, and reminds us of things we chose not to remember.

But with this C-19 situation we have temporarily lost that control, and we don't care for that much.  Will there be baseball, can I plan anything, when will this happen, or that?  When does that movie come out, or when can we fly for fun? When can I visit my family, or they me?  Pretty much everything is up in the air, and we are making up our lives daily as we go along. Limbo.  That can be fun for a week on vacation, but not a way of life for many.

But this is not forever and there will be a time, and in the grand scheme of things, soon, that we will return to ourselves.  But that won't be until after we've learned a lot about ourselves.  Until then enjoy the sunshine, and the summer rain, and the people around you, you find the most dear.

We have to be patient, and we don't like that much either. Limbo always leaves.

With all that's going on in the world today, it's good to see some success stories, and Dr. Kate Raymond is Norton is one of them.  She has a great dental office in the heart of town, and is back open and ready for you. 

NOTED - THE PICTURE ABOVE WAS TAKEN IN BETTER TIMES BEFORE C-19!

When my older school and long time dentist retired last year, I chose Dr. Kate my new go-to.  I also made a promise to myself that I was going to take better care of my teeth with this change. And I have.  As you move on, you need to do things a little differently, and this was a great place to start.  They have me on a regular and more rigorous dental  schedule, and I am doing my part too.

I love doing business with really good people, and they are.  Since re-opening, they are taking extreme safety measures in every way possible, and I felt very comfortable with it. It was great to see the friendly staff and the good Dr. herself, albeit through masks, and other safety gear and protocols.  But it was fine.

It also felt good to do something "normal".  I know the dentist isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it felt good to do something I would be doing even if there was no C-19.  My visit was on time, and the check-up was flawless too. Hey, I now things are screwy right now, but don't forget your teeth, you only get one set of them to go through life with.  And I always feel good when I support local biz, as we are also a local biz here at WQMX!

Choose Dr. Kate and her crew in Norton.  A very good choice.  And WELCOME BACK!

By now you are getting ready for the MLB season to begin in late July.  All the money issues are worked out so you can rest easy that all of the players and owners can go to the grocery store now and feed their families.  Now they are working on the safety issues and that's no small task, or unimportant one, so let's applaud that.  Imperative stuff for sure.

But with that said, let's look at what the season has in store for fans from a baseball only stance.  There will be NO crowds at games, a 60-game schedule, most games in the division, the universal designated hitter, and a regular post season.  All completely understandable.  BUT in extra inning games, innings will begin with a runner on second base with no outs.  What?  To shorten games down and I guess be out there less actual time.  OK, but doesn't that just sound silly at the Major League Level?

Sounds like my backyard, ALA 1973 in Berea. "Ghost man on second."  Remember when you didn't have enough guys to play a real game?  At my house, if the ball hit the barn roof it was a home run, and the pine tree was in foul territory.  Break a window and it's an out!  Ball under the bushes is a double, and if the ball hits the electric wires from the house to the barn, it's a single. Don't trip over the hose, look out for the wooden picnic table, and watch out for my moms car.  My point is, at the big league level, this man on second thing, is just so diminishing.

I get it, but it's silly. The season is going to have enough changes, so why mess with the basics of the game?  They figure if players are out there less than that is beneficial to them with no really long games. But this will look so...backyardy.  Picture this. The Indians overcome a big deficit in the bottom of the ninth in a real important game with a Lindor grand slam with two outs. Baseball at it's BEST.  Ten minutes later, extra innings, and the ghost man thing comes into play, and the Tribe loses on some kind of ground out to second base. Baseball at its worst. Because all extra-inning games will look the same. Ghost man, bunt, some kind of flyout, or ground out, wild pitch, passed ball, game over. No one will be happy.

Maybe since they are only playing 60 games, leaving the guts of game alone would be a good choice. But here we are. Oh, and if they like this, (and they will I feel), look for "man on second extra inning thing" to continue after C-19 is over.  After all, the Designated Hitter was originally a "25 year experiment"  that MLB adopted in 1973 in the American League when Ron Bloomberg stepped to the plate as its first one. (And the DH will more than likely be adopted by the National League too when this is over)

So we'll see how it goes.  Who knows, maybe after the games are done, the MLB players can ride their bicycles to Spafford's Carryout and get a cola to celebrate a good game played with their gloves on their handlebars, because all the parents chipped in to buy.  Or they can run under the sprinklers to cool off after an afternoon of playing ball.

Play Ball!!!