So Sorry to Hear About Death of WXRT's Lin Brehmer

Yesterday while doing these blogs I came across notice of the death of one of my favorite disc jockeys, Lin Brehmer on Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM.  I listened to him mornings until he shifted to midday.  Like he liked to say, "Your Best Friend in the Whole World."

He  had left the airways back in this past July because of cancer treatments and had a strong desire to get back on the air.

Listening to his show was like sitting with a good friend and talking music and especially his beloved Chicago Cubs (but, I didn't hold that against him).  And, how in the world did he come up with what he said on his Lin's Bin bits.  For any of you unjfamiliar with Lin's Bits, it was a lot like listening to that deejay on "Northern Exposure" only with bits of songs and lines from movies.

This past year has been rough on me as along with Lin Brehmer (always hard to spell his name), I lost two other of my favorite disc jockeys in Chicago:  Bob Stroud on WDRV and Terri Hemmert on WXRT.  But, though they are not on regularly, their signature shows are.  With Bob that would be Rock and Roll Roots, Ten at Ten and One 45 at 1:45.  Terri Hemmert has Breakfast With the Beatles.  Those shows still are on, so it is not like they are entirely gone.

Today, WXRT is going to salute the life of Lin Brehmer starting at 10 am, CDT.  It streams, so I will definitely be giving it a listen.

--RoadDog

An Anniversary, Gas Gouge Continues, Pizza, Band and Bob Stroud Retires from Deejaying

MONDAY, JUNE 6

The anniversary of D-Day (June 6, 1944).

Went to Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg for the Monday beer special.

TUESDAY, JUNE 7

Met the Sunnyside folks at Granny's Diner in Johnsburg (right on the Fox River) for breakfast and did some shopping in McHenry.  I was shocked at gas gouge prices again which are now as high as $5.86 and $5.90.  But one place had an even more "reasonable" price of $5.51.  Curse you Big Oil GRBs for making me thing $5.51 was a good price.

Later met Sue and Paul (who I went with to the Indy 500) and Pete and Gail at Half-Times in Johnsburg for pizza and catching up.

Afterwards, Liz and I went over to the classic car show at the McHenry Moose Lodge and enjoyed the Rosie & the Rivets band playing oldies.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8

I was really sad to learn that one of my all-time favorite deejays, Bob Stroud was going to retire at the end of this month.  I've been listening to him a long time, the last 21 years of Chicago's WDRV, the Drive.  But, the good news is that it is only a semi-retirement as he will continue doing his Ten at Ten and One 45 at 1:45 shows Monday to Friday and his Rock and Roll Roots show on Sundays.

Gas in Twin Lakes was $5.20, so guess where I filled up?  Went to Donovan's Reef for trivia and then home.

--A Good Start to the Week.  --RoadDog

Music Deaths: Howard Hesseman (Dr. Johnny Fever)

HOWARD HESSEMAN, 81

Died January 30, 2022

Okay, he didn't sing any songs and wasn't in a band, but he was one of the greatest not-real deejays ever as Dr. Johnny Fever in "WKRP in Cincinnati."  My all-time favorite TV sitcom. I also liked him as teacher Charlie Moore in "Head of the Class."

"WKRP" ran from 1978 to 1982 and had one of the greatest casts ever.  It could and should have been on longer, but the show kept switching days and times.

Fellow babies.

Beware the Phone Police.

About Last Weekend: Beach Music and Billy Smith, Round Lake and Ace Hardware, Little Mexico in Downtown Round Lake

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9

Listening to Jim Morgan on the Surf, 94.9 FM WVCO out of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, via internet, and he did his Spotlight Song on "Hello Stranger" by Barbara Lewis and he said that was Billy Smith's favorite song.  I sure enjoyed listening to Billy Smith both when we were in Myrtle Beach and eventually over the internet.  Sadly, he died, but I still do remember him.  A great Beach Music deejay.

We drove to Round Lake for Liz's hair appointment, got there early and decided to drive around Round Lake some and went to some areas south of town that we had never been to before.  While she was at the appointment, I went to the Ace Hardware there and at one time, maybe still is, was the largest Ace in the country.  Sure did a lot of shopping there when we lived in Round Lake Beach.

After she was done, we had some great Mexican food at Rancho Nuevo in downtown Round Lake.  Probably 50% of the people of the Round Lake area are now Mexican and if you want to go to Mexico without going far, just go to downtown Round Lake.  Lots of businesses catering to them.

--RoadDog

JSS: Fillin' Up Over the Border-- So Sad About Kenosha-- $9.39 for a McRib Meal?-- 'The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget'-- Raindrops

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  FILLIN' UP OVER THE BORDER--  Around here, folks have been taking to filling up their gas tanks just over the border in Wisconsin.  Why, you might ask?  Because gas in Wisconsin is anywhere from 40 cents to fifty cents less than Illinois.  It sure helps to be living just eight miles from the Illinois-Wisconsin border.  $3.10 sure beast $3.50 to $3.60.

2.  SO SAD ABOUT KENOSHA--  That well-publicized trial is coming to an end in Kenisha, Wisconsin, where the teenager killed those two people during the riots there in August 2020.  And there is a big fear that certain people will start rioting, burning and looting again if they are not happy with the verdict.

That is a sad thing to have to worry about.

3.  $9.39 FOR A McRIB MEAL?--   I went to my local McDonald's the other day to buy a McRib meal and didn't.  I wanted to, but not at the $9.39 they wanted for a McRib meal.  Gosh.  Inflation give me a break.  I could buy almost three gallons of gas for that price.

4.  THE KIND OF BOY YOU CAN'T FORGET"-- RAINDROPS--  I was listening to Jim Morgan on the Surf, 94.9 FM in North Myrtle Beach (SC) the other day and heard this song again for the first time in a long time.  Give it a listen on You Tube.  And, it has a very interesting story to how it was made.

Listen Up.  --RoadDog

PREGNANCY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:  Q:  Our baby was born last week.  When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again.  A:  When the kids are in college.

Good Times Last Week: Cuda's Fish Fry, 80s A to Z ibn Chicago's Drive, Legion Party and Margaritaville

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

We met Kevin, Kelly, Glenn and Barb at Cuda's on Grasslake Road for their beer-battered fish fry.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

Since Friday afternoon I have been recording segments of the Drive's (WDRV, 97.1 FM Chicago) 80s A to Z, which they will be doing all this weekend and all of next weekend.  The 80s are one of my favorite decades for music and I was listening to a lot of it for my deejay business.

I am recording the segments on cassette tapes and will rerecord them on cassettes with the idea of listening to them when I'm out in the 1985 Firebird.  Which, by the way, still has a cassette deck.

Met Glenn and Barb at the Fox Lake American Legion at 3 pm where they had one of our favorite performers, Joe Kadlec entertaining.

Where else you gonna go in the afternoon for music and beers.

Came home and enjoyed Margaritaville and the Ultimate Jukebox (300 CDs) in the basement while watching the Sox and Georgia games on TV.

--RoadDog

Happy 44th Year to Tom Fuchs at Oak Park Lounge on Illinois' Pistakee Lake

In a few hours, we are going to go over to Oak Park Lounge to wish owner Tom Fuchs who will be celebrating his 44th year of owning the place today.  He opened for business on August 1, 1976.  Of course, the place dates to the 1890s and looks quite a bit like it did back in the 1930s (we've seen pictures of the inside of the place from back then).

In short, it is one of our favorite "Dive Bars."  It is a Chain of Lakes original.  A big party is planned with food, a band and deejay all outside.  Plus, our favorite bar mutt, Bomber, will be lording over everything.  He is a black lab.  Tom may think he's the boss, but all of us know better.  Is there any more spoiled dog than a bar dog?  He fits the bill.

Forty-four years owning a bar is a real long time.  So, congrats to Tom!!!

Of Course, Social Distancing.  --RoadBomber

All Album Sides on Chicago's WXRT Today "All Vinyl Thursday"

Starting at 9 am CDST, Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM will be playing nothing but album sides.

And, even better, they'll be playing them off vinyl.  Some of the deejays say they will even be bringing their own albums in to play as the radio station's albums aren't in as good of a shape.

The idea is to play just one side off the album and then go on to another album and play one side off it.  And not always Side 1 either.

I know I'll be listening.

Hey, it streams at www.wxrt.com.

Oh yes, and they go to midnight.

Good Old Albums.  --RoadDog

TOP TEN COUNTRY SONGS (From the March 21, 2018, Orange Peel Gazette):  TOP TEN COUNTRY SONGS:  "Her Teeth Was Stained, But Her Heart Was Pure."

Now That Halloween Creep Has Begun, How About A Scary Song?

Now that the stores are selling off or putting away their Back-To-School Creep stuff, I see that they are starting to put out the Halloween Creep stuff--  two months early..

As I was making entries on the blog today, I am listening to You Tube which has made one of many personal listening sets based on songs I have played on their service.  They do an absolutely wonderful job of it.

An hour or so ago, they put on the Guess Who's "Shakin' All Over." on my Mix:  Illusion "Did You See Her Eyes."  I wish I had known about this song as a good scary one back when I was deejaying as I absolutely would have used it in my Halloween shows.

And, this version is played along with Walt Disney's scary 1929 "Skeleton Dance" cartoon.  They go perfectly together.

Check out St.PeteArtisan's  "The Guess Who - Shakin' All Over --  Skeleton Dance on You Tbe.

Like, BOO!!!

No More Boating For Us-- Part 3: Our First Boat in 1985

Only one problem remaining with getting a boat.  In order to go boating one must know hoe to tie knots.  I have never been good at knots-- ever.  I never got past Tenderfoot in Boy Scouts because to be Second Class, you had to pass a knots test.  That just never happened.

The owner of the Puppet Bar, Joe Gates, with great difficulty, taught me how to tie one knot which would suffice to tie the boat up at docks.  After about a month of practice I "mastered" it.  Now, we can get a boat.  I STILL know how to tie that knot.  Thanks, Joe.

And, get a boat we did.  It was used.1979 Imperial and we bought it in 1985.  I forget how much we paid for it.  It was a 17-foot gold flake on top and white modified tri-hull and did we ever use it and have a good time on it that year.  We went out every day, even on the weekends when the Chain of Lakes is really crowded.  That is, we went out during the summer when I wasn't deejaying, and I did that a lot.

We paid for it with deejay money (as we did for the lot where we're at now and to have the basement finished with our Margaritaville bar.

Had I not started deejaying, I doubt that we would ever have had a boat.

Anyway, that was the first boat.

--RoadDog

No More Boating for Us-- Part 2: Best Two Days In A Boater's Life

Continued from July 26, 2019.

They say that the two best days of a boater's life are the day he buys his first boat and the day they sell their boat.  Well, it should be said the day they sell their last boat.  In between, the first and last boat, when they sell, they buy another boat.

But, you get to the point where it is not as much fun as it was at first.  That is what happened to us.  When we got our first boat in 1985, we were out in it just about every day for the rest of the summer.  Being teachers, we had the summer off so got to enjoy it seven days a week and believe me, we did.  Even with all the boats out on the water on the weekends, though I was often deejaying then.

My parents never had a boat, nor did Liz's, so we were new to the game in 1985.  Even though we lived in Round Lake Beach, just a few miles from the Chain of Lakes (and had been since 1975) we never partied out on the lakes at all.

But, when I started deejaying, I got regular jobs at Neptune's Cove on Fox Lake and the Puppet Bar (Eagle Point Park) on Pistakee Lake.  Both are on the Chain of Lakes.  I saw all the boaters coming in and having such a good time, well, I got to thinking maybe I should get me a boat.

--RoadBoat

After 33 Years, the Boat's Probably Gone-- Part 1

Kind of a sad, but happy day for us yesterday as I took our 19.5 foot Bayliner Capri open bow, i/o over to a local place who will attempt to sell it for us.

We bought out first boat in 1985, an 17-foot Imperial modified tri-hull.  In 1900, we bought a 19-ft Four Winns and in 2013 the present boat.

I had always thought having a boat was ridiculous growing up.  Our family never had one.  However, when I started deejaying at the Puppet Bar on Pistakee Lake and Neptune's Cove on Fox Lake in the early 1980s there were a lot of boaters and they were having really big fun, so I decided we'd have to get one for ourselves.

I didn't get one right away as I knew that with a boat, I'd have to learn how to tie at least one knot.  Knots are something I am not good at and a reason I never got past being a Tenderfoot in the Boy Scouts as I had to know my knots.  That just wasn't going to happen.  No problem, though, as the main reason I was in Scouts was for the camp outs.  Now those were a whole lot of fun.

Anyhow, the owner of the Puppet Bar (Eagle Point Park), Joe Gates, showed me a simple knot and after about a month I had "mastered" it.

So, I could now get a boat.

A Boating We Go.  --RoadDog

A PLETHORA OF TIDBITS:  Before Sir Thomas More was beheaded in 1535, he moved his lengthy beard aside, saying it "had never committed any treason."   A Man and His Beard.

I'd Celebrate That!!!! January 14-20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day On the 15th

JANUARY 14--  Dress Up Your Pet Day   And some wonder why their pets bite them.  Pastrami Sandwich Day**  I do like my pastrami.

JANUARY 15--   Martin Luther King, Jr. Day**  The actual day he was born, not necessarily when it is commemorated.  Elementary School Teacher Day**  They do so  much.    National Hat Day**  Said I with my 200 baseball caps.  Maybe more.

JANUARY 16--  International Hot and Spicy Food Day    Well, burn my mouth.    National Fig Newton Day**

JANUARY 17--   Hot Buttered Rum Day     Ditch New Years Resolutions Day**  If you haven't already.    National Bootleggers Day**  Alcohol or video?

JANUARY 18--   Winnie the Pooh Day.     Thesaurus Day**   Don't you wish those who use "F" bombs almost every other word would use one of these.

JANUARY 19--  Popcorn Day**  Not many more things I enjoy more than popcorn.

JANUARY 20--  National Cheeselovers Day**    National Disc Jockey Day**  Well, I was one for almost 30 years.  Camcorder Day**  I used camcorders a lot back in the day.

Winnie the What?   --RoadDog

IN 50 YEARS OF LIVING YOU LEARN:  The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.

Glen Campbell's "William Tell Overture"-- Part 1: A Big Part of the Fun At the Old Puppet Bar in Fox Lake

Back in the 1980s I was deejaying on a regular basis at the old Puppet Bar (Eagle Point Park) in Fox Lake, Illinois, on the Chain of Lakes' Pistakee Lake.  We sure had a great time there and I played all sorts of music, the more different the better.

Of course, the place got its name from the 100+ puppets we had that would be activated whenever one particular polka song was played.  That was a lot of fun, but not for the people working there.  You could only hear that song "Mr. Polka" so many times and then it would be ad nauseum.

We had all sorts of little things we'd do during the course of an afternoon or night including playing Connie Francis singing "God Bless America" where sparklers would be passed out and a big U.S. flag would be pulled down from the ceiling and everyone singing as loudly as they could and cheering "Blackhawks-style" at the end of it.

I am sitting here right now listening to her sing "God Bless America" on You Tube and it is bringing back memories.

I'll write about Glen Campbell's "William Tell Overture" the next post about him, after I finish the WLS Top 40 for August 11, 1967.  I promise.

The Puppet Bar, a Real Good Time!!  --RoadDog

Remembering Neptune's Cove On the Chain of Lakes In the 1980s

NEPTUNE'S COVE

Last night we went over to Half-Times in Johnsburg, Illinois, to see their new addition.  We sat next to a couple and in talking, they mentioned that they used to hang out at the old Neptune's Cove on Fox Lake.

I immediately chimed in that I used to deejay there for John and Anne and did so for several years.  It was one of the original places where I started deejaying with my own equipment and we had some great times there.

I had gone in to talk with the new owners about deejaying as we used to go there often to see the country band Choyce.  I got the job.  I remember I had to build swings to put my turntables on as when people were out on the dance floor it caused a lot of needle skipping.

The remembered me being there.  They had met there and became king and queen one time of Neptune's in a contest, fell in love and have been married ever since.

Neptune's Cove became a popular 50s-60s place after Neptune's called Jukebox Saturday Night.  That closed and the place was torn down.

She is the sister of Pete and Tilly, who were the parents of Anne.  I  knew them well.  Pete and Tilly now live in Florida and Anne and John live in Dallas.

Old Times.  --RoadDog

Music Deaths: Herb Kent, "The Cool Gent"

HERB KENT, 88,  Died October 22, 2016.

He had finished his regular weekend show earlier in the afternoon and died a few hours afterwards.  Chicago has lost a great one and one of my favorites.  I have listened to his great "Dusties" on many a weekend day.

He also was a disc jockey for seven decades and one of the early black deejays on Chicago's WVON and the V103.

Him and that ever-present cowboy hat.

Sure Going to Miss Him.

Great Time This Past 4th of July Weekend-- Part 2: Parades, Parties and Fireworks

SATURDAY, July 2

Fox Lake, Illinois parade, Legion for 3 Aces band during the afternoon.  Party in Joihnsburg.

SUNDAY, July 3

Bob Stroud's Summer of 1976 on his Rock and Roll Roots radio show.  Fox Lake Historical Society Ice Cream Social.  Michael Lescher performing.  Captain's Quarters for the Hooked on Sonics band and one of those jukebox deejays.  No talk, just music.  Sunnyside Tavern.  Bonfire on the Grand strand at home.  Lots of fireworks.

MONDAY,  July 4

Spring Grove parade and festival grounds at Horse Fair Park. Sunnyside Tavern.  Watched the Spring Grove Fireworks display from the foot of our driveway.  At least three of our neighbors in the subdivision put on worthy fireworks displays of their own.

Why Go Anywhere Else?  --RoadDog

Death of Chicago's "Mr. A" in 2004

I was very sad to find out that one of my favorite DJs, Alfred Hudgins who called himself "Mr. A" died at age 75 back in 2004.  I had been looking for him after finding an old cassette tape I had made of his show.

He ran a long-running overnight blues and R&B show on classical music station WNIB in Chicago until it was sold in 2001.

He then hosted a morning blues show on WNDZ AM 750 until he had to sign off due to health issues.

I used to record his show when I got up in the middle of the night and then listen to it later.

He sure played some great music.

Goodbye, "Mr. A."  --RoadDog

Bobby Skafish Out at WDRV

From the June 7, 2015, Chicago Tribune "Rock vet Skafish out at WDRV" by Robert Feder.

I listen a lot to Chicago's WDRV, the Drive, and Bobby Skafish's afternoon show was a favorite of mine, especially during the summer and fall when we're out on the boat in the afternoon.

Anyway, I learned he was off the air as of June 4th with no reason cited, but most likely because of his ratings.

He is a veteran of Chicago radio.  After graduating from Indiana University, he began at WXRT-FM in 1976 and also worked at WLUP-FM 97.9 and WKQX-FM 101.1 before returning to WXRT-FM in 1994.  he joined WDRV-FM 97.1 in 2007.

Steve Seaver will be taking over Skafish's 2 to 7 p.m. slot Monday-Fridays.  Seaver (as he calls himself) has been filling in wherever needed at WDRV, especially when Bob Stroud is on vacation.

Here's hoping Skafish gets back with WXRT or maybe the new station MeTV radio at 87.7-FM.

Always Enjoyed His Show.  --RoadDog


SOME CRAZY SAYINGS: Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.

Getting Me Irish On

I always enjoyed playing Irish music around this time of the year back when I used to deejay and in the process, made up quite a batch of Irish cassettes.

I'm listening to one right now, Side Two of St. Paddy's Party #1.  These are the songs:

Goodbye Mrs. Durkin
The Wind That Shakes the Corn
The First Love of Life
Whiskey in the Jar

Loch Lomond
Tim Finnegan's Wake
Moonshiner
Whiskey You're the Devil

Whiskey in a Jar
Beer Beer Beer
The Pub With No Beer
Drink It Up

It's All for Me Grog
Paddy on the Railway
Merry Ploughboy
Biddy Milligan

Patsy Fagan
Gypsy Rover
Irish Reels
Ireland National Anthem

Rising of the Moon (To the tune of "The Orange and the Green")
Bridget Flynn

Now, Where's That CB&C?  --RoadDog


THE LAST DANGLING PARTICIPLE:  "The burglar was about 30 years old, white, 5'10", with wavy hair weighing about 150 pounds."  Definitely need a big heavy comb to get through that!!