Boomer Music Update Connects aging Boomers to new music

The timing was perfect.

I had been thinking about the fact that it is hard to find “good” new music on the radio. Or anywhere else, it seems. What brought it to a head, ironically, was an ad on SiriusXM’s PopRock channel in which someone said it was their favorite channel because “I know every song.”

I’m not sure why but that struck a nerve in me. As much as I spend my time living in the past — my wife Jean will attest to that — sometimes it is not by choice. Perhaps by ignorance, but not always choice. I just have a hard time finding new music I like, and it is easier to go with the tried and true.

Problem is, I don’t want to be “one of those guys” who no longer evolves musically. That guy — like my Dad — who only listens to music of my youth. I don’t want to know every song!

So it was akin to the aligning of the planets when I recently attended a reunion of local radio personalities at Fuddruckers. I happened to meet Lee Wade, writer and editor of BoomerMusicUpdate.Com, an internet site dedicated to finding new music that may be of interest to the Baby Boom generation. “We find current songs that are similar on style to songs Boomers grew up with,” Wade explained.

My interest was piqued. Especially when I found out that the curator behind the songs is none other than Dave “The Duke” Sholin, a former personality and programmer of the legendary KFRC/San Francisco. Sholin is considered by many to be a top programmer and music director, able to pick out hits … and he picked many of the hits played on KFRC, the influential Bay Area version of KHJ (930 AM) here in Los Angeles.

Boomer Music Update is much like a blog — Wade has been a writer and editor for online blogs as well as newspapers including the Riverside Press Enterprise and the Pasadena Star News — that also features the songs being compared. Categories include Pop, Top-40, County, Alternative, and “Everything Goes,” which can include, well, anything.

Can a blog get you up to speed on new music? It’s certainly worth a try. Check it out for yourself and let me know your thoughts.

The Chucker Speaks

The interview Michael Stark and I did with Chuck Martin –one of KHJ’s best program directors ever — was scheduled to hit the netwaves on July 4th. You can hear it at tinyurl.com/RadioChucker.

Martin was the last programmer of KHJ before they went Country in November, 1980. He is the man responsible for bringing Rick Dees to Los Angeles, putting together an amazing staff, and super-serving the KHJ audience by making the station energetic and rhythmic. The result was the fastest increase in ratings the station ever saw and the highest ratings the station had seen in years … or since.

The passion Martin has for radio is infectious, and he still has the knowledge and enthusiasm of radio programming, marketing and promotions that is unfortunately missing from so many stations today. 

While Martin spends much of the time talking about KHJ, the interview spans his entire career from his earliest days to his time at K-WEST (now KPWR, 105.9 FM) and beyond. It’s long but if you are a fan or top-40, KHJ or radio in general, I think you will like it.

Curtain Call

The interview with Martin was the last we were able to do before the “final broadcast” of the LA Radio Studio, which is located in part of the Ports O Call Village in San Pedro slated for demolition.

The studio itself is a public service of Jayme Wilson, located a shirt walk from the restaurant. Live and recorded podcasts have originated from the studio for the past eight years; popular shows include Phil Hulett and Friends as well as Radio Waves, hosted by me and Stark among others.

June 29th was the last scheduled podcast, and it was an all-day event. Stark described the day:

“Friday was a great celebration of our eight-year history on the waterfront. I was blown away by the friends, supporters and fellow broadcasters who stopped by for our ‘last broadcast’ from this current location. There are many video clips of the event available on the LA Radio Studio YouTube channel (YouTube.Com/LARadioStudio).

“I can’t thank Phil Hulett enough for anchoring the seven-hour event, with Ted ‘Thrashpie’ Prichard and ‘Gonzo’ Greg Spillane co-hosting.

“There is a saying that you are only as good as your last gig … and I’m proud of this studio’s ‘last gig.’ We WILL be back soon.”

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