Geo’s Media Blog (To Play Or Not To Play) New for 11/12/19

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A little while ago, my daughter Candis sent me a video of my grandson Nathaniel playing his violin with the Pasadena Youth Symphony. They sounded great and I can hardly wait to see them play as I travel to Calfornia for Thanksgiving.

As you’re probably aware, I’m very proud of my grandson who has just entered high school. Not only is Nathaniel scholastically gifted, he’s also on the debate team and has won several “gavels” and recently finished in the top 8 of the National Geographic GEOBEE. Oh, and did I mention that he’s also an all-star baseball player? What’s not to be proud of?

However, as a grandparent, my job is to give Nathaniel sage advice so after watching the video of his performance, I texted him the following, “Nathaniel, don’t ever give up playing the violin, it makes you special.”
I, like you, I went on to tell him, was also good at baseball and a pretty good running back for the football team, and also like you, was a musician. Hey, and I even started my own band.
Even though I played sports and with a band, I liked the independence of having my own money so I also had a bunch of different part-time jobs that I hated. However, I lucked out after enrolling at the Manitoba Institute Of Technolgy, (should I just go with MIT?) when I got a part-time job at the big radio station in town. I loved it and soon discovered that you’re always good at what you like to do. I was a pretty good bandleader but I was better at radio.
As I’ve said to you, “The secret of life is figuring out what you love to do, then finding someone who will pay you to do it.” Unfortunately, as good as I am at radio, nobody wants to hear about it, nor do they want to hear about my prowess in sports. They only want to hear about those records hanging on my wall and what was it like to play with Neil Young, Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, and open for legends like Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash?
Hey, unless you make the majors, nobody will want to hear about your baseball days they’ll just want to know what college you went too. However, they’ll be very interested in hearing about what it’s like to play the violin in Symphony Orchestra because when you play at that level, it makes you special.
There are over 3000 people living in my development but I bet I’m the only guy here who has his own records hanging on the wall. How special is that?
 
GEO’S LIFE-LINES 

No response is a very powerful response.

The best thing about having money is getting to spend it on the people you love.

As I said to a guy at Duffy’s the other night, “Even though Canada invented Hockey, and have the best players, no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since the early ’90s. Somehow out of the blue, the Toronto Raptors are the basketball champions of the world. What’s up with that?” He claimed it was because none of the Raptors are Canadians. I responded with, “You mean like in St. Louis where the Blues are not all Americans?”
 
You’ll never get rich working 9 to 5. 
 
I doubt that even gay guys can resist tapping their toe when “La Grange” comes on. 
 
The definition of radio art – “Your exaggerated comments about life as you observe it.”
 

The government doesn’t give you anything more than what you gave them. 

Is there a good looking woman out there who isn’t sleeping with somebody?

Familiarity breeds contempt.

What made Woodstock so famous 50 years ago was all the people who showed up, not the artists. The bands thought of it as just another gig.

Wow, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers one the first round of the playoffs.

Surely this is not the first time the NHL has noticed that Din Cherry is controversial?

Hey, IU football is ranked for the first time in 40 years. 

COMMENTS

Ron Below: As Midwest Regional Promotional Manager for about a decade for various labels, I never had the pleasure of crossing paths with you until my strange side journey at WNAP. So, as a “once was” record guy, what does it take to get into your exclusive circle of record guys :-)? I only crossed Charlie Minor’s path a couple of times at industry events, but he was very well known to just about anybody, connected to or in the record biz… magnetic charisma, more than gracious host, beautiful women around at his beckon call, quick to pick up the tab and all the perks that record/showbiz (radio) enjoyed. If the perfect Record Man Robot came out of a machine it would be a clone of Charlie.

Geo: Mr. Below, I’ve only known four record guys during my whole radio career, Al Mair and Doug Chappelle in Canada, and Jerry Brenner and Charlie Minor in America. The reason I know them is, they figured out how to find me. (Good Time Charlie)

Pat O’Day: Thanks so much George for another great year of fun, enjoyable, knowledgeable, reading. As I write this, I can still see you sitting in my Seattle living room where I was trying to hire you as a consultant and you said, “Pat, why would you want to hire me, you already know more than I do.” What a humble statement and it’s typical of you.
Give my best to Jim Hilliard when you get a chance. Tell him I’m alive and well, busy with my real estate practice and deeply involved with a Seattle Addiction Hospital. Still in great health, living on San Juan Island, Washington.
Merry Christmas Sir! What a winner you are!!!
Pat. (Seasons Greetings)

Doc Harris: Cami, like many others here, I have never met you but have spied on your life through your Dad. He and I worked together in Saskatoon, Sudbury, and Toronto, and he helped me build what turned out to be a very successful career.
As you go through life, always know that man will be there for you.
He loves you very very much. That’s obvious. With that behind you, there’s nothing you can’t do!
My Best Wishes,
Doc. (Camera Anne Johns Summerfield Graduates Today)

Robert Woyna: Hey! Just a terrific blog.  I grew up with you guys and Burton Cummings back in those great days. We lost you to the states but got now have you back again via your blog but witty and smarter. Great on the Canadian shit, keep it up, my friend. (CKY Reunion)

Bobby Rich: Geo, you’re right–probably not. Not that it matters as the item is still inspiring. They aren’t his final words and it’s not proven that they are even his words. According to his sister  Mona Simpson’s eulogy “Steve’s final words were: ‘OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW’.(The Last Words Of Steve Jobs)

Bruce Buchanan: Thanks for the mention…those years at KVIL, WRMF, and KLLS were my favorite during a 28-year radio career.  I credit you, Chapman, and Hilliard, with forcing me to approach programming in an entirely different way. To this day I’m not sure the industry really knew what happened when KVIL went #1 in 1976.
Someday I’ll tell you about the time I entered KOGO/KPRI, at midnight, with a Colt .45 and asked three drunk staff members to leave the building. Oh, the good times !!! (Thank You)

Jeff Roper: Now the definition of “copy” is just that…repeat, cut and paste, even the movie industry can’t find any new ideas, just reboots, do-overs, and prequels of sequels.
I write the best copy, now if someone would listen…Get off your phone!!!! (White Guy With Privileges)
Geo’s Media Blog is an inside look at Radio, Music, Movies, and Life. For a sneak peek at some upcoming Blogs or to see some that you may have missed, go to GeorgeJohns.com. On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio. Sharing and commenting is​ appreciated.

 

 
 

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