Yo! Burton and Randy. Yeh, I’m talkin’ to you!

In part one, I wrote about what’s waiting for you guys to do the right thing.
Surely your managers have told you how many millions you’re leaving on the table by not using the Guess Who name

Brian May is making millions, and he doesn’t even have Freddy Mercury to work with, but he does have the name “Queen.”
Even though Journey has some Filipino kid singing instead of Steve Perry, Lynyrd Skynyrd continues without Ronnie Van Zant, and it’s all because they have the names.

Even the Doo-Wop and Motown groups are still touring because they get to use the original group’s name.
Hell, Don Henley is now down to one Eagle, “Him,” but he also has the name, so it’s working out just fine.

As big as John, Paul, George, and Ringo became, none were as big as the Beatles.
Don’t you think John Fogerty would do much better as a member of Creedence Clearwater Revival or Peter Cetera as part of Chicago?

Hey, Burton, ask Randy how it’s going since he got the name Bachman Turner Overdrive back.
You guys were the main ingredients of the Guess Who, and the best news is that you still have your chops. 

Even today, in the watering holes I frequent, nobody gives a shit about me being a big-time radio guy. They only want to hear about any involvement I may have had with the Guess Who.
Winnipeg is very proud of the Guess Who, and that’s all they have besides the Jets.

“I’m sure Jimmy’s running a little low on cash at the moment so you’re one business deal away from immortality.
Hey, I don’t have any skin in this game but as an old Winnipegger, I just wanna see you get all that’s coming to you.

Time is running out, guys. TICK TOCK, TICK TALK.

COMMENTS

Jennifer: I don’t know how you do what you do and get them out so often.I loved ‘everything’ you said in these Life-Liners. We need a George John’s Zoom group to discuss your “thoughts on life”! They are discussion-worthy. I guess for me, it’s because I pretty much agree with what you do.  Thank you, George!!!
Geo, You’re too kind, Jenn Jenn.

@Gary Donohue: George makes a concise argument; “It’s also pretty apparent that there are not enough LGBTQ folks to fill the arenas.” So, just watch as the haters consolidate power, be more woke than ever, and block the Fever from hiring a teammate, aka Bill Laimbeer-esque, to protect CC. Like the swamp in Washington, so goes the culture in the WNBA, including woke owners, woke corporate management, woke advertisers, woke coaches, and woke players. Go woke, go broke. How long before America considers buying a WNBA ticket morally reprehensible? (Catlin Clark)
Geo: Sad days, Gary, and they only seem to be getting sadder.

@NickAlexander Re: Dr. Pepper passing Pepsi as the number 2 soft drink: ‘bout time! Does this mean that Taco Bell will now start carrying diet Dr Pepper instead of three flavors of Pepsi in its fountain dispensers? I’ve been a Dr Pepper fan since 1953, and I also like adult Canadian beverages.
Geo: I’m with you on the adult beverages, Nick. My go-to drink is Canadian Club.

@DougHerman: There is no safe way to become successful.” Man, is that the ultimate truth. McCoy and I sure put everything on some long shots.  Fortunately, more came through than didn’t. But it was “bet the house” time ‘way too often, especially at the beginning.  Those American Express cards sometimes felt hot to the touch. (6/03/24)
Geo: It’s the scariest of times, Doug. There’s nothing like really being on your own to get you energized. As they say, fear is a great motivator.

@BruceMunson: The WNBA is at a crossroads… Should they equip the players with roller skates and elbow pads, or go full Jerry Springer and pass out chairs?
Geo: Well said, Bruce.

@BillGardner: Enjoyed it, George! I had the chance to interview Dwight Yoakum while doing mornings for George Francis in Greenville, SC.  I was warned several times, even by his people, how testy Dwight would be in interviews. Exactly the opposite! Great dude and fun to talk with. (A Hit is a Hit)
Geo: Yeah, Bill, it’s kinda like if you don’t try to get in their spotlight or sound smarter or funnier than them. Most are just regular folks who, for whatever reason, can sing.

Did you ever see a Wolf in a Circus?

Wouldn’t it be fun if Caitlin Clark said, “Fuck ya,” and walked away from the WNBA? What would those ghetto girls do then?

If you can stop worrying about whether or not you’re liked, the world becomes a much better place.

If you’re evil, sooner or later, Karma is gonna get ya

Putting too much power in one man’s hands has never worked out for mankind.

White people are the only folks who, when asked to describe themselves, don’t begin with their race.

America has always desired a benevolent dictator. However, Trumpers, Trump is nowhere near being called benevolent. 

I think government employees are way overprotected. Out here in the real world, we out the incompetents.

Can you imagine if all the WASPs got together and voted in a block like the Jews, Blacks, LGBTQs, and various other groups do? Unfortunately, we don’t allow anyone to speak for us.

When America began, we lucked out because some immigrants were geniuses who invented everything. I think they stopped coming.

The main difference between an illegal and a legal alien is that the illegal gets the free money.

Geo’s Life-Liners is a politically incorrect look at Radio, TV, Music, Movies, Books, Social Media, Politics, Religion, and Life, primarily written with men in mind.
On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio.
Sharing and commenting is appreciated.

Back in the day, when I tired of all the music discussions, I decided to concentrate on morning shows.
Even though I spent most of my time coaching morning shows, it took me a while to realize how lucky I was.

Over 80% of the morning maniacs I worked with all ended up in the Radio Hall of Fame.
How tough was this gig do you suppose? 

I loved all these guys, but surprisingly, one of my all-time favorite morning men was a girl..
Her name is Jo Myers, and my friend Reid Reker, who has a hell of an ear for talent, found her for me in Denver.

The thing about Jo is all you have to do is ask her what she did last night.
Her answer will not only make you fall down laughing, but you’ll also have a whole morning show ready to go.

Unfortunately, I could never find anybody who would ask her that question, so things began to unwind.

Around that same time, Jo was working on a book called, “Good To Go, and before long, she was gone.
“She decided to return to Denver to finish her book, so I sadly bid her goodbye.

Surprisingly, a few months later, I got an invitation to her book launch party which was going to be held at a funeral parlor in Denver, but that’s another story for another time.

While in Denver, I stayed at Jo and her husband John’s house for a few days to hang out and have some with them.
However, the day after the launch, Jo nervously asked if I would go with her to the local TV station.

It turned out that they wanted to interview her about her book on the noon news, so off we went.
I couldn’t believe how nervous she was.

As we drove, Jo seemed to be twitching in her seat while talking incessantly as we headed downtown.
When we finally arrived at the TV station, we were shown to some folding chairs on the side of the news set.

Then, we were told they would escort her to the news desk during a commercial break.
While sitting there waiting, Jo was wringing her hands and squirming around in her chair and I thought, “Boy, this ain’t gonna go well.”

Finally, they brought her up to the news desk, and when the commercial ended… Jo took over.
She had them howling, and the newscast was in shambles.

Here’s to you, old friend, and know this: I’m still at the airport waiting!

COMMENTS

@Jed Duvall: George: what was apparently overlooked in the politics over Brittney Griner is why she was in Russia in the first place:  WNBA players make a pittance compared to the NBA players.  Caitlin Clark will make 0.6 % of what Victor Wembanyana, $ 338,056 vs. $ 55,174,766.  I don’t see Adam Silver trying to level the playing field.  If allowed to develop, Caitlin Clark will bring more fans to pro basketball than anyone since Kobe, Steph, and Michael Jordan. (Caitlin Haters)https://www.npr.org/2022/07/01/1109272785/brittney-griner-trial-russia-prison-jail-wnba-basketball-detained https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/caitlin-clarks-pay-inequity-takes-center-stage/ar-BB1lJPXu 
Geo: I’m just happy, Jed that folks are finally standing up to these racists.

@RayWhitworth: Your continuing comment about “woke” is so scripted by FOX indoctrination that any individual creative, original thinking is almost eliminated. WOKE – Wisdom Optimism Knowledge Education. (6/12/24)
Geo: It’s lost its original meaning, Ray, and is now used by the right to describe the extreme left, just as the left uses the word fascist to describe the far right.

@BruceMunson: Who is more evil, Ghetto Thugs, the Mafia, or our government?  Wait – when did they separate into different entities? (6/06/24) 
Geo: 🙂

@RonBelow: Very few folks are self-motivated; most need a motivator. This statement kept Zig Zigler on tour for decades… (6/07/24) 
Geo: I think you’re right, Ron.

Unbelievably, our dreams did come true and we all had tunes on the charts. However, then things began to change. Randy and Burton came together and formed the supergroup The Guess Who, and I left the band business for the radio business.

As you know, the Guess Who had a string of hit records, but then Randy left to form Bachman Turner Overdrive.
Burton continued with the Guess Who, and they both had a lot of hits.

Now it starts to get ugly when Burton decides to leave The Guess Who and become a single.
When he leaves, the bass player, Jim Kale, registers the Guess Who name, which means that Burton and Randy can no longer use it without paying Kale a hefty fee. Ouch!

To make matters even worse, when the copyright on the Guess Who music runs out, Burton grabbed up the publishing.
This, of course, caused a big rift between him and Randy, which I believe still exists today.

Now, the latest drama is that Burton and Randy have come together to sue Kale’s Guess Who group for using the songs they wrote.
Can you spell “Big Mess?”

My solution?  Randy and Burton should buy back the Guess Who name from Kale, allowing them to tour the world as the original Guess Who.
Then, just like The Eagles, they individually could perform their non-Guess Who hits as part of the show making it even bigger..

Randy could continue to tour as BTO, and Burton could still do his popular one man show and of course play with his band.
Also, to keep peace in the family, Burton should sell Randy half the publishing on all the songs they wrote together.

We may need to bring in the big guns like John Einerson to help out because these guys may be sp blinded by their rage that they can’t see the light.
Unfortunately, they’re running out of time.

COMMENTS

@Ray Whitworth: Trump is a mob boss; he acts like one with his puppets and stirs up gullible at his rallies to violence. He’s borrowed from Hitler in syntax, oratory, and ideas.
Geo: Strange how only Democrats feel this way, Ray; we right-leaning Centrists just think of him as a clown.

@DaveCharles: Go Oilers. I was in Edmonton working at CHQT when the Oilers were trying to get into the NHL. Bill Hunter owned them. Then one night, I got to do the PA and penalty announcements at the game when Gordie Howe was playing against the Houston Arrows. Howe got an elbowing penalty. I get on the PA and say, “‘Number 9 Gordie Howe, 2 minutes for a WICKED elbow, time 12 24.”  My PA booth was between the two penalty boxes. Howe looked up at me, twitching, and shook his head, and laughed. Then I got an urgent call from Bill Hunter, the owner, saying DON’T ADLIB AROUND ANY PENALTIES …DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?  Yes, sir, I do. The bastard docked my pay for the PA work by $ 25.00 for my adlibing skills. What the fuck. I look back on that moment in time. I started my on-air career in Hamilton at the Forum doing Jr. A and Jr B hockey games, so I had lots of experience. Adding humour was not a good idea, especially when the Oilers lost the game. Young and full of adventure, I cost myself my talent fee. So many people commented on what I did. Add some colour to a blood sport, I say. I could have been a contender!!! Dave Charles is still a crazy mother f**ker.
Geo: Great story, Mr. Charles, and it supports my theory that the good stuff always comes from the innocent folks who don’t know what the hell good stuff is. Oh, and we sent the oilers home weeping.

@Doug Erickson: Bill Gardner and Bill Lee are the best air talents I ever heard. I actually got to work with Bill Lee, and I’ll always regret not getting to work with Bill Gardner. (6/10/24)
Geo: Doug, as you missed out on Bill Gardner, I missed out on Bill Lee, but I believe things turned out alright for all of us.

@AndreGardner: Couldn’t agree more with your comment about my brother Bill Gardner. He is the gold standard, George! (6/10/24)
Geo: True Dat!

It doesn’t matter if you are the fastest man in the World; if you don’t win Olympic gold, you ain’t the king.

Speaking of the Olympics, when coach ‘K’ was hired to coach the Redem team at the first meeting, he got their attention by saying the best inspirational line I’ve ever heard. “Gentlemen, when your grandchildren sit on your knee and ask, Grampa, what did you do in the Olympics? What’s your answer gonna be?”

Speaking of the NBA, the reason Bird and Magic are still huge is because, unlike the egomaniacs of today, they were as proud of their passing ability as they were of their shooting. 

How cool would it be to be single and have a multi-million dollar pro sports contract in your pocket? Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s ever happened because those pretty young things were looking for baby daddies when these fools were only high schoolers playing a little sports.

The worse thing about America is that our government thinks that it’s ok for a person to be wiped out by medical Bills while they hand out millions of dollars of free money to illegal aliens.

It looks to me like Joe’s the only one who doesn’t know he’s done.

If you have to tell us who you are, you ain’t!

At least the record companies didn’t discriminate; they fucked everybody.

You’re either building your dream, or you’re building someone else’s.

I’ve always loved Capitalism; it’s specuIismn that’s fucking us.

I think the bad guys enjoy our freedoms a hell of a lot more than the rest of us.

Geo’s Life-Liners is a politically incorrect Monday, Wednesday, and Friday look at Radio, TV, Music, Movies, Books, Social Media, Politics, Religion, and Life, primarily written with men in mind.
On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio.
Sharing and commenting is appreciated.