Musical musings from aging hipsters
Mike Jacobs is a legendary independent record promoter who ran campaigns for alternative success stories like The Offspring, Rancid, Nine Inch Nails, Bush and No Doubt, among others. He also was CEO of MCA joint…
Continue Reading Episode 65: Mike Jacobs, Legendary Indie Record Promoter
“Randy the Redneck” – the name pretty much sums it up. He’s like a hillbilly Forrest Gump, and had the uncanny knack for showing up at pretty much every 97X event ever. Concerts at Bogart’s,…
Author and college professor Robin James is a self-described “philosopher of popular music.” She grew up in West Chester, Ohio listening to 97X and is writing a book about the station and the community that…
Continue Reading Episode 63: Robin James is writing the book on 97X
Mark Abuzzahab (who just went by “Mark” on air… we can’t imagine why) was at 97X for a year and change (Jul ’98-Sept. ’99) at the dawn of the streaming era. He then served as…
Continue Reading Episode 62: Mark Abuzzahab, Music Skills from A to Z
Steve Leeds has had a long and illustrious (dare we say even Gump-like) career in the music business. Terrestrial radio (Murray the K!). Major labels (Led Zeppelin!). Indie promotions (Joan Jett!). MTV (Adam Sandler!). Today…
Continue Reading Episode 60: Steve Leeds, a Music Biz Legend
Here’s Part Deux of our chat with Brett Heartz, who bookended his long and illustrious radio career with stints at 97X in the late 80s and 2004. This episode includes the on-air banter between Brett…
Brett Heartz got the 97X bug when he was in high school, a fever that was aided and abetted by his interview with Danny Crash and Mr. K for a cable-access program. Thanks to his…
“The Lovely & Talented Elizabeth Cannon™” started working at Riverbend Music Center (Cincinnati’s 20,000-person capacity outdoor concert amphitheater) as an usher when she was 16… and wound up staying there for nearly 15 years. For…
Continue Reading Episode 58: Elizabeth Cannon, our Riverbend Friend
In the second part of our interview with 97X station owners Doug & Linda Balogh, we find out why Steve Baker was the soul of the station, Dave was Mr. Sunshine, and Linda was the…
Continue Reading Episode 57: Doug & Linda Part 2 (More Fun in the New Radio World)
Doug and Linda Balogh bought 97.7 FM in Oxford, Ohio in July of 1981, adjusted the format to modern rock in September of 1983, and spent 23 years giving their heart and soul to a…
Continue Reading Episode 56: Doug & Linda Balogh, the First Family of 97X