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 and the late Kerry Grey when an earthquake struck the San Francisco area during a 1989 World Series game between the SF Giants and the Oakland A’s, as well as Brett’s tales of corporate radio (spoiler alert: it sucks).
Brett talks about Kerry Grey’s car catching fire and burning in the 97X parking lot – here’s visual proof:
Looks like the 97X bumper sticker survived…
Kerry at left, Brett on the right (and on the hood)
Hot Wheels supermodels Brett & Kerry
Brett saved a couple of “six pack suggestion” letters that truly showcase the creativity of 97X listeners.
This one was like a pop-up book – you had to open the windows and doors of the house to reveal the songs:
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 Mr. K connection, he wound up working on-air at 97X in the late 80s (and being roommates with Phil Manning). His long career in radio came full circle 15 years later when he returned to 97X for weekend shifts before the terrestrial station signed off in 2004. We talk to Brett about Hamilton’s “Modern Rock Mafia,” limo rides to REM, backstage at Bogart’s, and random encounters with fellow 97Xers in The Big Easy.
Brett’s in the back row, 2nd from the right
Here’s Brett’s 1985 interview with Danny Crash and Mr. K when Brett was in a Broadcasting Arts class at Hamilton High School:
Brett also shared some newspaper clippings and other memorabilia from his time at 97X in the late 80s.
Those arrows seem overly ambitious… but perhaps with an aluminum foil antenna!
In case you were wondering (or maybe it was just us), the Canadian band called The Grapes of Wrath broke up in 1992, but reunited in 2010, were inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2018 and still play gigs.
“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 most of her tenure, she managed Riverbend’s marketing, working closely with local radio and TV stations and record labels on media buys, ad scripts, promotions (ticket giveaways, meet-and-greets), artist interviews, and more. As a 97X listener in high school and a Miami U. grad, she always had a special place in her heart for the tiny modern rock station in Oxford… and the feeling was mutual.
Elizabeth fills us in on her behind-the-scenes work at Riverbend… including why a mullet man was making a sick kid’s heart achy-breaky, and who was cool and who was a tool in CS&N (and sometimes Y).
Elizabeth said 97X was a key reason that Riverbend was able to book up-and-coming acts, because the record labels always wanted to know if there was a local radio station playing those artists. Without 97X, concerts like Lollapalooza, Lilith Fair and H.O.R.D.E. might’ve bypassed this market.
Kneeling: Damian and Rictile. Standing L to R: Steve Baker, Linda Balogh, Jae Forman, Julie Maxwell, Doug Balogh, Phil Manning, salesperson Joe Throckmorton, Brian Ewing, Dave Tellmann and salesman Chris Adryan rocking the sweet fannypack. Sitting on car: Laura KimJulie Maxwell applies a temporary tattoo at a Riverbend show. Jae Forman (left) and Dave Tellmann (right) on the infamous butt coolers at Riverbend.
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 lady behind the curtain. Doug also talks about “buyer’s remorse” at his welcome BBQ and Linda recalls the 97X mission statement and the baby in the file cabinet. Oh, and we hear about how the Rainman movie appearance happened… and how legendary record exec Howie Klein freaked out about it.
Photo from a 1997 article about 97X in Spin magazine.
Doug and Linda talked about how indispensable Steve Baker was. Bake could — and did– do it all for the station for more than 20 years.
The Bakerman in the old 97X studioGentleman Jim Mercer with Bake at a Miami University football game
Nowadays, Steve Baker is the Assistant Athletic Director/Director of Broadcasting for Miami University. Please read this post to learn more about just how amazing “The Bakerman” truly is. (Also, our interview with Steve is in Episode 4 of the podcast.)
Dave Tellmann in the production studio
Doug and Linda also talked about how Dave was always in a good mood. I couldn’t agree more. We had as much fun off the air as on, thanks to Dave, who was (and still is) always making us smile.
Kathie Lucas at right with her “baby in the file cabinet” daughter SophieAd from Everybody’s News
The famous scene from Rainman:
Linda and Doug (center) with their children Marty (left) and Kristy (right). The award referenced above was presented by Ron “Jetson” Poore and Phil Manning
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 “mom and pop” radio station. 97X’s signal was tiny, but its impact was mighty, and Doug and Linda guided it every step of the way. In the first of a multi-part interview, Dave and Damian talk to Doug and Linda about why they got into the radio game in the first place, and the station’s formative early years.
Doug & Linda from the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Enquirer Magazine article published June 2, 1985
In our interview, Doug mentions the significance of a cover story about 97X in June 2, 1985 edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Sunday magazine. Thanks to 97X superfan (and Episode 25 guest) Mark Griffin, you can read the entire article here — complete with 1985 ads!
World-famous cover model Danny Crash (a.k.a. Dan Reed)
Mark Griffin’s heartfelt tribute to 97X can be found on his blog. We highly recommend it.)
Unlike corporate-owned commercial stations where music is chewing gum and DJs’ on-air personalities range from vapid to outrageous, family-owned WOXY drew in people devoted to the best in new music.
Mark Griffin in his blog post about 97X – linked above
Ad for 97X’s move from High Street in uptown Oxford to 5120 College Corner Pike.
Dayton native Dan Bockrath left San Diego in the mid-90s, returning to southwest Ohio and joining forces with editor John Fox to publish CityBeat, Cincinnati’s alternative weekly newspaper. One of the first media partnerships they formed was with 97X, because championing local music, arts and culture was their raison d’êtra and 97X listeners were open-minded and adventurous. We talk to Dan about that synergy, CityBeat’s sponsorship of Midpoint Music Festival (MPMF), and his ongoing love affair with live music in local clubs.
Dan was the publisher of CityBeat from its inception in November of 1994 until December of 2015.
CityBeat sponsored MPMF for many years, and Dan McCabe (at right in the photo above with Dan Bockrath) was responsible for booking the amazing lineup of up-and-coming bands/artists. (We spoke to Dan McCabe, now co-owner of MOTR Pub and The Woodward Theater, in Episode 48.)
Dan backstage at a Los Lobos show in 2011… we’re very jealous!
In the mid-80s, Terrence Burke came to Cincinnati from Boston, where he was weaned on a steady diet of Beantown’s finest alternative/indie/college rock stations. He quickly discovered 97X and was hooked. After a few years back in Boston, he returned to Cincinnati in 1993 and was so enamored with how the Cincinnati/Dayton music community had blossomed that he published a ‘zine about it called Screed. (He made several appearances on 97X’s Local Lixx during this time.) Terry also hosted a show at WAIF and worked at CD World, so he was fully immersed in the music scene. After his father passed away suddenly in 2001, Terrence decided to pursue his life’s calling of bringing joy to kids via his Wump Mucket Puppets shows. Terry’s a DIY guy to the core, and it was a real treat to catch up with him.
Here’s Terry joining 97X DJ Dan Cromer on the Local Lixx show on January 18th, 1996 -this episode features songs from Brainiac, Throneberry, The Wolverton Brothers and Stitch.
Local Lixx on 97X, Jan. 18, 1996 with host Dan Cromer and guest Terry BurkeTerry at Screed Zine world headquarters97X ad in ScreedTerry and Shawn Riggs, co-workers at CD World. Check out the new release board in the background. Terry on the air at WAIF-FM. He hosted Dr. 13’s Audio Lab and also appeared on the local music show Kindred Sanction
Terry with Carol Spinney (puppeteer for Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters)
Here’s a profile of Terrence and Wump Mucket Puppets on PBS.
Stase worked weekends at 97X in 1995-96, and then handled the midday shift in 1997. She got the gig partly due to the fact that her previous job was working alongside Rictile (in his side hustle) at GE Credit… and partly because she went to the same high school as 97X co-owner Doug Balogh. But what sealed the deal was her effervescent personality, which remains intact 25 years later. We chat with Stase about super-deluxe parties on the party patio, unbreakable piñatas, the Michigan Mafia and pandemic parenting.
Stase commandeered her daughter’s room for our video chat
We challenged Stase to track down a high school yearbook photo of 97X co-owner Doug Balogh, and she came through with flying colors… or flying black and white, actually:
The pride of Edsel Ford High School in Dearborn, MichiganThe mascot for Doug and Stase’s high school was Thunderbirds, but Doug will always be “The Falcon” to us.
Stase worked middays during the “Station of the Year” year.
Brian Ewing spent the early to mid-90s on the air at 97X, including three full years doing the overnight shift, which surely must be a record for “the cave.” During that same time, he was also playing in the local band Messerly & Ewing, so music ruled his life. We talk to Brian about his 97X days, including party patio drunks, open mike nights, long-distance tea-brewing, and rocking the vote.
Phil Manning, Damian and Brian “Rock the Vote” Ewing at the 97X 10th Anniversary Show at Bogart’s.
After leaving 97X, Brian still performed as part of Messerly & Ewing. They won the 97Xposure band contest in 2002, and continued to release new music and play gigs through 2014. Here’s their 2011 release on Bandcamp:
And here’s Messerly & Ewing performing live in July 2009 with their full band, featuring MPMF co-founders Sean Rhiney (bass) and Bill Donabedian (drums).
Brian on stage at an Earth Day eventMesserly & Ewing & Woman with Feather BoaMesserly & Ewing performing live on the Fox19 Morning ShowTakin’ it to the streets…Midpoint Music Festival 2009Brian when we chatted via Google Meet last month
Dorsie Fyffe worked at 97X from 1993 to 1998, eventually winding up as Music Director (nominated by Billboard Magazine for “Music Director of the Year”) and afternoon host. During that same era, he led the local band Johnny Smoke, and lived with Tim Taylor, lead singer of Brainiac, and Dave Doughman of Swearing at Motorists. Since then, much like Johnny Cash, he’s “been everywhere, man” – San Francisco, Seattle, Kansas City, Austin, Los Angeles. But he’s still rockin’. We chat with Dorsie about his 97X days and his new Cincinnati-via-Northern California band Beverly Hills Supper Club.
This photo of Dorsie at 97X sums up the inimitable Dorsie vibe quite nicely:
Dorsie’s new band Beverly Hills Supper Club features Cincinnati-based members including Billy Catfish.
You can check out BHSC’s music on all the major streaming services. Here’s their artist link on Spotify and here’s their latest release:
https://youtu.be/1IMi-XhJ3UA
Lydia Loveless loves Dorsie
Dorsie in Lawrence, KS circa 2013. Pants courtesy of the Herb Tarlek Collection.
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