Q:  How did you get your first job in radio?

Ryan Andrew:  I earned a “Broadcast Certificate” at Brown Institute (now Brown College) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  It was a nine month course that teaches students different radio and TV formats and teaches you the basics of radio.  A lot of veteran DJ’s crack on us who went to school, but I got a full time job the day after I graduated.  Now days, you can’t just walk in off the streets and get a full time gig.  You have to work your way up, and that usually takes years. 

Q:  How many years have you been in radio and how many years at WXBM?

RA:  I started my first job as the overnight DJ at WYNG in Evansville, Indiana in July of 1996, so I have been on air for 12 years.  Started here at WXBM in September of 2000.

Q:  Any significant moments in history happen while you were on air?

RA:  First night on the air in 1996, 20 minutes into my very first airshift.  It’s 12:30 am and I’m in the building by myself and the TV and AP wire start going crazy about a bombing in Atlanta at the Olympics.  It was huge news at the time, but I didn’t know if I should say anything over the air, and I SURE didn’t want to call & wake my boss up at that hour, so I mentioned it a couple times.  Keep in mind it was my first night on air, and I had my hands full just keeping a song on the air.  When people got wind of what happened, they started calling and wanting details, so after a while I stopped talking about it on air because I couldn’t watch TV, talk on the phone and keep the radio station on the air at the same time.  Also was on air when news about the death of Princess Diana broke.  That was pretty big at the time.  I wasn’t on air when the attacks of September 11th actually happened, but I remember going on air that day and wondering what I was supposed to do?  Do people really want to hear a Rascal Flatts song right now?  Very strange day.

Q:  What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

RA:  Working events like the annual Children’s Miracle Network Radio-thon and working with other local charities.  That’s the stuff that really matters. 

Q:  Ever have a stalker?

RA:  Several.  None that I care to discuss though.

Q:  Coolest celebrity you’ve met?

RA:  Met a bunch, but you usually only get 1o seconds with them.  If I had to pick one I guess it would be Hank Jr.  Only met him long enough to get a picture and autograph, but it’s Hank.  What’s not cool about that?   There have only been one or two that haven’t been so nice.  Better not mention names here though.  Ask me about it some other time. 

Q:  How was music played when you started in radio?

RA:  We played CD’s.  Each CD was in a little square plastic case with a number on it.  Each hour you had to go pull all the ones you need to play.  Worst part about playing CD’s was that occasionally you’d cue up the wrong song or the CD would start skipping.  Computers do it all now.  Music, commercials….everything is in the computer.

Q:  Who is you favorite country artist?

RA:  Dwight Yoakam.  Dwight is one of those guys who either you get him, or you don’t.  He’s probably one of the best songwriters of our generation, if not one of the best ever.  Also really like George Strait, Travis Tritt & Randy Travis.

Q:  Favorite country song?   

RA:  Anything by Dwight.  George Strait’s “The Chair” is a classic.  “My Favorite Memory” by Merle is on the short list too.

Q:  Any embarrassing on-air moments?

RA:  LOTS!  Been several times that I *thought* I turned my microphone off, but didn’t.  Entire conversations went over the air.  Haven’t done that lately.  The one that sticks out the most happened a couple years ago.  My mom was in town from Colorado.  She’s a proud mother & thinks it’s cool that I talk on the radio.  So she wanted to come in and see how it works.  She gets here at about 6:45.  I only had one more break to do before Dave took over.  So mom is standing three feet away as I go on to do my last break.  Of course I want to do a good job since she’s standing right there.  Should also mention that it was gnat season.  There were several in the studio that day.  I’m about half way through talking, everything is going great and I take a breath…..and inhale a gnat.  Ever done that before?  It got lodged.  I couldn’t talk.  It was like when you swallow a mouthfull of water and part of it goes down the wrong tube.  I was in mid-sentence when it happened and I had to bail out.  I couldn’t talk so I fired off the commercial break.  I finally had my act together when it came time to do the weather break.  We both had a good laugh over it. 

Couple other quick music notes you might be interested in.  Just found out Kenny Chesney’s new CD “Lucky Old Sun” will be released on October 14th.  If you buy it the first week it comes out, you will get the “deluxe edition” which will feature four bonus tracks.  The bonus songs are “Boston”, “Got A Little Crazy”, “Soul Of A Sailor” and “Guitars and Tiki Bars” and were recorded live at the Hogs Breath Saloon.  Deluxe edition will also give fans access to downloads.  Rascal Flatts will release their first Greatest Hits collection October 28th.  Set to be a two-disc set with 16 songs and three Christmas songs. 

That’s it for this week.  Thank you military men & women for your sacrifice.  See ya next week.

Q:  What was your first impression of Linda Lawrence?

Marty White:  “Thought she was nuts.  Can I get an Amen?”

Q:  How did you get your first job on air?

MW:  “A guy who worked with my Dad at Monsanto also worked weekends at 102.7 WXBM.  His name is Jim Mitchell.  Dad told him I was just out of high school and was interested in the radio business.  Jim said ’send the boy over & we’ll see’.  I sat in with him one Saturday night in 1973, watched and read some weather and a couple public service announcements on the air.  I had a ball.  He talked with Byrd Mapoles and the next week I had a nighttime job on the radio…four days later….I turned 17.  I will always appreciate Jim Mitchell for that….and Byrd for the first paycheck in radio.”

Q:  How many years have you been on the air and how many at WXBM?

MW:  “Thirty-five years on air this August.  Probably 16 years or so on WXBM.  After starting here, went to another station in Pensacola, and then was back at WXBM before I went off to the USAF.  This time it’s been since 1993, 15 years with Linda doing our best to get people out of the house and where they need to be in one piece and with a grin or laugh on the way.  It’s not a bad job.”

Q:  Any significant moments in history happen while you were on the air? 

MW:  Invasion of Grenada in ‘83….happend at daybreak…didn’t have internet back then.  Info was hard to come by…..We invaded who?  Strange day.  Mount St. Helens exploded…was in California doing mornings.  Saw ash…..interesting day.  Cody was born in ‘89….Donna called me on the air and said it was time….great day.  Erin and Opal, Katrina, Dennis and the rest.  They are all significant, but none more than that morning we all woke up after Ivan.  Ivan changed this place, and it hurt…..sad day.  9/11….it was almost surreal…until I realized what I had just seen.  Had no idea of the consequences that would come around since that morning.”

Q:  What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

MW:  “When somebody says ‘thanks, I appreciate the job you do’.  And free hunting and golf and driving race cars and talking about sharks and……”

Q:  Ever had a stalker?

MW:  “No….can’t tell those stories”

Q:  Coolest celebrity you’ve met?

MW:  “I don’t know…they all put their pants on like we do.  George Jones did sign my hat though.”

Q:  How was music played on air when you first started in radio?

MW:  “We played 45’s…all in numbered little green paper sleeves.  The studio here was full of rows of shelves of 45’s and LP’s.  You had to pull each hours songs ahead of time, then put them all back before you finished your shift.”

Q:  Favorite country artists & songs?

MW:  “Anything George Jones does or ever will do.  Randy Travis…’That Was Us’….that song is me and a whole bunch of guys I have run into since I was a kid.  Jim Stafford’s ‘16 Little Red Noses and a Horse That Sweats’.  That’s good stuff….”

Q:  Most embarrassing moment on air?

MW:  “First day at a new job….3 months into the business….Noon Sunday.  New boss said ‘You got it?’.  Said I got it, and he left.  Two minutes later he was out in the parking lot and I learned I didn’t quite have it.  My first record ran out….hit a button and the other record wouldn’t fire off.  None of the cart machines played commercials…..everything did nothing.  So, I said it.  It was a good one too….and loud….I cussed….with feeling.  It was right at that point that I realized I was looking right at the microphone…and it was on.  It was live.  Bad word…..in fact 3 of them…I let loose the granddaddy…live…in front of God & everybody.  Probably my mother too.  The phone rang.  It was the big boss.  We had a conversation.  I was lucky I kept the job.  ”
The end….Talk to you in the mornin’!
Marty

Q:  How did you get your start in radio?

Linda Lawrence:  DCT student at Walton High School.  I was in a program where we could work half a day and go to school half a day, and my teacher told me I was good at running my mouth and sent me to the local radio station.

Q:  How many years have you been on the radio, and how many years at WXBM?

LL:  Been on air since I was 16 years old, and on WXBM for 16 years.

Q:  What was your impression of Marty when you met him for the first time?

LL:  Marty who?

Q:  Have any significant moments in history happened while you were on the air?

LL:  The attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11.  The Space Shuttle crashes, Tiananmen Square tragedy and too many more to remember.

Q:  What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

LL:  Making people laugh, and of course getting paid.

 Q:  Ever have a stalker?

LL:  Yes, I’ve had several.  God love ‘em.

Q:  How did you play music on the air when you first started in radio? 

LL:  Acutal records.  45’s.

Q:  Who is the coolest celebrity you’ve met? 

LL:  Not impressed with celebrity, so I don’t really have one.  Although Joe Nichols and I had a moment on stage. 

Q:  Favorite country artist & song? 

LL:  Don’t really have a favorite, but I guess I enjoy hearing a good old Ray Price song.  “For The Good Times” is one of my favorites.

Q:  Any embarrassing or funny on-air moments you’d like to share?

LL:  When I said (the ‘A’ word) on the air and my mic was on.  I was mad at a kid for stealing his mother’s car and said “I’d beat his a–”

Thanks Linda!  In the coming weeks we’ll get some answers from Marty White, Lynn West, Dave Collins, Stacey Noles and myself. 

 Also want to let you know about some album news.  Kenny Chesney just released the first single from his new CD “Lonely Old Sun”.  You may have heard it on WXBM, it’s called “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven”.  No word on when the new CD comes out.  Keith Urban is working on some new songs as well with no release date set.  Brad Paisley announced his new CD “Play” is coming out November 4th.  Brad says the album will be “more music, less talk”, meaning it will be mostly instrumentals.  More details to come.  And finally, Taylor Swift has announced her new album “Fearless” will be out on November 11th.  Taylor wrote or co-wrote every track on the album, just like on her debut self-titled album.  A box set will be available as well featuring the full-length CD, a leather “fearless” bracelet, t-shirt and a “Taylor Nation” decal.  No word on the box set price yet.  Check all the artist websites for additional info. 

That’s it for this week.  Thanks for reading, and as always thanks for listening to 102.7 WXBM and making us your choice for country music! 

One of the most asked questions is “how do you play the music and commercials”?  Computers.  Years ago, it was vinyl records, then CD’s and now it’s the good ol’ computer system.  By the time I got in radio, records were gone and cd’s were the thing.  Back in those days, you had a whole wall of cd’s in the studio and every hour you had to go pull all the ones you needed to play.  We have what we call a “music log” that tells you what songs you’ll play each hour, and there was a cd number next to the artist name so you know what cd to pull off the wall.  You also had to manually start each song, so every three or four minutes, you had something to do.  With computers, the music is loaded & ready to go.  Plus the computer plays until you tell it to stop, so you can go 10-15 minutes with nothing to do.  That’s nice because you can focus on other things like traffic, weather and answering the phones.  Plus you don’t have to deal with the cd that skips or the cd player that shuts off in the middle of a song for no reason.  Any dj that has ever had to play records or cd’s will probably have some funny stories to tell about equipment failures or cueing up the wrong track on a cd & playing the wrong song.  Commercials are in our computer now too.  Back in the day, they were played off “carts”.  Little plastic cassettes that resembled 8-track tapes. 

Another question that comes up quite often is about the phone.  How come you never hear it ring when the dj is on the air?  Our phones are hooked up to lights.  Instead of a ring, a light comes on that lets us know there is an incoming call.  We have three lines that come in the studio.  Our local line 310-9102, the toll free line 1-800-626-WXBM and our “hotline” which is a direct number for employees.  When I do a contest and ask for a certain caller, I’ll take whatever line rings first as caller #1 and then go to the other line for caller #2 and go back & forth between the two lines till I get the winner.  It usually goes pretty quick.

“How do you know when to talk”?  I usually get this one when I broadcast live on location.  The easy answer is I just know from having done quite a few live broadcasts.  The more in-depth answer would be that we do things (weather, traffic & commercials) at roughly the same time every hour.  For example, if you want to hear the forcast, tune in at about 20 after the hour and 50 minutes after the top of the hour.  If you want to hear traffic reports in the afternoon, tune in at about 35 after the hour and 50 minutes after the hour.  It’s kinda the same way with live broadcasts.  We do a live “cut-in” after the second song of the hour and before the commercial breaks at 35 & 50 after the hour. 

How does a radio station make money?  Advertisers pay us to play their commercials.  We have a sales staff that goes out to businesses to sell the advertising.  From there our Production Director John Johnson gets them on the air.  Sometimes the client has a script for us to read, sometimes John writes the commercial, and sometimes bigger companies will already have a commercial made and just send it to us already produced & ready to go on air.

And finally the most asked question that I get……..”What’s it like to work with Marty & Linda?”.  Answer is:  I don’t know!!  They are off the air at 10am, and I don’t usually roll in till about 1pm.  Truth is, I only see them a couple times a year. 

Congrats to Marty for winning the Media Race at Five Flags last Friday!  That makes four wins in six years.  Thank you to our military men & women for serving our country.  We appreciate your hard work.

14th Annual CovenantHospice Evening of Comedy

When:  Saturday, August 2nd

Where:  Hilton Garden Inn on Pensacola Beach from 6-10pm

Tix: (850) 208-7122 or www.covenanthospice.org

Covenant Hospice provides special care to patients with life-limiting illnesses.  This year’s Evening of Comedy features comedian Carlos Oscar.  Carlos has made appearances on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, HBO and Comedy Central.  He dubs himself a “clean” comedian who doesn’t fall back on four-letter words and lewd innuendo.  Also look for a lot of great items up for bids on the live and silent auctions too.

Healthy Start Coalition of Santa Rosa County Baby Shower

When:  Saturday, August 2nd

Where:  Santa Rosa Community Center

More Info:  (850) 626-6751

Back To School Clinic

When:  Sunday, August 3rd

Where:  Gonzalez United Methodist Church

More Info:  (850) 968-6006

Back to school clinic will provide free backpacks, school supplies and eye exams from 3-5pm August 3rd. 

Santa Rosa Spay/Neuter Assistance

Provides discount spay/neuter assistance for income-eligible residents in Santa Rosa County.  Deadline to apply is Friday, August 15th 2008.

More Info:  (850) 983-4680 or www.santarosa.fl.gov/animals/spayneuter.html

…..and a few ongoing things you can help with….

ARC Gateway

ARC is collecting unwanted Mardi Gras beads.  If you or your kids have bags or piles of unwatned bead, there are several drop locations throughout the area including the WXBM studios on Quintette Road in Pace.  Doesn’t matter if they are cheap-o beads or some real nice ones.  Instead of throwing them in the trash, do something good with them and donate to ARC Gateway.

More Info:  (850) 434-2638

Community Emergency Response Team Training

CERT is looking for teens ages 15-18 who are interested in becoming part of their team in Santa Rosa County. 

More Info:  (850) 983-4606

Change Bandits

WXBM and Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital are always looking for a few good Change Bandits.  All you have to do is collect spare change for the kids at the hospital.  We’ll give you a collection jar (or jars if you wish) that you can put on your counter at home, on your desk at the office or the counter at your business and drop your spare change in it.  Change will be collected during the annual WXBM radio-thon at SHCH in March.  A few coins may not seem like much, but when we team up and do this together, it adds up real fast.  Every cent collected stays right here and helps the kids at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.

More Info:  (850) 416-4660 or 1-800-626-WXBM

I’m on vacation next week.  I’ll be out of touch with the world for a week or so.  In the future, I’m going to try to do a “10 questions” blog with Marty, Linda, Lynn, Dave and Stacey.  Should be fun.  Speaking of Marty, don’t forget the annual Media race at Five Flags Speedway August 1st.  Marty has won that thing three out of the last five times they have been out there.  Be sure to go cheer him on for another win.

Thank you military men & women.  We appreciate you as always.  And as always, thanks for listening to WXBM and making us your choice for country music.  We love y’all.

I’ll start with Ivan.  If you have ever been out to the studios in Pace, you know that our building is most definitely NOT a lavish facility, but it has personality and we all really love the building and being out in the country.  Anyway, when Ivan was a Category 4 and 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico, none of us had high hopes that the building would survive, but it did.  We acutally just had a few trees down.  We did get knocked off the air though, and getting back on was a challenge.  The day we got back on, Marty was at the Emergency Operation Center in Santa Rosa County, and I was at our main broadcast tower in Elsinore Alabama.  Our engineer rigged up a little four-channel control board and wired it right into the tower.  So on a 90-degree day with love bugs flying everywhere, I went on the air in the back of a Chrysler mini-van in a horse pasture.  That’s a true story.  Marty called my cell phone and we patched it into the control board.  That was all the equipment we had.  No computers.  No CD players.  No tape decks.  Nothing.  We couldn’t take any other phone calls, play music, commercials, recieve faxes….nothing.  Marty & I talked on air from 11:30am until 4:30pm straight.  I had a stack of papers with information on where to get food, water & ice and some other important info, and Marty was rounding up interviews from people at the EOC.  It flowed pretty good for the first two hours or so, and then it got to be a grind, but it was the only way to stay on the air.  Finally at about 4:30 our engineers got us back to where we could broadcast from the “End Of The Road” in Pace. 

Ten months later, Dennis came through.  Two things stick out in my mind about Dennis. First, I was on vacation in Colorado and had to come home two days early.  I felt like an idiot for flying home to be in a hurricane, but had no choice.  The other thing that sticks out was how hot & humid it was.  At the radio station, we were without power for around a week, and the generator we have for the building wouldn’t power the air conditioners.  I remember being on the air with Lynn in the middle of the day with all this electrical equipment running and making things hotter.  Someone had the idea to plug a window unit air conditioner in, and when they did, the whole building went black.  What little relief we had from the 10 fans in the studio was gone too.  Everything just went out.  It must have been 120 degrees in the studio.  Ask Lynn about it next time you see her.  We can look back and laugh now, but it sure wasn’t much fun at the time. 

Working at the Emergency Operation Center is quite an experience too.  I had spent a good amount of time at the Santa Rosa EOC after Dennis, but Katrina was the first time I spent an entire storm there.  The EOC is the place where all the info comes in.  There are workers there from all ends of the county, from the Sheriff’s Department to County Commissioners to the Department of Transportation.  My job there is to call the radio station and give updates as they come in.  During hurricane season, we also partner with WEAR ABC-3 to give them updates from the EOC, so after I got done with my report on the radio, I would usually call Channel 3 and do the same thing.  LONG days.  Ask Marty.  He’s always at the Escambia County EOC.  For every hour that other people work, Marty works two hours.  He’s the man, and everyone knows it.  Anyway, for Katrina, I remember getting to the EOC around 10am Sunday and working straight through 2am Monday morning, getting four hours of sleep and going from 6am - 7pm Monday. 

Since Ivan, Dennis and Katrina, WXBM has made some pretty exciting changes & upgrades to bring you the best coverage before, druing and after the storm.  We are far better equipped for power outtages and will likely be able to broadcast information 24/7 no matter how bad the weather gets.  As always, we will be embedded at the Emergency Operations Centers in Escambia and Santa Rosa County and giving updates on WEAR TV.  We’re ready…..are you?

Most of us have learned some tough lessons in the wake of our recent hurricanes.  Far too many people depend on hand-outs to survive after the storm.  BE SELF SUFFICIENT.  Take care of yourself.  Don’t rely on others to take care of you.  You’ll make things easier for yourself and many others around you by being prepared ahead of time.  Remember, you need to have enough food, water and supplies to last three days after the storm ends.  It could take that long to get supply trucks in.  Another thing that kinda bummed me out was how people were abusing the aid.  Getting cases and cases of MRE’s for the hunting camp, and getting other supplies that they didn’t need.  I know it was a small percentage of people doing that, but that doesn’t make it right.  Especially when there are people who really need that.  Anyway, a good way to get your disaster kit together is to get it little by little.  Get a some canned goods over the course of a few trips to the store.  Get a couple packs of batteries & flashlights another trip.  Get a few first-aid supplies the next trip.  You can get a good kit put together for around $40-$50.  Another good way to help out is to check on your neighbors.  If you are staying here for a storm, check with the people around you and find out who is staying and who is leaving.  After the storm, go knock on some doors and make sure everyone is ok.  It’s also important to know the best evacuation routes in your area. 

I’ll say it again.  We’re ready….are you?  If you ever have any questions about how to be prepared for hurricane season, visit the A-1 Small Engines Hurricane Center at www.wxbm.com 

Blue Angels airshow is coming up Friday & Saturday at Pensacola beach.  Airshow starts at about 12:25, Fat Albert will fly at 1:50 and the Blue Angels at 2pm both days.  If you have never been to the beach for an airshow, here’s couple things you’ll need to know.  The main beach parking lot fills up real fast.  Plan on getting there early and spending all day there.  You can park on the side of Fort Pickens Rd as long as your vehicle is completely off the roadway.  The trolley will be running from 9am - midnight Friday & Saturday from Casino Beach parking lot to the Ft Pickens gate free of charge.  If you do park along Ft Pickens Rd, make sure you are not blocking any emergency access locations, bike paths or medians or you will be towed.  2-wheel drive vehicles (especially cars) get stuck in the sand easier than you might think.  No glass bottles on the main beach and no pets allowed on the main beach.  That’s pretty much it.  Have fun.  Be responsible.  Sheriff’s deputies will be out in full force on land and water.  Have plenty of life vests on hand if you will be on the water, cause they’ll be checkin’.

See the 6/24 blog below for upcoming concerts & CD’s.

Thanks to our military and your families for your service to our country.  And as always, thanks for listening to 102.7 WXBM and making us the #1 radio station on the Gulf Coast!!

The thing that got my attention about this story is that this sort of thing happens at almost every concert.  It doesn’t always happen in the front row right in front of the singer, but it happens further back on the floor and the upper levels.  I have probably been able to attend more concerts than the average music fan because of my job.  Concert tickets are one of the perks of the job.  Anyway, having been to many concerts over the years, there is rarely an event that goes by without some kind of scuffle, and they are almost always alcohol related.  Someone spills a beer on someone else.  Someone is too intoxicated to control themself and they bump into or fall on someone else, and usually a fight follows.  Seen it many times.  The big loser in this is the fan who is simply there to have a good time, or the parent who wants to bring their kid to see their favorite singer.  I have found the best thing to do if you see someone around you cursing, falling or out of control at a concert is to simply find a security guard or police officer and let them know what’s going on.  It’s the easiest way to fix the problem, and you can do it without the person in question even knowing you did it.  You’re not a tattle-tale, and the people around you will probably thank you for it.

What’s the point of this blog?  Concerts are supposed to be fun, so go have fun, but please be respectful to those around you.  Especially if there are kids around.

Lots of concerts & CD’s coming soon.  See previous blog for more info.  Media Race at Five Flags Speedway is August 1st.  Be sure to go cheer for Marty who has won three of the last five races! 

Have a good week!  Thank you military men & women!  God Bless.

Watched Nashville Star last night for the first time.  I missed the premier last Monday (had to work late) so last night was my first look at the contestants.  A couple blogs ago, I made a prediction that we would see our first real star come from that show.  I think it’s too soon to stand behind that statement right now.  At this point, I think I may have spoke too soon.  Don’t get me wrong, there is some good talent on the show this year, but there’s also some really bad talent.  So far, I think they have eliminated the right people, and with any luck, Justin Gaston will be next.  After seeing Justin and “Third Town”, I can’t help but wonder HOW DID THESE PEOPLE MAKE IT ON THE SHOW????  Honestly!!  How bad were the people they were competing against???  Off the top of my head, I can think of four or five people from right here in Escambia/Santa Rosa County that are better than some of the contestants this year.  I do like the Navy guy Tommy Stanley and Gabe Garcia.  I think they will be there for a while.  We’ll see. 

On a totally different subject, I have been meaning to let you know that WXBM and Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital are looking for Change Bandits.  We usually ask for Change Bandits in the weeks leading up to our annual RadioThon at the hospital, but we’re making it a year-round thing now.  It’s real easy.  We’ll give you a jar to collect spare change in.  That’s it.  Then at the RadioThon in March, you bring your change to the hospital and donate it to the Children’s Hospital.  It’s a real easy way to help out, and you would be amazed at how fast that change adds up.  Also looking for businesses to participate.  If you are a business owner and want to put a collection jar on the counter next to your cash register for customers to help out, we’d love to have you on board with this.  There are no prizes.  It’s not a contest.  It’s just something you do out of the kindness of your heart.  It involves very little effort, and just like the money raised at the RadioThon, every cent of the money stays here at OUR children’s hospital to help OUR kids.  Just something to think about.  If you ever have any questions, call me personally.  I’ll be happy to tell you more about it.  I’m on air from 2-7 weekdays.  Call 310-9102 or 1-800-626-9926.

Upcoming CD’s

7/15

Randy Travis - “Around The Bend“

7/22 

SugarLand - “Love On The Inside”

Taylor Swift - “Beautiful Eyes” - Wal-Mart only

7/29

Heidi Newfield - (untitled)

8/5

Keith Anderson - “C’mon“

Jo Dee Messina - (untitled)

8/19

Jimmy Wayne - “Do You Believe Me Now“

9/16

Faith Hill - (untitled Christmas CD)

Carter’s Chord - “Carter’s Chord“

Late Summer/Fall ‘08

Taylor Swift

Eric Church

Keith Urban

Upcoming Concerts

7/26

Willie Nelson & BB King - Wharf in Orange Beach

8/17

Sugarland and Leann Rimes at the Wharf in Orange Beach

9/19

Gretchen Wilson - Hard Rock Hotel Biloxi

11/7

Phil Vassar - Hard Rock Hotel Biloxi

11/13

Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson - Biloxi

Pay For Play is still going on.  Visit www.wxbm.com for more details on that and the new scooter we’re giving away.  As always, thanks for listening and making WXBM the #1 radio station on the gulf coast for 17 years!!!  We can’t thank you enough.  Also, thanks to our military men & women and your families.  God Bless.

First thing I wanted to talk about is the new Jessica Simpson single called “Come On Over”.  Gotta be honest.  The first thing I thought when I heard she was making a country record was “what a joke”.  I didn’t have high expectations at all.  With that said, I really like the song!  Of course it will take more than one song to determine if the album will be the real deal, but so far, so good.  I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to my country music.  I think there is definitely room for the “new” country, but I like my country music to sound at least a little like country music….if you know what I mean.  I’m just afraid of fading pop and rock stars just throwing stuff out there and hoping it sticks to the wall so they get a hit song.  I could be wrong.  Maybe they are true country fans who have always dreamed of recording a country record and writing country songs.  I guess what I’m starting to learn is, good music is good music no matter what the artist background.  I just wonder if some of these artists flop on country radio, will they put out a rap album?  Or a heavy metal album?  Time will tell.

Another thing in the news this week is the new Sugarland record.  The first single is called “All I Want To Do”, and you can hear it on WXBM.  They are going to release the album in two phases.  First copy of the CD comes out July 22nd and will have five bonus tracks and a special booklet.  Phase two comes out July 29th, and will NOT have the five bonus tracks or the booklet.  So obviously if you’re a big Sugarland fan, get it on the 22nd!!  By the way, 17 songs on the CD that comes out on the 22nd, and 12 songs on the later release.

 Taylor Swift has been busy.  She’s recording a new cd that should be out before the end of the year, and she’s a big part of CMA’s Music Festival (formerly Fan Fair).  She will be one of the featured performers this year and she’ll be signing autographs non-stop from 10a-4p on June 7th!!  Remember that time Garth signed for something like 28 hours without a break?  I think Taylor’s autograph session will be the longest of any artist this year.  One of the major TV networks will be there to record all the shows and some backstage stuff for a summer/fall special.  Taylor is also performing on the opening night of Nashville Star June 9th on NBC.

Pay For Play is still happening.  Listen to 102.7 WXBM for complete details or visit www.wxbm.com for other contests, concert calendar, pics, listen live etc etc.  Thank you military men & women for your service & dedication to our country.  God Bless.