The GARTH SHOW – This weekend at most area Drive-Ins! If you're going have a blast! (Drive-Ins)

The Auto-Rama – In North Ridgeville (The one you can see from the Turnpike) was one of the top grossing Drive-Ins in the entire country last weekend! #5 (Story)

Fun Fact – Jurassic Park was the #1 movie at the box office last week  - 27 years after first being released (1993) , as Drive-Ins ran it and -  Jaws (also had a big week 1974) a bunch!  (Story)  

Next Major Release – To Theaters is Unhinged with Russell Crowe, July 10  Looks Creepy!

Scoob! - Skipping Theaters  - On HBO Max on today!  (Story)

More Twister - A reboot of the mid 1990's Twister flick coming soon!  (Story) 

Michael Keaton - Is reprising his role as Batman in The Flash Movie

The Golden Globes - Have been delayed to February 28th.  (Story)

A Mamma Mia 3 - Could be happening.  (Story)

Law and Order – Organized Crime is the name of Elliott Stabler's new series. (Story)

This week I got a message from a great listener named, Joy who asked if I remembered a country group named Restless Heart from many years ago.  She loved them when she was 8, and wondered what happened to them.  I do remember them of course, and played all their songs.  But their music wasn't the best thing they brought to the table.

They will always be remembered for their gigantic hit, I'll Still Be Loving You.  A song virtually everyone on the planet knows.  They had a real nice run of good songs for a few years and were consistently on the charts. We will talk about the music in a minute, but to me, the gift they brought to Country Music was universal appeal. The way they dressed, and looked, presented themselves, their slick logo, and their sound.

They brought a lot of people into country, who found them on the crossover charts as ISBLY was a big pop hit too.  They came along when there was still a huge stigma that Country was twangy, stiff, and old, Restless Heart helped make us mainstream as much as any act of the era. You have to remember how radically different they were, and radical is not too strong of a word.  They were on the charts with Dolly, Conway Twitty, Barbara Mandrell, Glen Campbell, Willie and Waylon an aging George Jones, and many others that had a real appeal to an older generation. Older was our core then, Restless Heart was here to challenge that.

They were formed as a "demo band."  Recording versions of songs written that would be pitched to "big stars" to see if they were interested in recording. Then in 1984 they hit the charts with their own first album, and it was on. It was different, unique, and it was destined to be mass appeal. The album was self-titled and was a big success.  Let The Heartache Ride was their first hit.  They had the feel of the rock group, The Little River Band, or Toto at times and other similar bands - BUT they were OURS!  The song below, was a great song, as it was newer sounding, but in its written form was very country!. Great introduction.  

Album One -  I Want Everyone To Cry  - An Underrated Gem Of A Song  - 

But then came the album, Wheels.  It was a monster hit, with 4 number one songs on it.  That Rock Won't Roll, I'll Still Be Loving You,  Why Does It Have To Be Wrong Or Right, and Wheels.  All big songs, all loved, and two of them major pop hits as well. They were on top, and they were having a big influence on what was coming next, it was the zenith of their run!

This Song Is A Classic

There was good success after that, but Wheels was the album that every act hopes for. The classic album that they will always be remembered for. Restless Heart had its core members, but there were many that came and went too. One of the original members, Van Stephenson formed Blackhawk a few years later, and lead singer Larry Stewart was a star in his own right with his fantastic and distinct voice that gave Restless Heart its haunting identity.  They disbanded in the mid 1990's.

But we all owe them a debt. Restless Heart really helped make Country "cool" when it needed it. They dared to be the next big thing, as Country Bands were rare in those days. Alabama was the only one really having success, and Restless Heart came in and had a great run. They had a few great albums, a bunch of big hits, and left behind a legacy that was important, that helped pave the way for those who were up next by smoothing out the road ahead.

Clint Black, Garth, Alan Jackson, Joe Diffie, Tracy Lawrence, Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakum all kicked down the door that Restless Heart had unlocked and opened with a younger audience waiting on the other side.  Well done.

Restless Heart.  Very important in their time, thank you for bringing so many new fans to us.

Next week, we will take a look at Blackhawk!

I am very proud to be the voice of Habitat For Humanity of Summit County on WQMX.  I am also very proud to be the Honorary Co-Chair for their annual Home-In-One Golf Outing. In fact, I have been so for the past 11 years, since its inception.  Good people to support.

PICTURED ABOVE- The WQMX Habitat Golf Team of many years, (highly esteemed) Nick Anthony, Me, Lynn Kelly, and my great friend Don!

This years outing is going to be at Gleneagles in Twinsburg, after a nice run at Hudson CC, and Portage CC before that.  A great guy named Jim Sukys invited me to Co-Chair the outing its first year, and it's been an honor ever since.  Jim has moved on, but still plays in the outing every year.  Rochelle Sibbio has been great to me ever since taking over the outing and making sure that everything runs smoothly.  Big kudos too to Annie Boyer, who is a great friend made through this outing, and she has moved on too, but she still believes in Habitat!

I always love supporting people that are worth supporting and they are one of them. They do so much good for our area, and many areas.  Good people, good cause.

I would like to invite you to play in this years outing.  Click here for all the information. It's July 27, tee time is 9AM, it's a Monday so it's a great three day weekend!  This outing is really fun, laid back and all for a GREAT cause.  I would love to see you there.  Get all the info you need  Click Here! 

During this very different time we are all living through, we are all looking for a bit of normal. All of us. And I am glad that we have each other.

The news is what the news is, and it's out there to find, but there are times it's really nice to find an oasis where smiles and laughter is still king.  Where friends can talk about everyday life, such as it is and still find the humor, the fun and yes, even the heartfelt moments we are all going through.  People still have birthdays, and anniversaries and good things still happen. And as the world rises up again, more good times are on the way.

We love being with you every single morning on WQMX.  Sarah and I love hearing from you and being a part of your life. It means so much for me and Sarah to be here every morning, for you, when you need us.  Over the years I have been on morning shows after Reagan's Assassination attempt, Challenger, the first Gulf War, 911, the economic disaster, the power outage, the second Gulf War starting, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Andrew, countless blizzards, deep freezes, earthquakes, and tornadoes, and now Covid-19. I love this job and this business, the tougher times seem to be the ones that are most memorable.

Being here and doing the show with you is therapeutic to us as it may be to you.  Thank you for being here with us every morning, and giving us a sense of normal too.  Raising money for local charity, supporting local businesses and being here for you in tougher times, is one of the best parts of the job.

Glad you choose us every morning!  See you this morning, and every morning after that. We appreciate you!

Rascal Flatts made an appearance on the TODAY Show this morning as part of the shows (virtual) summer concert series. They not only sang a new single, but announced a new seven song EP! How They Remember You will be available on July 31!

One more quick note for Father's Day, with a story where dad ends up being right. But no one would know it for almost a half of century. That's about right for dad.  It's a quick family story that I learned only after the fact.

My mom and dad (Bob and Barb) were married in 1952 in Marietta, Ohio.  My mom designed a small house that they built, and the cost was $10,000.  They had to have a $1,000 down payment, so they saved and got it.  After the house was built, the were buying appliances.  My dad (who was by no means a big spender) wanted this General Electric refrigerator with freezer on top and the huge GE logo on the freezer door.  It was top of the line, $600!  My mom was like, "What?"  The down payment was $1,000 on the entire house.  Somehow, they bought it. (1952)  My dad then passed away in 1978.

This Is Not The ACTUAL One, But It Is The SAME One!

About 1999 or so, I was living in Florida, and I came home to visit my mom for Christmas.  I noticed that there was a brand new fridge in the kitchen in her house in Berea.  They moved there in 1959 -  with that fridge, and this was still before I was born.  Not knowing anything about the original fridge story, I asked my mom what happened to that old fridge?  She said, "Oh nothing, it wasn't making ice as fast as it used to, so I donated it to the theater department at Baldwin-Wallace College for keeping drinks cold"  So I asked her when she got that fridge, she said 1952 for $600.  "Your father just HAD to have it."  She laughed. 

So I asked, "So you had that fridge for 47 years???"  She nodded.  I asked, "What??  So how many times did you have it serviced?"   And she said, "Ummm, Oh, I never had it serviced."  I was like, are you kidding me? 47 years from an appliance that runs 24 hours a day, every day?  She smiled and laughed and said, "Yes, I guess your father was right..." Should be pointed out, it was still working when she donated it. Nice job dad!

I guess sometimes dad really does get it right.  I think they got their $600 out of it.   (BTW, these are now worth about $4,800 restored)

Movie Release to Theaters Update!  (New)

Unhinged – July 10 / Tenet - July 31

Wonder Woman 1984 – October 2

Mulan - July 24  

James Bond -  No Time to Die - November 20

Godzilla VS. Kong  - From November 20 to May 21, 2021

More News!

The Oscars – Delayed till April  

The Emmys - The show is set to take place on September 20 and air on ABC. 

Drive Ins – Locally they are open! And Booming! (Drive-Ins)

Tom Hanks – His war drama Greyhound will make its global debut on July 10, exclusively on the seven-month-old platform Apple TV+.

Indiana Jones! - A new survey found that he is one of our favorite movie heroes!  (Story)

30 Rock – There will be a reunion. One hour special July 16  (Story)

After writing a couple of Memory Lane pieces the past few weeks, I've gotten a few messages about other possible flashbacks.  Junior from Wooster asked me this week if I knew who Edward Garvin Futch was. And I said sure, that was long-time hit maker Eddy Raven, and who was also an incredible songwriter for many years.  From Louisiana, and his music told you that.

Eddy Raven's BIG run came in the entirety of the 80's, when he scored a TON of big songs.  He had six number ones himself, wrote a few more, and recorded a whole bunch of really great songs that didn't go number one. He was one of my favorites of the era, and I'm proud to say I played all of his songs at various stations across the USA. Today, you won't hear many of his songs on the air, but that's what YouTube is for, and the internet too.  His music is too good to drift off forever into oblivion.

He recorded on every major Nashville label, worked with the best people in business, and that's fact!  He wrote songs for other stars and found his own niche too.  His single list is way too long to mention here, but it's impressive.  Raven is great example of a guy in the 1980's who's sound may have been a bit ahead of the game at times.  But there is one thing that is absolute about his music. It's timeless.  When you listen to it today here, it sounds as good as it did then. It's not dated, or wearing badly. I always feel that is the mark of a real talent. When music is created that will sound good today, tomorrow and the day after that.

Ravens Number Ones  -  I Got Mexico  /  Shine, Shine, Shine  / I'm Gonna Get You  / Joe Know How To Live /    / Bayou Boys

In A Letter To You  - My Favorite Raven Number One!

The funny thing about Raven too is, I felt his very best songs were NOT the number ones! She's Gonna Win Your Heart,I Could Use Another You, A Little Bit Crazy, to name a few.

I Wanna Hear It From You - What a GREAT song!

He also wrote a classic we all hear every year, Thank God For Kids. A song the Oak Ridge Boys made a hit, and has become one of Country's favorite Christmas Songs ever. That song has been recorded tons of times. He wrote it for his son.  Back then, there was a definite divide between Nashville artists and songwriters.  Not a lot of singers wrote their own songs, but Raven did.  Today, almost all do for the most part.  But in fact, his songwriting then was as good as his performing. He was one of the few that did it very well.  When you write songs you know and have lived, they are better, and Raven did.

Who Do You Know In California - Great, honest song  - too honest for some!

Country was different back then. We didn't have the huge platforms we do today, and the popularity of the music and lifestyle wasn't as big.  But as much as there was a lot of vanilla music back then, (I played those too) there were guys that knew what they were doing, and Eddy Raven was one of them.  His music was strong, well arranged, and said something. 

Glad to remember Edward Garvin Futch  today.  He may one of the most underrated country acts ever.   Glad to remember - Thanks Junior!

Well baseball seems to be its own worst enemy again.  As big of a fan as I am, what we are seeing now is nothing short of a disgrace.  I don't usually write tough articles, but here it's apt. And to sugarcoat this, would be indefensible.

C-19 has changed much in all of our lives for the moment, and of course safety is very important, but with that said this is dealing with the issues outside of the virus. With tens of millions out of work, and the USA needing the good news to continue in our recovery, MLB is in a very enviable position. To take the sport-light and the spotlight and provide the lighthouse to guide us through these foggy times. To do some real good. Instead, they are back to baseball as usual, millionaires and billionaires arguing about money, and how neither side has enough. Oh, yeah, and only over a half of a season. There is no defense for any of this.

I know, the NHL and the NBA have about worked out their deals and they look to be returning, but they are not baseball.  Baseball has the feel of new, of beginning, of spring, of hope.  It starts as the weather is waking up from the freeze. The NBA, and NHL begin as the days become short, and cold. Baseball has therapeutic qualities that they do not. I understand too the NFL is the big dog in town, and baseball is no longer the #1 sport in America, but even football does not bring the hope that baseball does. 

MLB is in a position right this minute to create something very good for the masses, even more than usual. But it's letting it get away.  But, again baseball isn't rich enough, and neither are the players it seems, and that's too bad for all of us fans.  I am a 20 game season ticket holder for the Tribe and I love going to the games, but not this year because of C-19, and that was tough enough to swallow. Now this,.... this debacle.

It's interesting how most of us love going to a ball game and plopping down a ton of money to simply enjoy it.  It's just too bad the players don't love going to the exact same game they are getting about $100,000 that day to simply play it.

Shameful, sad and self destructive. 

Fathers Day is Sunday and I hope you're ready for dad this week.  Lots of Fathers Day talk this time of the year. How much we spend on dad compared to mom on Mothers Day.  What dad wants for his day.  You know the drill.

Fathers Day has really changed over the years I feel.  The running joke has always been, dad doesn't want anything. "I have everything I need, don't spend your money..."  You know the lines.  And being honest, all dads used to say that.  My dad did, and he meant it.  Older dads, who are now granddads, or older, still feel that way.  They grew up in the depression, or WWII, The Korean War, or Vietnam. They arrived in adulthood earlier, and fatherhood later, and simply could not understand the fuss over themselves.  Or at least wouldn't admit it.  And we bought into it.

But those dads are now 75 plus and dad is far different now.  Oh yeah, he'll still embarrass you to no end with his ..well...many things, but he came from a different time.  A time where I feel dad DOES want something now for Fathers Day.  He DOES want to be remembered and thought of as special. He just grew up in a different era where things were very different in the world, and in our daily lives. 

My Dad -Way Back -  I Think This is the Roadway Trucking Copley Road Terminal Site - Before Built.

Dad is still portrayed as a nincompoop on TV shows, and commercials and that's fine. Dad doesn't mind when the joke is on him, and he'll take it for the team.  But in reality, dad is NOT a nincompoop.  He's a good guy and important.  Whether you are a dad, or a step of sorts, you are valued probably more than TV would lead you to believe, and that is a relief to us all.

I am not a biological dad, but I am the son of one that passed on way too soon when I was very young. And I remember just enough to know that it was good to have him in my world.  I don't wish for much, and being honest I don't sit around wishing he was around for Fathers Day, that would be a waste of time, and he would think so too.  Things work out the way they do for a reason.  Two of the best things that ever happened to me were my dad living  - and my dad dying.  I had to take early the important things he tought me, and grow up to use them.  It wasn't always easy, but in the long run, it was what I knew and the way it was.  You may not completely get what I just said, and I'm glad for that.  It's better to have your dad.

But I do wish for this. That you can see your dad on his day and that you are happy to do it.  And that you'll see him next year on his day, and so on and so forth.  He may still not ask for much this year, and that's OK, you'll know better. 

Go DAD!