We celebrate National Mac And Cheese Day this week, the number of ways to enjoy it are only rivaled by the number of people that love it. 

When I first moved into my first apartment all those years ago, I lived on Kraft M/C.  I think it was 19 cents a box then. I would make it about 12 different ways to stretch my budget then.  There are tons of choices now in the M/C battle, but being honest, I like it when we make it now at the house the best!  This is no dis to the box boys, but home made is the best.

There are now thousands of makers of M/C, but I found this way of making it that you may want to try this weekend especially as it takes a little time:  This was AMAZING!

Smoky Jalapeno Popper Mac And Cheese

Or maybe since today is Amazon Prime Day, order one of these:

Stouffer's Mac And Cheese Dispenser

Any way you decide to go, Mac And Cheese is always a favorite.

Enjoy!

This is a big week.  I am giving you fair warning on a HUGE holiday next week, so you don't forget.  Pay Day for many this Wednesday, and Amazon Prime Days are this week too.  But as great as all that is, in one week - National Hot Dog Day!  Part of National Hot Dog Month!  We should all have the day off.

Hold the mail, shut down city hall, and back up garbage pick-uo a day, its National Hot Dog Day.  Quite possibly the most perfect food in the world.  I know, there are tons of people who don't like, or eat them, and that's fine.  I respect your feelings and decision, and that means more for us!  Some are troubled by what they are made out of, and that's fine too.  I try not to overthink ANY food, I just order it, and go to work on it.

Hot Dogs are amazing. A perfect tube of sculpted meat, in a crafted carbohydrate sleeve, with condiments on top.  A good All-Beef dog is something to behold. It's delicious, easy to eat, compact, and ready in minutes. Toss in a good bun, and you are really eatin'.  Dogs are a terrific stadium food too, whether you are a Progressive Field, or watching the kids play in the backyard.  They even have Dollar Dog Nights all summer long under normal circumstances.  Notice, they don't have Dollar Broccoli Night, or Dollar Hummus Night, because dogs are incredible, and B and H are OK when you're dieting. 

Hot Dogs are such an institution, we even have the National Hot Dog And Sausage Council! Who knew? These are amazing people, who make far better decisions than most high courts.  They say a hot dog IS NOT a sandwich.  It's in a category by itself!  Correct!  A hot dog can be cooked many ways too. Grilling, hibachi, boiled, steamed, broiled, microwaved.  The versatility of it all!

In July alone, we will eat 1 BILLION Hot Dogs in America!  And 150 MILLION on July 4th alone. They don't have the Worlds Biggest Asparagus Eating Contest, (Although if they did, I'm taking Joey Chesnut). They have the Hot Dog Eating Contest.  Because they are delicious. I'm not so sure 75 at a time is the way to go, but that's another matter entirely.

So buy some Hot Dogs and let's fire up every appliance we own and eat a bunch of 'em.  Because like the NHDSC says, they are in a league all their own!

"Being Brave....is only for the brave."

I was recently looking at my Facebook feed and ran across a status from a couple of people stating they were celebrating an anniversary of what I gathered was a sobriety of some kind.  It was relatively recent for them, and it was very eloquent.  What a brave thing to do.

I know, we see those kind of posts a lot, and all of them take courage to write. This one made me think of the others in times past I have read, and I had a new respect for the courage it takes to state such a thing in such a forum.  I kind of felt bad for not being as moved from other posts I have seen.  So I learned something, and that's always a good thing.  I learned that being brave, and I mean really being brave, is only for the brave. 

Digging deep and finding incredible courage to do something, be something, or face something is a quality not simply born into us.  It also takes time, maturity, and most times facing a formidable foe of some kind.  Either an addiction, or bad divorce, a sudden death, or a life altering experience.  To admit, we are many times  - the common denominator and are our own worst enemy. That's when we find how tight the fabric we are woven out of  - actually is. Then most of us find the moxie to harness something we had no idea was within us, and stare down the demon, and leave it well behind us. 

My mom used to say, "Never is a long time."  She is right.  I hear people say things like, "I could NEVER do that"  or "Never in a million years."   I say you can, and most of us do at one time or another.  We accomplish, or do something that seems so counter-us, but when given no choice, we choose to be brave. We choose to act, or be extraordinary when being ordinary just won't do.  And to those who write of great life victories publicly that changed their lives, thank you and well done.

Truth is, we are all brave, but many just don't know it yet. 

I answered an e-mail last week from Carmen from The Falls, who asked me about Pam Tillis.  And if I could do a Memory Lane piece on her, as she as her favorite growing up.  Of course, she was one of mine too.  Good choice, Carmen.  I am very proud to say I played all of her songs on great stations all over the country.

In the 1990's, there were so many great acts on the charts it can be tough to remember all who had big success.  As good as all the acts were, I'll always remember the dominance of many women in that decade.  Pam Tillis was one of them, in fact, she helped lead the charge.  She is the daughter of Mel Tillis, a country star in his own right from the the 60's and 70's from Plant City, Florida.  Pam was involved in a horrible car accident at 16 and had to have major reconstruction surgeries.  But she recovered fully, and had a great career.

She signed her first record deal in the early 1980's, but it would be years later when success would finally show up. She would go on to have only one #1 song, (which I find almost incredible as her hit list is long) as she recorded some terrific songs.  But #1's are tough to get, and she was always in that general area. 

The great gift that Pam Tillis gave us was an incredible voice that was filled with deep rooted passion and confident power. Her versatility was unmatched. In short, I loved hearing her sing a country song, and I still do.  As far as singing ability was concerned, she was the most passionate singer in our format - period!  She would sound good singing the dictionary.

Mi Vida Loca - Her Only #1 Song -

Her hits included her first big song, Don't Tell Me What To Do #5 in 1991.  The album was Put Yourself In My Place, and was backed by some of Nashville's biggest names at the time, it was a big hit.  The second single is a song that still haunts me, One Of Those Things #6 and Maybe It Was Memphis, #5.  She was on her way for a great run that would take her through the majority of the 90's.  Other big songs along the way were, Mi Vida Loca #1, Let That Pony Run #5, Shake The Sugar Tree #4, (should have been #1).  Cleopatra, Queen Of Denial, and my favorite, When You Walk In The Room, a remake that was a top 2 hit as well.  And there were many others.

When You Walk In The Room #2 -  1994 

Tillis had a terrific quality that is tough to come by for any singer of any era, in any format.  When you heard her sing, you absolutely knew it was her.  Her voice cut through magnificently, and was unique enough to be incredibly identifiable when she was on the radio.  Her voice never got lost within a song. A fantastic range that was enviable, and the ability to sing fun, and insanely sad songs just as well - that was her calling card.  Her ballads were so powerful, you could feel the tears in her eyes -  and yours. I emceed a few of her shows, and her voice was not lost on stage, she was/is the real deal.

One Of Those Things -  POWERFUL Song, 1991 Haunts Me Still All These Years Later

She had great success in an era that was super competitive, and she was part of what made that decade great. I liked her singing, her style, and her song choices, as she was a great songwriter as well.  She was a grownup and made grownup song choices that served her very well.  Whenever I heard her sing a song, from that moment on  - it was a "Pam Tillis" song, as she made every stanza her own.  She had a great run, and was, and is, a remarkable talent.

She didn't just sing songs, she sang really good songs that fit her perfectly.  She, in my view is the template for what a new artist can be. Sing songs that are really good, fitting, that suit you, and ones that everyone will love to hear.

If you are not old enough to really remember, she is absolutely worth a Google and YouTube search.  You'll find she still performs and is still around. 

Her Website

Trying to categorize Charlie Daniels and his amazing band is very difficult.  But it is safe to say, that no matter what kind of music you have listened to your entire life, you know him, and liked many of his songs.  Today at 83, Charlie Daniels passed away.  He was his own guy, for sure.

Here is a guy that did it his way  - always.  He helped lead the Southern Rock/Country movement for many years, and inspired tons more for decades to come.  He along with Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker Band, and others pioneered a new kind of sound, that virtually everyone liked.  Universal appeal is a tough thing have.  But in his real heyday, like Hank, Willie and others, people who "didn't like country" liked Charlie Daniels.  What they didn't know, he was about as "country" as it got, it was just dressed in a better costume at the time.  That always made me laugh.  This was not "lovey-dovey" country, this was "muddy boots in the house stuff," and people loved it.

 Huge Song!

You know his big songs, everyone does.  Songs get no bigger than, The Devil Went Down To Georgia.  Still played some 42 years later as much as any song of the era, and was played on about every radio station in the world.  He had a ton of hits, near hits, and cult classics for many years. Long Haired Country Boy, is a huge classic, Uneasy Rider as well. He went full-on Country for a time, and charted hugely popular songs like, Simple Man, and In America, and there were tons of others.  His fan base loved him, till the end.

 Big Song Years Ago

He is a member of about every Hall Of Fame there is, and was an Opry Member.  He wrote for everyone, he recorded with everyone, Grammy winner, and had the respect of about every person that was in the music industry for his talent, and his longevity.  He was also a sensational fiddle player. I was typical of many fans.  He was not at the top of my list, BUT he was always there, and like you, I liked a bunch of his songs.  Yes, he could be controversial at times, but that's a conversation for another time. 

Charlie Daniels was a big deal, and his shadow covered all genres of music, country included, and that's a tough thing to do.  Chances are, if you like music, there's a few CDB songs you like.  Giants don't leave us too often, but when they do, there is a void, True, Charlie Daniels was not the charted radio act he once was at the end, but he still played, and fans still loved him.

Not bad for an 83 year old.  Well done, rest well.

Well, I don't have a "Song Of The Week" feature, but when I hear ones like this I wish I did. Ashley McBryde has a new song out that is resonating with many, One Night Standards.  Being honest, I would love to see more songs like this.  Everything about this song is just flat out good.

This has nothing to do with being "country enough."  Although it is.  What this song is more than anything, is honest enough. This puts everyone in the exact same boat, and on equal footing when it comes to those looking for love, or lust, companionship, or battling loneliness. Its balance is a real strength here. This is a wonderfully written song, that could be sung by anyone with a tweak or two. 

It's a one night stand conversation taking place basically saying, "I'm just here for this moment, let's just do this, and move on."  Harsh for some I get it, but honest in its feel.  One thing I always hear in this song, is the longing for things to be different individually, but right now they just aren't.  Yes, this is a throw back to a more "country" approach and I'm good with that.  But throwing back to a more than honest approach is the jet fuel that gives it wings and let's it fly.  This song is very real, and we need more of that I feel. I felt that was the power behind Ingrid Andress' big song, More Hearts Than Mine, it was very real.

One Night Standards thankfully lacks the anger, bitterness, and flat out viciousness that I feel has become too prevalent in many songs today.  I'm not so sure recording hateful anthems by the dozens is the way to go for long term success and mass appeal.  Sometimes they can get you noticed, and that's fine  - mission accomplished, but they can pigeonhole you too.  Maybe recording strong songs that fit the artist is a good avenue to travel, regardless of the subject matter. When the right artist gets the right song, it's perfect. It seldom doesn't work, as versatility is a great quality to have. 

McBryde has been around a while now, and has a nice following of very loyal fans and that's great to see.  She has a style and presence that is approachable, and relatable. I like a whole lot about her.  She did a charity show for us a while back and WQMX fans loved her!  I hope this song kicks down a door to two for her. I would love to see her really take off.

It's good to see an honest song striking a chord with so many.

Well Done! - Big Fan!

Next Major Release – To Theaters is Unhinged with Russell Crowe, moved again July 31!

Blake Shelton / Gwen  / And Trace Adkins  - Doing a huge Drive-In Show at local Drive-Ins July 27 Tickets on sale Tuesday!  (Details)

Mulan – Has been delayed again, this time in theaters August 21  (Preview)

2019 – Toy Story 4 was #1 at the movies  (Remember Forky?)

Five Years Ago - Jurassic World was number one.

Ten Years Ago - The Twilight Saga: Eclipse was on top.

Twenty Years Ago - The Perfect Storm was number one.

AMC – Theaters, now will open on July 30^th. About 600 in the USA   (Story) 

Margot Robbie - Will star in a new series of Pirates Of The Caribbean movies with a female lead and cast   (Story)

There is a New - Bio-Pic about Aretha Franklyn, with Jennifer Hudson  (Preview)

Hamilton  - Debuted on Disney Plus  last weekend to rave reviews! You can still stream it (Preview)

Jude Law - May play Captain Hook in Disney’s live-action Peter Pan film Peter Pan & Wendy.  (Story)

Broadway - Extends shutdown to 2021.  (Story)

With all the changes to our lives recently, we are all looking for things to do outside of the home. Drive-In Movies have done very well, and that's good to see.  Bowling too, has seen a nice uptick.  Funny, some classic ways to have fun, making a comeback of sorts.

Drive-Ins at one time had 4,000 places to go, Now about 350 remain. There are about 3,500 bowling places in the country, as it is one of the most played sports in America with 67 million people bowling every year.  And Charger Lanes in Norton is one of them.  Jim and his crew there made us feel so welcome there as we had, and they hosted, the first WQMX Bowling outing in February as we raised money for NEOPAT.  It was a great time for hundreds of reasons, and one of them is, it's the last big thing we did before all this C-19 stuff.

Me And The NEOPAT Team In February

That was a great day. And now, as you can see from their new sign above, you can bowl again at Charger Lanes and have a fantastic time.  I admit, it's fun to see simple fun making a big comeback.  We are rediscovering some fun and cool things to do as families, that are bringing great joy to us, when we need them. My hope would be that when things go back to "normal" that we bring these fun activities with us, and reincorporate them into our "normal" lives. 

Every time I go to Charger lanes, I love the energy there. The sounds, the music, the cheers, the knowing that there are people of all ages there having fun together.  Makes for a terrific day!  Bowling makes us happy, and in many cases takes us back to a different and easier time. You can feel this by heading to Charger Lanes and lacing up the shoes!

Me, Ken, Sarah And Jim From Charger Lanes, The Main Man!

Bowling to me is a real fun time and being honest, it's something I should do more often.  Growing up here, I always equated bowling with winter as it was something to do when it's cold. But no more.  Now, it's just a great thing to do, because...... it's a great thing to do.  I can't wait to get back there and shake Jim's hand and get back to having fun no matter what the weather is. I always like the food too, some onion rings, pizza, and some long necks make it a fun time too.  You kinda have to do that!

So load up and get out to Charger Lanes in the great city or Norton!  And tell Jim that I sent you there.  Great, family fun and maybe a whole new hobby for you.

Please support local biz!  Go To Charger Lanes!!

Check out their website and follow them on Facebook!

This Fourth Of July Weekend was very different than years past.  Hopefully you found some way to celebrate that felt as normal as possible.  Windy and I found some fireworks in Canfield, drove over and had a blast.

This years celebration was tamped down and it did feel different. One change was this. Challenger The Eagle retired in late 2019, and this year was the first in a quarter century he didn't fly and amaze us at a July Fourth event. Challenger, if you don't know, has an incredible story. And he may be the most this important animal ever in this country.

Challenger was an eaglet that had to be raised by humans, after his nest was destroyed by a storm 30 years ago. Twice they tried to release him into the wild, and the second time almost killed him.  He was too imprinted by humans.  So, he was renamed Challenger (after the Space Shuttle) and trained to free fly at stadiums and other huge festivities to thrill and inspire us, and then gently land on this handlers arm as the National Anthem would finish.  He is amazing.

 Challenger With a Camera On His Back!

He has raised such awareness and inspired so many, and he has been given the credit for bald eagles to be taken off the endangered species list. Our countries national symbol rejuvenated by a single eagle.  He is awesome, and he has lead a life of wonder.  He retired this year from flying activities and now just makes appearances on his handlers arm. His list of events where he has flown and inspired us is nothing short of insane. World Series, Superbowl's, National Championship games of football and basketball, bowl games, dedications of all sorts in hundreds of cities, monuments, virtually every kind of big event one can think of.

Now, at 30, Challenger has retired, and lives at Dollywood with other birds of prey. He has led a great life, an important life, has done his civic duty, and trilled us all.  Funny, he and Smokey Bear (there was a real one, yes- a cub rescued in New Mexico in 1950 as the only living thing that remained after a forest fire - died 1990)  Each have made us so much more aware of very important issues, we owe them a debt of gratitude. I for one will miss the rare chance to see Challenger fly, but I thank him for single-handledly saving the bald eagle.

And letting us feel the thrill -  of an eagle fly.

Where The Stars And Stripes And Eagle Fly

Sara (no H) messaged me a few days ago and asked about the 1990's group, Blackhawk, what I thought about them, and what I remembered most.  I played all of their songs of course during their run and when I think back on them, one thing sticks out to me  -  outside of the music.

They recorded some really good songs, and had success for a few years as a chart regular.  But they never had the huge success that others did. But one thing about Blackhawk that is absolute. The fans that discovered them, and liked them, were HUGE fans and remain so.  For what I would call a solid mid-level act in their prime, they had a fierce following.  The three-member band broke through in 1993, and came out of the gate hot with their debut single, Goodbye Says It All.  It stalled at #11 on the country chart, but it may be the biggest #11 hit ever. People LOVE that song, and how it wasn't a #1 is still a mystery to me.  It's beloved.

Goodbye Says It All -  Maybe the biggest non top ten hit in Country Music History.  Play it, and watch people at the club.

Their debut album, Blackhawk had 5 singles off of it, all moderate hits, BUT is went multi-platinum, and that is not small feat in any era.  Two million sold and not a major hit record on it. That in itself is unheard of, but a testament to the loyalty of their fans, and also sometimes the total inaccuracy of the charts.  The next few albums had again, moderate success commercially and on the charts.  They never had a #1 song, but were always right there. Most of their hits solid.  Big Guitar #8 / I'm Not Strong Enough To Say No  #2 / Like There Ain't No Yesterday #3 / There You Have It #4. And there were others!

Almost A Memory Now - A real GREAT Blackhawk treasure song.  Top 10, but should have been a #1

They even survived a death of one of the founding members, Van Stephenson  (formerly of Restless Heart) he died of cancer in 2001. There have been a few members come and go over the years, and they are still making music today, although not a charted act.  Their run on the charts was short but sweet.  They were slick, and new, and had a sound that was absolutely unique.  They possessed a trait that is extremely difficult to acheive, that you KNEW it was them on the radio.  Strong harmonies, and a great image for young fans in that era when we were getting younger all the time.

In another decade they may have been a bigger player. But the 1990's were simply packed with gigantic superstars and the new traditionalists were dominating, Think about it, Garth, Strait, Jackson, Black, Cyrus, McGraw, Chestnut, Lawrence, Diffie, Stone, Chesney, Toby, along with a huge group of highly successful women controlling the charts, like Twain, Clark, Tillis, Messina, Morgan, Loveless, and McEntire,  It was a great time in country, but tough too. The competition was brutal, but Blackhawk held their own. The found a fan base and kept them, and keep them still.

 Next week we will take a look back at Pam Tillis