Today's the end of the NFL season and in a few hours, we'll know who the champion is for 2023. And in about a week, we will hardly remember who that is and most of us won't care.  It's the new way we are about most everything now, the world is a new place over the past number of years and even the mighty NFL can't escape it.

Years ago today was all about football. The men, the game, the game plan, the offense, defense...blah blah..  Man, who cares?  Today has become about - today.  The pageantry, the music, the halftime show, the anthem, the TV, the betting, commercials, the party's and the food!  And this year who's dating Taylor Swift, whose very presence today at the game will more than likely ensure the largest TV audience ever to watch this TV show.  And that's what it is, a TV show.  It's not a game anymore.

Quick, who won the World Series last year?  NBA?  Last year's NFL champ?  Stanley Cup?  Indy 500, Daytona 500? Kentucky Derby?  I thought so, all that stuff is not near as important as it once was to fans or just people.  If the Browns were there today, we would feel differently. But they're not, so we really don't care. And that's the way it works now in sports.  Your team in?  You're in.  Your team out?  You're way out.  And the NFL can't run from it anymore.  If you live in Kansas City or San Francisco you're vested. If not, have you seen the new Doritos commercial? 

When the NFL lost the Lions from the playoffs, they lost the only real interesting football story they had left, as they would have garnered a lot of interest, as would the Browns if they could ever get there.  Do you care if Pat Mahomes wins another title?  Yawn.... Brock Purdy is a nice story as the last guy picked in the draft, but not nice enough. Most fans will tune in today to eat a pile of food, see friends they haven't seen in a while, catch Reba and Usher, and pound a few beers.  Others will run into the room to get a glimpse of Taylor going crazy over a great play her guy makes.

And tomorrow unless the officials totally screw up this game, the only thing we will really be talking about will be the commercials and what Jason Kelce was wearing after his brother scored a TD.  This is the new reality of this day.  People eating, using their phones, and waiting for two things. The halftime show with Usher then Gronk trying to kick a field goal again.  And second, more people checking to see it their wagers and betting parlays are paying off from the office pool or their betting site.

This is 2024. Stadiums everywhere are taking seats out so people can mill and walk around or simply stand at sporting events.  Stadium food and drink is pretty boujee and today it has become far more important to say you were there  - than acutally watching the game.  And that has transcended to your house too.  Our big football parties are simply social events now, and no one by and large really cares who wins today.  The TV's  are just kinda on and hey, everyone hold it down, the commercials are on.

I love football, but I don't care one bit who wins today.  Because when we're out, or when the "story"  is out, I'm out too. I'll just be downing ribs and wings.

Next year Browns / Lions?   Now that's a story.  But I don't think Taylor would fly in for that one.

Stuck On You  - Lionel Richie - 1984  - (Album  -  Can't Slow Down)

  It's Valentines Day and this is perfect. This has a story and had pretty good success. This was the fourth song off this album and the record jacket they sent us with this song had Richie wearing a big cowboy hat and looking very country.  At the time, Richie was among the biggest pop stars on earth and wasn't known to be country at all.  But this had nice country guitar licks and a very sweet message that was totally country friendly.  The record company was working us to play it and the station where I was doing mornings, WRMZ in Columbus was very contemporary country and we jumped on board.  Pop country was still in vogue and some stations were playing it, and others were not.  In the end, it's just a nice song that makes you feel good.  Was it country?  Well, it was as country as a lot of other songs were playing then, and I'm glad we did. I lobbied for it.  We also played this at my next job, doing morning's in Richmond, Virginia as the same program director, Rob Ryan was my boss there as well as Columbus.  This song peaked at #24 on the country charts and went #1 A/C. But the one thing this song did very well, was set up Richie to get a big top 10 country hit a year or two later.  (I'll share that song later this month)   And also a very successful Country album many years later as I will profile Richie NEXT WEEK here.

For More On Black History Month click here for more information from our sister station (WAKR)

Last Weeks Selection

It's the week of the big game and you are getting the menu ready for later this week.  I'm making ribs and wings as Windy will be traveling getting home Sunday afternoon.  So I am making these two things and of course there will be more.

If you're afraid of making ribs, OR wings the oven is a great place to do it, and it's easier than you think.  Let's get to work!

OVEN RIBS - AMAZING - I MAKE THEM ALL THE TIME

OVEN WINGS - DELISH

In case you missed any of my articles this week from WQMX.com - let's get you caught up!  Thanks for reading and thanks for listening everyday!

My Monthly 50 Most Important Songs Recap

Eat Of The Week

50 Most Important Songs 1980-Today - #45

Forgotten Jukebox - RC -85

My Mega Star Series - Charley Pride

Wynn At The Movies And More

You may not know much about Ray Charles as he was from a different era.  But his career spanned many musical era's and generations. Charles transcended all musical styles and he's hard to categorize. But his contribution to country music is absolutely undeniable.  His biggest gift was he brought country music mainstream and introduced it to millions of new fans.  In fact his contribution to all music is incredible, and is as big as anyone's - ever.  Ray Charles reached the top of every mountain he ever climbed, and he is the sheer definition of a Mega Star.

Iconic Version Of An Incredible Song 

Charles had a couple of stints in country music, the first one in the early 1960's with his album Genius Hits The Road.  Sounds dated right?  But the #1 song, Georgia On My Mind doesn't.  You've heard him sing that song in movies, TV commercials and TV specials your whole life, but you may not have known who it was.  His version is simply incredible. He also struck it big with the albums Modern Sounds Of Country And Western Music (Vol 1 & 2)  in the same era.  I Can't Stop Loving You  is a staple in our society, and was a big country hit.  Charles loved country music for its stories as he was a stellar story teller.

This Country Hit Is Honored Everywhere

He took about a 20 year break from country music before returning with the 3/4 Time and the Friendship albums and had more success.  Seven Spanish Angels with Willie Nelson went #1, and his music was loved by fans and all the academies. Charles' styles can't really be pinpointed to one format.  He was country, folk, gospel, blues, rock, jazz, and is one of greatest vocalists that we have ever had in entertainment.   The Friendship  album was a huge success going #1 on the charts, and finished the year as the #5 Country album of the year 1985 -  it's wonderful.

A Big Number One With Willie Nelson

Charles who was blind since age 7 (glaucoma)  would go on to begin the integration of country music, and is a hero in that regard.  He paved the way for Charley Pride who came slightly later.  He also became one of the most recognizable singers of any era, and influenced everyone from Elvis to Billy Joel to hundreds of future country stars and others from every other style of music.  He is a 18 time Grammy Winner after being nominated for 37 (that 47% percentage of winning is amazing)  and was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame.  When he returned to country in 1983 there was great buzz about it, as the contemporaries lined up to record with him on the Friendship album.

 Friendship Album  - With Mickey Gilley  - Song Was Loved

Ray Charles is the kind of singer and entertainer who doesn't really exist anymore.  He was very popular with about everyone, had massive TV exposure and was a powerful presence on stage.  He did more than sing songs, he lived them, felt them, and became immersed in them.  Charles would go on to be as passionate of a singer as entertainment ever had.  He was a song's best friend and advocate.  Ray Charles is the kind of performer and singer you have to experience to understand the depth of what he was.  I'm going to include a live performance in this article to illustrate what he was to a song, and how he approached performing.

Grammy Nominated Country In 1984 From The 3/4 Time Album  - This Live Version Is Sensational

Born To Love Me  (above) lost to Lee Greenwood's I.O.U. song at the Grammy's that year.  Charles recorded great music and was heavily influential to us and all music.  He sold millions of albums worldwide and has fan bases everywhere.  We were lucky to have him for the time(s) we did.  He brought many new fans to our format and gave us remarkable credibility - both times.

With Hank Jr.  - Friendship Album  -  #14 Hit Song

Ray Charles died in 2004 from liver ailments.  In addition to the great music, he knocked down barriers that no one else dared to.  He took a large stand during the Civil rights Movement in the south. His professional and personal life was certainly adventurous.  Some legal troubles, substance abuse, a couple of marriages, and is a 12-time father.  He also did much work for charity donating some 20 million dollars to schools for the blind and deaf over many years.

Classic - Of Course - You've Heard This Somewhere!

He was an American treasure and what is certain, there will never, ever be another -  Ray Charles.

For More On Black History Month click here for more information from our sister station (WAKR)

Last Week - Mega Star - Charley Pride

Forgotten Jukebox - Last week - Seven Spanish Angels

Box Office Results #1 - Argyle  (18 Million)

#2 - The Chosen  (Faith Based)

#3 - The Beekeeper

New Next Week – Lisa Frankenstein  /  Turning Red (Pixar) 

 Budget - For Argyle was 200 Million!~ (Apple) - First ever finacial flop movie making.

HULU – Is Next - cracking down on password sharing in March  

Moana - Disney will release the animated sequel Thanksgiving.

A Quiet Place: Day One (3) - Trailer this week – In theaters June 28

New This Week - Prime is running commericals - And Extra $3 a month NOT to have them

Carl Weathers - Died - Played Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies he was 76

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane (link)

Also - 50 Most Important Country Songs 1980 – Today - #45 (Link)

In case you missed any of my articles this week from WQMX.com - let's get you caught up!  Thanks for reading and thanks for listening!

Sadly, The Don't Care

Eat Of The Week!

50 Most Important Country Songs 1980-Today - #46

Forgotten Jukebox SB-14

CMML - George Strait - Revisited

Wynn At The Movies And More

Legend is not too strong of a word to use here.  In fact, it may not be big enough.  Charley Pride simply was one of the most important people the entertainment industry has ever had. I proudly played his songs on many country stations around the country for many years.

This Song Made Pride A Household Name - 1971

Charley Pride wanted to be a baseball player.  And even though his run through various levels of professional ball was way before any of us can remember, by all accounts he was a good player pitching for a number of years.  But many times in all of our lives, one dream supplants another.  And when injury and father time ended baseball, he chose differently.  About as differently as you could back then.  He became a country singer.  He was actually singing before some of his minor league games for some extra cash.

1980's Pride - This Was A Big Song

I interviewed Charley Pride a few times over the years, you would never have known he had about 30 number one songs on the Country Chart.  He's in the same breath as Conway Twitty, Kenny Chesney, and Tim McGraw in overall charting success.  And in the 1970's, he was the second biggest seller for RCA Records behind only Elvis.  Between 1969 and the mid 1980's he charted 44 singles and all but about 7 went to the top 5.  He outsold everyone for a good while in the 1970's. And that means EVERYONE in country.  BY A LOT!   The size of his popularity was incredible.  Name a name and he was outselling them.

This Song Was Loved - Big Hit #1 - 1980's Masterpiece

He had many gifts.  First, you absolutely KNEW it was him singing (Best gift a singer can have).  He knew how to sing the song the way it was written, and he knew what fans wanted.  He knew where the notes were and found them with great ease and power, and he NEVER over sang a song.  And he knew he was going down a road not really traveled before, and he made everyone comfortable.  He was the right man, in the right place, at the right time for every reason there is. He and Ray Charles are among those credited with the integration of country music.

A Much Loved Love Song  - HUGE Hit

After his incredible run through the 70's, Pride gently reinvented himself for the 1980's and did it perfectly as his booming baritone voice got even better. His style and song choices modified slightly, as was country music.  Many not familiar with the 1970's Pride, more than likely remember the 1980's Pride. The music was different, but still great.  He was immensely versatile, and that usually shows up when you can truly sing. He's also one of those lucky singers who got better with time, the voice got stronger, much like Trace Adkins in a more modern era.

This Song Helped Reinvent Pride - Big Song

He sang the National Anthem at a Superbowl, The World Series, he won numerous ACM'S, CMA'S ,Grammy's, AMA'S, and is in the Country Music Hall Of Fame.  Pride sold over 70 million albums in his career.  And he's still in the top 10 all time in country #1 songs.  In addition to giving career changing advice to a young and unknown Ronnie Milsap after seeing him perform one night in a Nashville Bar.  He advised Ronnie to sing ONLY Country Music. He took it, and Milsap had about 30 #1 country songs himself.

His Last Number One Song

Charley Pride was honored by the CMA for Lifetime Achievement a month before he died, and it was overdue. But with that said, we should all be so lucky to stand on our own stage at 86 years old, sing our own song with a strong voice, and leave a multi-faceted legacy that's important and will be remembered for generations to come. 

Charley Frank Pride - Incredible talent, incredible career, incredible life.  He passed away at 86 years old.

For More On Black History Month click here for more information from our sister station (WAKR)

Ray Charles And Willie Nelson - Seven Spanish Angels  - 1985  (Album - Friendship)

In the mid 80's the incredible Ray Charles returned to country music after 20 years.  Pop country was in vogue and this song fit right in.  This was from his classic, Friendship album, a series of duets with that eras biggest country stars.  The entire album is a work of art, as is his country album 3/4 Time  in that same era.  Seven Spanish Angels  was a monster hit going number one, becoming the biggest country hit Charles ever had. Charles was a sensational vocalist, the kind that doesn't exist anymore.  He was a highly emotional singer of country, soul, gospel, blues and about 20 other styles rolled into one. He was a master entertainer and one of the most influential people in music for over 40 years.  He is credited with the integration of country music as well.  Two giants of music performing a powerful ballad, each at the top of their game.  Yes, this sounds a bit dated today, but you have to listen to this and understand exactly what you're hearing. Two absolute music icons together even if it's not what you're used to. Friendship is an album worth owning and this song is worth remembering.  There are some that feel this is the best duet ever in country music.  I don't know if that's true or not, but it's pretty darn good.  I will feature Ray in my Mega Star Series next week.

For More On Black History Month click here for more information from our sister station (WAKR)

Last Weeks Selection

There's no doubt these "older school" songs from an artist like this and many others don't get played anymore. But the amazing Charley Pride was a Mega Star we owe a lot to for about every reason there is making this song very important.  His incredible career lasted about 25 years on the charts scoring some 30 #1 country songs.  Much of Pride's amazing run was in the 70's, but in the early 80's he reinvented his sound and scored some very big hit songs.  This was a #1 and introduced Pride to a new wide fan base that found him and us through the Urban Cowboy craze.  It's an uptempo love song sung by the powerful, baritone voice of a legend.  Yes it has the old school backup singers and string section that doesn't exist anymore making it a more pop sounding country song as those influences were still firmly in control.  But Pride found new footing with millions of new fans, that made this a big hit as he was featured on many TV shows like the talk shows, Solid Gold and other big music shows of the time  Charley Pride is a very important star in our history as he broke down countless barriers, and delivered fantastic music for a couple of generations selling 70 million albums during his run.  His golden voice makes him a Mega Star, and this was a Mega Hit!   Charley will be featured in detail Thursday in my Mega Star Series.

For More On Black History Month click here for more information from our sister station (WAKR)

Last Week #46