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Home , Dan Fogelberg, George Strait, Record Plant

My Tunes Music That Shaped My Life Radio and music industry pros discuss five of their most meaningful songs, albums or concerts. Look for this recurring feature in the next Country Aircheck Weekly.

Steve Giuttari, PD, WCTK/ 3. /: My John Sebastian, Veteran Providence father was a band director and this song just hit Programmer home hard. A life lesson learned early – tell the 1. , Madison people in your life you love them every chance you 1. Nights in White Satin/Moody Square Garden, 1984: He get so there are no regrets when they pass. Even Blues: The most extraordinary did six shows if memory more poignant with Mr. Fogelberg’s recent pass- leap in musicality and lyric serves, and I saw four. I was ing. I have a wonderful relationship with my dad content I’ve witnessed. working at Z100 and cov- and I am indeed “the living legacy of the leader of ered three of the band.” 2. Kashmir/Led Zeppelin: them. “Piano One of the Man” really 4. Friends In most haunting pieces of shaped my Low Places/ music ever. life – lyrics : that stood I was still working 3. On a Bus to St. Cloud out and at “Alive & Kickin’ : Her told a Country K100” in greatest vocal perfor- story. northern Minnesota mance and she’s had a lot and will never of them. And the message 2. , Meadowlands, 1985: forget the first time of the song resonates in a Having grown up on the Jersey Shore, it was all I played it. I flipped out! I knew this was the song huge way. about The Boss. Driving down Highway Nine, that would come to define the attitude of my radio “” blasting on the radio. You could sit station and of a format. And, yes, I took it right 4. Please Come To Boston/Dave Loggins: It’s on the beach and hear Bruce coming out of every from the production studio to the control room and practically the story of my life/career. boom box from Belmar to Asbury Park. Seeing put it on the air. him in concert was a life-changing experience. The 5. Bruce Springsteen Live at The Roxy, L.A.: audience revered Bruce. 5. , West Palm Beach, 2002: This was when he first came out. He played for It was his first night as a headliner! When the about a hundred of us for more than four hours. He 3. Jacksons Victory Tour, Meadowlands, lights went down and Kenny came out on stage, played everything you can imagine and mesmer- 1984: I was working at Z100, which give away the energy level and the emotions – not just of the ized us. about 100 pairs of tickets to the concert. My job sold-out crowd but of the BNA promotion staff on the day of the show was to be in a hotel suite at – took me to my highest musical point ever. My A highly regarded song or album I’ve never heard: the Meadowlands Hilton as listeners came to get friend had just entered the big time, and a record None. their tickets. As a reward, my boss Scott Shannon executive felt an overwhelming sense of pride and An “important” piece of music I just don’t get: gave me a pair of second-row seats. I was two accomplishment. None. rows away from Michael Jackson doing the Moon Walk when it was still semi-hip. That show was A highly regarded song or album I’ve never Jimmy Harnen the event of the year. heard: I have never listened to Will The Circle Be SVP/Promotion, Capitol Unbroken in its entirety. I have heard a few tracks 4. George Strait Festival, , 1998: and they are quality works, but I guess the analogy 1. Imagine/: Such a spiritual song. Having started in Country radio in 1992, Id seen a would be “the preview didn’t intrigue me enough I actually had the opportunity to few shows, but nothing like this. The lineup was to see the movie.” play the piano Lennon cut the incredible. Dixie Chicks, Kenny Chesney, Tim track on at the in McGraw and George Strait, with more than 60,000 Bob Moody, Regent VP/Programming . I was almost afraid fans in the seats. When George came out it was to sit down and touch the keys. like a space shuttle took off. The crowd went nuts! 1. She Loves You/The To this day I’ve never witnessed a concert where Beatles: In 2:19 my life 2. Live At someone basically stood in the same spot for most changed forever. Budokan: Tenth-grade album of the show and drew that kind of ovation. of the year! I remember standing in line at Joe 2. Do The Freddie/Freddie Nardone’s Gallery of Sound to get tickets for 5. Garth Brooks, Houston, 1998: I’d just gotten & The Dreamers: As odd their Tour with my Cheap to KKBQ and my first concert was five nights as it may seem, this was the Trick/Cheap Trick/Cheap Trick shirt on. of Garth at the Summit. All five were sold out – song playing when I met my wife, 80,000 fans. And all five shows were incredible. Karen. Any woman who knew how to dance “The 3 (tie). I Walk the Line/: Ask any radio programmer and they’ll tell you Freddie” was woman enough for me. My mom and dad listened to a lot of great who does the best meet-and-greet. . Watching Johnny Cash on 3. She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye/ TV and seeing him turn around to the cam- Tom Baldrica Jerry Lee Lewis: It made me realize that some of era and say, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash,” then VP/Marketing the world’s best songwriters – Mickey Newbury, play this song...I sat there as a kid, jaw dropped Sony BMG in this case – were writing country songs. and eyes wide open. He was and still is a such a rock star! 1. KISS, Bloomington, 4. Amazing Grace/Lisa Brokop: When she MN, 1979: Music, sang this a 3. (tie) Behind Closed Doors/: showmanship, spectacle, capella on What a freaking great song. One of the best hooks exhilaration, the 1995 ever written. The intro piano figure still kills me. excitement, New Faces energy and Show – and 4. War: “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” the live friends – again in the video shot at Red Rocks with Bono planting the it was as if music library flag at the front of the stage. New Year’s Day! the whole at WPOC – it Early MTV! I would skip class in college to go world con- gave me to the Union Center because that was the only verged in the chills. It still does. place I could watch MTV in 1982-83. Metropolitan Sports Center that night. When the lights went 5. Runrig and Capercaillie: Two contemporary 5. Fool In The Rain/Led Zeppelin & down and the band came up out of the speaker Celtic bands that sing primarily in Scots Gaelic. Rosanna/Toto: Growing up playing the drums cabinets, the energy level in the building took me Even though I don’t understand most of the words, all I remember was trying to figure out how to to a place I’d never been – a place I their music takes me to my favorite place on Earth play these two shuffles. Bonzo and Porcaro – have searched for ever since. – the Highlands and islands of Scotland. Two of the very best to ever hit the skins.

2. Styx The Grand Illusion: The A highly regarded song or album I’ve never A highly regarded song or album I’ve first album I ever owned that heard: Fiddler On The Roof. Once I found out that never heard: Velvet Underground & Nico. Not felt like it was written just for it wasn’t about Mark O’Connor, I lost interest. sure why...but I am going to buy it tonight! me. “Come Sail Away” still sends a shiver up my spine. The lyrics An “important” piece of music I just don’t get: An “important” piece of music I just don’t have even more meaning now I wish I could like ’s music. get: I don’t think any music is overrated. It’s all than ever. People whose opinions I respect tell me he’s great, great to someone. CAC but I just don’t get it.

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