Issue 749 Remembering Connie Bradley Friends and Colleagues Remember Longtime ASCAP/Nashville SVP Connie Bradley (Chronicle 3/24)
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March 29, 2021, Issue 749 Remembering Connie Bradley Friends and colleagues remember longtime ASCAP/Nashville SVP Connie Bradley (Chronicle 3/24). Songwriter and Big Loud partner Craig Wiseman: Back in the early ‘90s when I was barely breaking through with a few album cuts and a dud single – if even that – I went to a No. 1 party at ASCAP. (I’m sure for the free food and beer.) As it wound down, Connie was talking with a few well-known writers when Paul Overstreet’s name came up. He was the hottest writer at the time, and it was mentioned he was from Mississippi. I pointed out I was, too, and Connie said, “That’s good, Craig, because Paul’s going to take all that money and go live on a houseboat one day, and we’re going to need another hit writer from Mississippi – and you’ll be him.” Famous heads turned and smiled Stop It Like It’s Hot: WOOZ/Marion, IL’s Andrew Erbes, Connie Bradley at me, and I cannot express how riveting Ashlea Grumley, Josh Gass, Samantha Beasley, Steve Falat, that instant was. She not only made me feel Tracy McSherry-McKown, Ryan Patrick, Dave McKenzie, included, but she also nonchalantly anointed me in some way. As Kent Zimmer, Eric Sparks and Brenda Bender (l-r) support if to say, “Of course you’re the next hit songwriter from Mississippi. #StJudeWontStop, raising more than $213,000. It’s right ahead.” I was 20-something with nothing but doubts and insecurities; she was beautiful, smart, graceful and most definitely one of the two most influential and powerful women in the music industry. Reflects The McCracken It made me feel like I was doing something right when I was mostly After reaching a 45-year radio convinced I was doing it all wrong. Like rain on the dust, man. Rain milestone earlier this month, on dust. And it went on and on from there. Connie was a friend, Cumulus WJCL/Savannah, GA PD/ champion, cheerleader, consultant and believer. There will never be afternoon personality Gerry another like her, but this business, town and world could use many, McCracken will hang up his many more. God bless you, ma’am. Thank you. Godspeed. headphones at the end of July (CAT FBMM’s Mary Ann McCready: No one I have ever known 3/16). “If I don’t call it quits now, my in the music business – besides Norro Wilson and Billy Sherrill OCD will keep me going until I reach – could keep me in tears from incessant laughter like Connie 50 years,” he quips. But before heading Bradley. Songwriter Mike Reid walked into her office at ASCAP for the door, McCracken shares some one afternoon, and she was so taken aback by his good looks she of his fondest memories and proudest stood up, her foot went into her trash can, she grabbed her desk moments with Country Aircheck. trying not to fall and swept her phone and a stack of papers along “I never considered being anything Gerry McCracken but a disc jockey,” McCracken says, with herself onto the floor. (continued on page 10) ©2021 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] March 29, 2021 Page 3 sharing his early belief that the music he heard on the radio was get the laugh – even being played by the artists at the local station. Still in high school, at his own expense. he landed his first gig at 5kW AM daytimer WBZY-AM/New Castle, “I was doing a PA, where he worked for Keith remote broadcast and Kris Abrams’ father, Terry. in a gazebo on a He learned the ropes working hot day when some weekends. “All of the bad stuff other jocks bought happened Saturday night, so a kid an ice cream it was my job to call the police cone and paid him stations on Sunday morning to sit at a table and get the news,” he explains. across from me,” McCracken (l) with the late “You’d hope for a decent sized he recalls. “The kid Rusty Walker. crime or the occasional fatality to stared at me for two write about!” Those interactions hours, never saying led to McCracken’s first bylines a word and never eating the ice cream. He just sat there and let on the AP wire – some of which, it melt down his hands onto the table. I couldn’t’ say anything, McCracken’s (l) first photo as an admitted packrat, he has because I thought the kid might have had issues. I found out the in radio at WBZY-AM/New held on to for decades. next day it was a joke.” Castle, PA with GM Terry Known as Jerry Flannigan, McCracken’s antics and keen instincts led to his 15-year run as Abrams (r). Jonathan Stone, Skip Day or Jeff Format Coord. for Cox and as PD at KWEN/Tulsa. He claims to Mason along the way, McCracken have ruined at least one radio station along the way and owns up eventually stuck as a name – as did the Country format. From to not always being the easiest person to work for or with. “I was WCOS/Columbia, SC to WHKO/Dayton, OH, he honed his on-air talking to a PD I hired and trained about 15 years ago who said and programming skills, raising his profile with headline-grabbing one of the best things I taught them was you have to be famous bits. In Columbia, his morning stunt playing off a young boy’s for something,” notes McCracken. “If I was famous for anything, reported sighting of a lizard-man turned into calls from network it was for being very conservative in my programming philosophy. news programs, USA Today, CBS Evening News and The Weekly I didn’t add songs until they were recurrents. It didn’t make me World News, among others. “You’re either doing something right popular with labels, but it worked!” or you’re in big trouble when you’re sitting in the GM’s office and Something else that has worked is McCracken’s dedication the secretary to giving back. “During knocks saying, my time as Format ‘Hey, Gerry, Coordinator for Cox, I sat Time magazine in on a children’s hospital is on the phone radiothon in Houston,” he for you,’” he says. “I couldn’t take it. laughs. “We’re But, seeing the work the carnies. If station did for that hospital you’re not lit a fire in me, and that outgoing and McCracken, Randy Michaels, Marc Chase, was the genesis for my McCracken are afraid to Rick Torcasso and Carolyn Gilbert (l-r) with drive to support children’s make a fool a wrecked rental on Mount Evans in Denver. hospitals, and particularly St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital out of yourself, for the six years I’ve been at WJCL.” He hopes to continue serving you’re probably at JCL’s radiothons, even after retirement. “There are some things not going to go far in this industry.” you just don’t want to walk away from.” From riding elephants in a circus to playing basketball on Because of radio, McCracken has lived in 12 states and Poland; donkeys, McCracken has never been afraid to do what it takes to was on the air when Elvis died, when Reagan was shot, and when ©2021 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] March 29, 2021 Page 5 WITH ... CHRISTI BROOKS Cox KCYY/San Antonio PD/afternoon care how ugly they are, it doesn’t matter, comfort I re- personality Christi Brooks shares how she’s is key in a pandemic. Professionally, I learned I watched The spending her Quaran-Time. need people! There are listeners I would see at the West Wing Starting a new job in a pandemic was rodeo, and I missed them. And I really struggled for like the terrifying. Houston is my home, everything I know being at the station by myself at times. I even 13th time and everything my kids have ever known. The idea missed Johnny Chiang. [and] finally of leaving all that not knowing what the world was Finding ways to be positive in a time where finished going to be like scared the crap out of me. Not to so much was unknown was tough, but we are all Schitt’s Creek, mention the team at KKBQ was so close. We really starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, The Office, were – still are – a family. At the same time, the especially in Texas. I still miss my people. I find The Crown, pandemic has taught me there is no time like the myself on the phone with some of my reps for an Grace & present so, if I was going to leap, now was the time. hour or more sometimes, just because I miss our Frankie and, I’ve learned it’s okay to slow down. My time together. more recently husband, the kids and I have never spent more My routine hasn’t changed much, because Bridgerton time at home. With their sports and our jobs, we even in the height of the “lockdown,” I was going and Firefly were ships passing in the night. I really enjoyed into the office every day. The only change was no Lane. And just hanging at the house with each other more.