Awhile back about 1960, when I was 10 or 11 years old, I had made up my mind to save my Chicago Daily News paper route money and bought a "Heath Kit" 5-band Shortwave Radio kit...which I put together...soldering capacitors and transistors in the basement adding enough blue smoke even my dad's pipe couldn't compete with. My curiosity at that time never really got channeled where it truly belonged besides stringing the shortwave antenna about 40 ft. up in the air between the two tall Elm Trees in our yard....which proved to me sure that was how I got to listen to some foreign stations....introducing me to 'radio'. Always a fascination, but not a completion, my livelihood did eventually have me on the road enough that radio programs, at any hour always kept me entertained. As time wore on, I eventually moved from Chicago, started a family in Indianapolis and by this time I was putting in 40,000 + mi. a year in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky and became a follower of some highly interesting and entertaining radio....especially very early in the morning or, later at night often, on my way home to Dayton.
Locally, WBZI Radio out of Xenia, Ohio, and some other stations, turned my tastes directly toward country/western, swing music which I truly enjoy to this day along with Gospel & Bluegrass artists I dearly appreciate. I can say openly my attraction to it all grew immediately....mostly because the on-air personality's whose vocal characteristics, rhythm, tone and overall appeal just caught me....for what I was hearing reached me straight from a place inside, something I could not resist. It is that way today, and thankfully so.
Later on, among others of the on-air announcers, Buck Braun (RIP dear friend) would invite OTR drivers, as well as local street and highway truck operators to call him directly at the radio station for very early Snow & Road Condition updates....something I did many times during the 23 years I operated my property business in the area...always enjoying the help I could offer for the safety of others....something he truly appreciated. It was like calling a friend. Like some others at BZI, there was a unique method of vocal communication at the time, a flavor in their voices, and a legitimate 'feel' to the message that delivered a welcoming unequalled by few today. And, as years passed, my aging dad would come in from Chicago for a visit and ride with me on the road, where he, too discovered he, fell in love with the vocal characteristics of many who, even today cause me to listen to their cadence, expression and descriptive tonal quality, which nearly persuaded me to pull over and listen to "The Tradin' Post", "Hymns from the Hills" or just drive straight to the diner, auto service shop, county fair, he'd be advertising for or, the church service they'd be inviting you to. Yes, these are remarkably talented and truly enjoyable folks influenced my appreciation for them, for radio and their gifts allowing my participation by listening to their talented and skilled backgrounds. Thank You!!
Locally, WBZI Radio out of Xenia, Ohio, and some other stations, turned my tastes directly toward country/western, swing music which I truly enjoy to this day along with Gospel & Bluegrass artists I dearly appreciate. I can say openly my attraction to it all grew immediately....mostly because the on-air personality's whose vocal characteristics, rhythm, tone and overall appeal just caught me....for what I was hearing reached me straight from a place inside, something I could not resist. It is that way today, and thankfully so.
Later on, among others of the on-air announcers, Buck Braun (RIP dear friend) would invite OTR drivers, as well as local street and highway truck operators to call him directly at the radio station for very early Snow & Road Condition updates....something I did many times during the 23 years I operated my property business in the area...always enjoying the help I could offer for the safety of others....something he truly appreciated. It was like calling a friend. Like some others at BZI, there was a unique method of vocal communication at the time, a flavor in their voices, and a legitimate 'feel' to the message that delivered a welcoming unequalled by few today. And, as years passed, my aging dad would come in from Chicago for a visit and ride with me on the road, where he, too discovered he, fell in love with the vocal characteristics of many who, even today cause me to listen to their cadence, expression and descriptive tonal quality, which nearly persuaded me to pull over and listen to "The Tradin' Post", "Hymns from the Hills" or just drive straight to the diner, auto service shop, county fair, he'd be advertising for or, the church service they'd be inviting you to. Yes, these are remarkably talented and truly enjoyable folks influenced my appreciation for them, for radio and their gifts allowing my participation by listening to their talented and skilled backgrounds. Thank You!!