On the Road (and Radio) Again with Willie Nelson

Anne gives Willie a kiss while New York Jets linemen Marty Lyons and Mark Gastineau chat in the background. The woman looking over Willie’s shoulder is Connie Koepke, the third of Willie’s four wives.

Willie Nelson will be the subject of this week’s WSBU-FM radio show.

Along with music from Willie’s long career, I plan to share stories about his concerts and films, as well as the night my wife Anne pushed two New York Jets linemen and a pair of New York Yankees stars out of the way so she could give Willie a kiss at a backstage party.

As always, the show airs on Thursday from 3 to 4 p.m. on WSBU-FM and is streamed online at player.listenlive.co/37351.

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Taking off with Jefferson Airplane

Grace Slick backstage at the Meadowlands in 1983 (Rich Lee photo)

As I announced last week, each one of my radio shows this semester will focus on a different recording artist I had the privilege of interviewing while I covered rock’n’roll in the early 1980s.

This week, I will be playing music by Jefferson Airplane and its various offshoots.

I’ll share stories about my conversations with Jack Casady, Jorma Kaukonen and Mickey Thomas.

The show airs from Thursday from 3 to 4 p.m. on WSBU-FM and is streamed online at http://player.listenlive.co/37351.

Here is a preview of some of the stories I plan to share:

1. My first paid job as a journalist was covering a Hot Tuna concert at St. Bonaventure University in 1975 as a freelancer for the Olean Times Herald.

2. I interviewed Mickey Thomas for a cover story in the Aquarian Weekly in 1982 while he was a lead vocalist in Jefferson Starship.

3. When I interviewed Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen about their Hot Tuna reunion in 1983, we had to end our telephone conversation early because one of the musician’s dogs was barking so loudly we could not hear each other.

4. When I got to attend a backstage party with the band in 1983, Grace Slick looked fantastic in person.

5. Paul Kantner did not.

Back on the airwaves

I am returning to the airwaves today with a slightly different format that I am very excited about.

As many of you know, I spent a few years in the early 1980s covering rock’n’roll and had the opportunity to speak with many recording artists who were popular during that period. Since I started my WSBU radio show in 2011, I have occasionally shared stories about my time as a music journalist.

For the new academic year, I have decided to focus each show on a different recording artist I had the privilege of interviewing. I’ll talk about the conversations we had back then and what has ensued in each artist’s career in the 30 or so years since we spoke – all backed by appropriate musical selections.

I’m naming the new show Talk to Me because the title fits, and it guarantees that each show will feature at least one Bruce Springsteen composition. (Some things will never change.)

I’ll kick off the new show today at 3 p.m. As always, you can listen live at http://player.listenlive.co/37351

Just to make it more interesting (or confusing), I’m starting off today with a show about a band I never interviewed – the Beatles. I had some near-misses, and they will provide the soundtrack today.

Guy A. Lee (1922-2017)

This is the last photo I took of my father, who would have turned 96 today.

In many ways, it says a lot about who he was. He was a proud WWII veteran and an avid Mets fan who loved to read and enjoyed the outdoors.

If he touched your life as he did mine, consider yourself blessed.