Thursday Three Facts About Me – Meltdown

Three quick facts about me for this Thursday....

Fact 1 - I've had my left ear rebuilt two times...eardrum and all. The first time, when I was 18, and the second time when I was 30. I had tubes as a kid and the hole in my eardrum didn't heal right, forming a benign tumor in my inner ear. I also have fake inner ear parts. Before my first surgery I was told that I might talk out of the side of my mouth afterwards because of the chance of nerve damage. When I woke up in recovery I knew right away that I was fine. They told me they used a newer machine that would notify them when they got too close to the nerves. The doctor who performed my second surgery, here in Michigan, invented that machine in collage. It's a small world. That ear constantly rings, it's worse after a night of whiskey and loud rock.

Fact 2 - This November 1st marks my 27th anniversary at WRIF. I was hired in 1995 to do 2am - 5:30am. That switched to Midnight - 5:30 a few months later. After a couple years I was upped to 7pm - Midnight. I started afternoons in February of 2009. In the history of the RIFF, there's only been two afternoon drive DJs....Arthur P. and me. Crazy to think!

Fact 3 - I'f only had one artist hang up on my during an interview - Wes Scatlin of Puddle Of Mudd. It was in May of 2020. After five or six minutes of a scattered conversation, in which he contradicted himself several times, he told me he had some new songs in his back pocket (after telling me he hadn't written any). I recall him telling me years ago that he kept a paperback bible in his back pocket, with the fake backstage pass that got him back to see Fred Durst to give him a demo, which would lead to his start. I asked him if it was like that bible. He said said "Yes", then quickly changed his tune, denied it and hung up. I've always had his back and stuck up for him...those days ended that day. There was zero need to hang up on me. It'll take a lot for me to interview him again, I'm done.

-Meltdown-

Thank you to all of the bands that took time to hang with us over the last 50 years!