Thank You For 15 Years Of Afternoon Rock At WRIF! For some reason, I remember certain dates. February 10th is the date I got my driver’s license, my first ever air shift on the radio, and my first shift as the afternoon guy on WRIF. Yes, on February 10th, 2009 I did the 3-7 pm shift and I never looked back.
Before I go any further, I’d like to say that filling the shoes of a Detroit legend, let alone a radio legend, wasn’t and isn’t easy. I have the utmost respect for Arthur Penhallow and consider him a friend to this day. Yeah, we don’t speak all the time like we used to, but I check in on him here and there. To be honest, I should more often. I’m not going to go into the minutia of what happened, just suffice it to say, I was handed the keys to the car and drove away with it. I’d be lying if I wasn’t, and still am, treated very well by Art. He could’ve been pissed at me, but he’s never shown that.
There’s always something in the back of my head that reminds me that I have a standard to keep up that Art started. I also knew, and this took a couple of years to figure out, that it’s my shift and I have to treat it as such. To say that only two guys have rocked afternoons at WRIF in its storied 53-year history is something I don’t take lightly.
When I started at WRIF, I was doing the overnight shift. And by overnight, I mean 2 am – 5:30 am. Yes, a whole 3 1/2 hours! I LOVED it! That was bumped up to midnight to 5:30 shortly thereafter as a jock left the station. To go from there, to 7 pm-midnight to where I am now, is kind of mind-blowing.
Over the past 15 years, I started my Talkin’ Rock podcast where I’ve interviewed perhaps as many as a thousand guests. Everyone from David Lee Roth, to James Hetfield, to Joe Perry, and many more. I’ve shot hundreds of videos. I’ve taken the stage before numerous bands all over the southeast Michigan area. I’ve played in charity hockey games, ridden in charity motorcycle events, and have tried to help out where I can. I’ve seen my kids go all through school and onto college, I’ve even coached their hockey teams. I added 15 years to my great marriage! I did many years of the Sin City Takeover with RIFF listeners. The list goes on and on.
Things as small as your requests and the interaction we have on social media mean a lot to me. If the pandemic taught me something, it’s that I missed talking to you guys at concerts and WRIF events around the city. I appreciate it when you stop me at shows, give my hand a shake, ask for a picture, whatever. We’re all in this together, I’m just lucky enough to bring the music and lifestyle to you with your help!
A real quick thanks to Mark Pennington who had the belief in me to give me this position, and to Jade Springart who continues to do so.
I’ll just wrap up by saying Thank You to everyone I’ve crossed paths with on this journey. I’m not going to start naming names because I’m sure to forget a bunch of people, but I’m so fortunate to have so many phone numbers in my cell phone of great people I’ve become friends with.
Now for some highlights from the past 15 years….here’s to many more!
Breaking van halen news
This was a huge moment for me. Interviewing David Lee Roth is like hearing cats, but I did get him to give me a solid :28 soundbite that went viral three hours after I posted it. He said that Van Halen was finished as we knew it. This was in the fall of 2019. Eddie would die the next year.
the opening of the LCA with kid rock
Six sold-out Kid Rock shows to open the LCA! It was so cool to see the venue before many others had. Those were some memorable nights.
Interviewing Ivan Moody from Five finger death punch on the hill
One of my favorite memories includes Lzzy Hale embarrassing my son about 5 or 6 years ago. Another great one was the induction of the Bob Seger Dr. with some local radio legends: Jim Johnson, Steve Costan, Ken Calvert and Karen Savelly. Two more great ones were interviewing Ivan moody from FFDP on the hill after the doors had opened and interviewing Halestorm backstage.
Just the fact that when Pine Knob is open means it’s the warm weather season. I love open air, outdoor concerts. Slipknot was one of my favorites I’ve seen there. The MANY Kid Rock shows. Riff Fest is always fun, but hectic. Too many to name over the past 26 years I’ve been here….Riff Fest
When RIFF puts on a concert, we put on a concert! RIFF Fest has become one of the big shows on Pine Knob’s concert schedule each year. Shinedown, I Prevail, Rob Zombie, Pop Evil and many more have played the fest throughout the years.
Seeing guns N' Roses return
Yeah, I don’t have any pictures of the band on stage, but I watched the Comerica show in a suite with Deena….I’ll take it.
The lovely Deena Centofanti at GNR at Comerica Park.
THANK YOU!
A huge heartfelt thank you for the past 28 1/2 on WRIF, with the past 15 on afternoons. You don’t know how much it means to me that you guys are out there and that you treat me so well. You’re the best!
