Celebration Rock @ 49

Is it just me, or does 49 years seem like a long time? In 2008, I realized that the 40th anniversary of my first attempt at being a deejay on a local rock radio program for the Presbyterian Churches of Richmond, Va. was looming. I thought I’d mark the occasion by starting a blog, and writing a few entries.

I had just retired from my pastoral ministry, and figured I had some time, so before the stories escaped me, I’d journal them. And after writing every possible memory connected with my “Celebration Rock” program, plus some other related (or not) radio-TV adventures from all those years ago in Virginia, this blog wound down, and it’s been inactive for some time.

I started a new blog I called “Peace, Grace, and Jazz,” and that’s been great fun. But now and then I look at these pages, curious about readership, and the stats show that there are still some folks (like you) who find this public journal and read an entry or two. Some readers have done a search for something mentioned here, take a glance and move on. No doubt the most popular articles posted here relate to an interview I did with the late song-poet storyteller Harry Chapin. He must still have what we call a “legion of fans,” and many apparently are curious about his religious beliefs. So, driven here by the Uber of the Internet, Wikipedia, people read about Chapin teling me that he didn’t believe in God. My hope is that their curiosity moved them to the next entry where it was explained that maybe he did, afterall; at least he wrote some very religious songs for the off-Broadway show “The Cotton Patch Gospel.”

Other readers here at the good ol’ CR blog come looking for memories of a radio program they once listened to and found helpful in some way. I take some encouragement in that. If the music I offered, and the accompanying words I wrote and spoke during that hour-long program had some meaning for listeners, then I am grateful for the call to have produced and hosted “Celebration Rock” over its 20+ year run.

In my retirement, my current media activity is co-hosting a weekly television program, with the audio track sent over to a local AM radio station. (To clarify: we’re talking a real TV station here, a CBS affiliate, not some cable public access show with a potted palm between two plastic chairs . I had some experience in that world back in Virginia.) One of the other hosts said recently, “We ought to do a show about your radio days some time; you could be the guest.” That might be fun, but in February of next year we’ll hit the 50th anniversary mark. That will be worth noting, if I’m not drooling and dribbling by then.

If this is your first visit here, I’d advise that you negotiate your way back to the beginning. Is there a calendar over there on the right? Or, a search bar where you can enter “WBBL,” “Doobie Brothers,” or “sex?” (I assume the search bar is only for this blog; otherwise you might wind up somewhere more exciting.)

Thanks for dropping by. Be sure to get your hand stamped before exiting so you can get back in. Peace!