 I'm a lifelong Pittsburgher, and I've wanted to be on the radio since Bob Prince was still the voice of the Pirates. When I joined Y108 in 1993, I actually had a lot of dark brown hair (okay, it was a mullet). That drawing looks like me about 6 years ago. Erase the beard and most of the hair. Add some silver on the sides. Lose the honking big glasses. Otherwise, those are certainly my eyebrows.
I'm as big a country music fan as anybody, and being part of such an evolving musical world is a thrill. I've been proud to welcome current stars like Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley, Craig Morgan and Keith Urban into our Y108 studio when they were fresh, unknown newcomers. One day back in the early 90's, I hung around Y108 until late afternoon so I could interview a quiet young man named Tim McGraw who'd recently left law school to pursue a singing career. Over a decade later, Tim let an unusual new duo open one of his Y108 concerts, and I helped to escort some fans down to a maintenance shed to meet the humble and appreciative Big and Rich. When I first introduced Carrie Underwood to Y108 listeners, she was so shy she barely spoke a word. Today, of course, Carrie's charming and more outgoing, and she's a wonderful ambassador for country music.
Tailgating with yinz guys, and hanging out at concerts is a blast. Were you with us in '97, when Y108 welcomed Garth for 6 sell-out shows at Mellon Arena? Then, George Strait ushered in the 2000's by selling out Three Rivers Stadium ( and I saw an excited young artist named Kenny Chesney save some backstage memories on his video camera). Now, Kenny comes back summer after summer to pack Heinz Field with Y108 fans. You gotta be there with us when we bring in the first country star to sell out our new arena!
Who knows which of today's new artists will be tomorrow's superstars? It doesn't matter - you and I will meet them all, one by one, on Y108.
Whenever I have a few moments to myself, my hobbies include trying to rollerblade, performing as a movie extra, watching Jackie Chan movies and collecting police and fire department patches.
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