Listen to the Music

 When I was about 12 years old, I discovered rock-and-roll music.  And I liked it!  Ever since, for almost 60 years now, I’ve been a music fan and aficionado. 

I started out listening to local AM stations on a little transistor radio. I know a lot of you have no idea what a transistor radio is, but it was an early battery operated radio, usually just AM, that would fit in your pocket. I loved WRBC and WWUN, two AM stations in Jackson. At night, we could pick up the “clear channel” 50,000 watt stations from all over.  My favorites were KAAY in Little Rock, and WLS in Chicago.  WLS played mostly popular music, but KAAY played a lot of deeper cuts, album rock, and some artists who weren’t in the mainstream.  But it was all great music!  

In 1970, the biggest station in Jackson, WJDX, added an FM station.  A year or so after that, it became WZZQ, one of the best, if not the best, alternative and progressive rock stations in the country.  Mississippi Public Broadcasting even aired a documentary on the station. Go to mpbonline.org and there’s a link where you can stream the movie.

For almost 10 years, WZZQ had a near cult following.  They were among the first FM stations to have an all rock format.  No Disco!!! They promoted new artists like Dan Fogelberg, who had his first concert in Jackson, strictly through the efforts of WZZQ. It made him a star. They even sold “FM converters” that you could plug it in your car’s AM radio and pick up FM stations!  I bought one and it was great!  

Their DJs were legendary. David Adcock, Sergio Fernandez, Perez, and so many more.  David’s “Tunes Til Two” Sunday morning show is still replayed online.  

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. The station was sold and the new owners wanted a new format.  Country music was becoming popular at the time, late 1970s-early 1980s, and one night, at midnight, without warning, WZZQ ceased to exist.  The last song was The Doors’ “This Is The End.” The announcer closed with “This WAS WZZQ.”  At 12:01, Miss 103 was born. Mississippi’s country station. The end of an era. A couple of stations tried to imitate it but none came close.  

For the longest time, if I was in the car driving, the radio was on. After the death of WZZQ, I mainly listened to oldies stations and NPR news. Now, I hardly turn on the radio.  I don’t like the new music, and the “oldies” they play now aren’t that old to me! Or as old AS me!  And the news is too depressing.  I know, I sound like a grumpy old man!  

So now, I just ride in silence. I do some of my best thinking while driving along. Susan’s house is an hour from my house. I travel the Natchez Trace Parkway to get there.  It’s a 440 mile long national park. No traffic, lots of natural beauty, and no stop lights!  It’s a peaceful, relaxing drive.  

But I still love music! I told you about the “Dancing Queen” I dated for a while.  She turned me on to live music and local talent and I still enjoy it. My cousin’s husband has a “dive bar”/beer joint/burger place just down the road. They have live music once or twice a month and I try to go when they do. They’ve even had international artists! Two brothers from Belgium who are blues musicians and have written several books on the blues.  They’ve played several times. There was a couple from France, I think, a few months ago.  And the coolest one was a tuba player from Scotland!  He was bicycling the length of the Mississippi River on his 3 wheel bicycle, raising money for a children’s hospital in Scotland.  He gave a tuba concert and showed a film about his travels and his charity. 

As long as I am on this side of the grass, I’ll always enjoy music.  It just soothes my soul.