These are a Few of My Favorite Things
Favorite music in no particular order: Beatles, John Denver, Linda Ronstadt, Gwen Stefani, No Doubt, Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkle, Harry Chapin, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Nat King Cole, Guess Who, Madonna, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Carrie Underwood, Steve Martin and Steep Canyon Rangers, Judy Garland, Doris Day, Chicago, Olivia Newton John, Green Day, Weird Al Yankovic, John Lennon solo, Motown Music (various artists), Michael Jackson, Glen Campbell, Frank Sinatra, Blondel, BeeGees, Grease soundtrack, Big Chill soundtrack, Sound of Music soundtrack, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat soundtrack (Donny Osmond), Kode Lee, Gabriella Quevedo, Alan Jackson, Brandi Carlile, Kelly Clarkston, Ashley McBride and Lady Gaga.
Favorite radio stations in no particular order: WBFH Bloomfield Hills, WJR Detroit, WOMC Detroit, WWJ Detroit, 971 The Ticket, Detroit; WUOM (NPR) Ann Arbor, WGHN Grand Haven, WAWL, Grand Haven, any high school radio station, any college station especially WCHP AM 650. Grew up in Detroit area listening to CKLW The Big 8, Keener 13 and WXYZ Wixie.
Favorite radio air personalities in no particular order: JoAnne Purtan/JJ WOMC Detroit, Scott Anderson 971 The Ticket Detroit, Jake Neher WDET Detroit, Mojo in the Morning Channel 955 iHeartRadio Detroit, Delilah 105.7, Mary Ellen Murphy WGHN Grand Haven, Jesse Bruce also WGHN, Jim “JJ” Johnson (5 Detroit stations spanning 52 years), Nights with Alice Cooper. Casey Kasem, American Top 40. Grew up in Detroit area listening to Big 8 jocks Super Max, Johnny Williams, Brother Bill Gable, Pat Holiday, Gary Burbank, Scott Regen, Ted the Bear Richards and 20/20 newsmen Byron McGregor, Randall Carlisle and Grant Hudson. Bill Bailey WDRQ. Listened to Dick Purtan and Purtan’s People for at least 40 years. Listened to Alan Almond (who I met twice when he came in to WBFH to make a tape) do his Pillow Talk radio show for many years. My Mom always had Detroit radio legend J.P. McCarthy on when I was a kid…heard him on the kitchen radio. Was big fan of A Prairie Home Companion when Garrison Keiller was host. Fan of Paul W. Smith…especially after I met him and watched him do his show from the golden towers of the Fisher Building. Fan of Andover grads who worked in radio: Jyl Jackson (Forsyth), Phil Barry (Baykian) and Peter Carey (Owens).
Favorite sports teams in no particular order: PGA Golf, LPGA Golf, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Pistons, Central Michigan University, Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Detroit Lions, USA Soccer Men’s and Women’s.
Favorite athletes in no particular order: Al Kaline, Pistol Pete Maravich, Clint Dempsey (US men’s soccer), Alex Morgan (US women’s soccer), Lionel Messi, Tiger Woods, Jordan Speith, Viktor Hovland, Bill Laimbeer (met him a few times because his wife was the sponsor for the church youth group Adam was a member of).
Favorite TV shows in no particular order: Schooled, Home Improvement, Wonder Years, WKRP in Cincinnati, PGA Golf, Last Man Standing, Mork and Mindy, CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Pauly, America’s Got Talent, Father Brown, Happy Days, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, Saturday Night Live, Welcome Back Kotter, Ted Lasso, Late Night with David Letterman, Good Witch, Under the Radar, American Pickers, Rock the Park, The Tonight Show, When Calls the Heart, CBS This Morning Saturday, The Good Place, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Monk, Amahl and the Night Visitors, 24, 60 Minutes, Northern Exposure, The Weakest Link, several Hallmark Channel movies.
Favorite movies in no particular order: Meatballs, Groundhog Day, School of Rock, Aladdin, Airplane, The Jerk, Turn up the Volume, Pirate Radio, Caddyshack, Good Morning Vietnam, Somewhere in Time, The King’s Speech, Star Wars, ET, Elf, Vacation, Christmas Vacation, Vegas Vacation, 13 Going on 30, Home Alone, Trains Planes and Automobiles, Mrs. Doubtfire, Sleepless in Seattle, Pretty Woman, Ghostbusters, A Thousand Clowns, All the President’s Men, The Wizard of Oz, It’s a Wonderful Life, Back to the Future, Toy Story-all, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Rocky, The Sound of Music.
Favorite Spotify playlists in no particular order: Pete and Claudia Playlist, Beach Music, Summer BBQ, Mellow Classics, 70’s Road Trip, 70’s FM Radio Rider, American Fireworks, Timeless Love Songs, Feel Good Summer, Smile, Songs to Sing in the Car, My Girl, Easy Christmas, Classic Acoustic, Christmas Peaceful Guitar, Ocean Sounds, Nat King Cole, Happy Days.
Favorite comedians in no particular order: Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Jeff Foxworthy, George Carlin, John Candy, Martin Short, Chris Farley, Jim Carey, Steven Wright, Jack Black, Albert Brooks, Mitch Hedberg, Rodney Dangerfield, Robert Klein, Stewart Francis, Garrison Keiller.
Favorite actors in no particular order: Robin Williams, Bill Murray, Tim Allen, AJ Michalka, Brett Dier, Kaitlyn Dever, Steve Martin, Julia Roberts, Danika McKellar, Jennifer Garner,Tony Shalhoub, Zooey Deschanel, Jason Sudeikis, Jane Seymour, Kristen Bell, Henry Winkler, Howard Hesseman, Jack Black, Chevy Chase, John Candy, Tom Hanks, Janine Turner.
Favorite songs in no particular order:
All the songs on the Pete and Claudia Playlist on Spotify
Evergreen-Barbra Streisand (sang at our wedding by Debbie Kovelle)
Wedding Song (There is Love)-Paul Stookey (played at our wedding)
WOLD, Taxi-Harry Chapin (the life of a DJ)
Evergreen-Barbara Streisand (sung at our wedding and at Claudia’s Celebration of Life)
In My Life-The Beatles (played by Eric and Adam at Claudia’s Celebration of Life)
Rocky Mountain High, For You, The Gift You Are, Perhaps Love, AM Radio-John Denver (plus many more)
Got to Get You into My Life-Beatles (our song) I like many Beatles songs, too many to include here.
Thank you for Being a Friend-Andrew Gold (played at the end of every MOD marathon broadcast)
Don’t Know Much, Goodbye my Friend, Poor Poor Pitiful Me (many others)-Linda Ronstadt
This Guy’s in Love with You-Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
You Light up My Life-Debby Boone
The Story, You and Me on the Rock-Brandi Carlile
There’s No Me…Without You-Sung by Glen Campbell
Father and Son, How Can I Tell You, Miles from Nowhere (many others)-Cat Stevens
Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me-Gladys Knight and The Pips (aired on the radio a month before I met Claudia…timely!)
Aqualung-Jethro Tull (entire album)
Any song by Karen and Richard Carpenter (The Carpenters)
Emerson, Lake and Palmer-Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression, part 2, Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends (song I played to start my Bagley’s Corner radio show)
Three Little Birds (Don’t worry about a thing)-Bob Marley
Since You Been Gone-Kelly Clarkson
Shine Jesus Shine-Graham Kendrick
Get Off of my Cloud-Rolling Stones
LOVE-John Lennon (many others)
You are the Sunshine of my Life, I Just Called to Say I Love you-Stevie Wonder
Beat it, Man in the Mirror, Billie Jean-Michael Jackson
Bolero-Maurice Ravel
Friend Like Me, Prince Ali, A Whole New World-Aladdin soundtrack
Lucky Star, Crazy for You, Burning Up-Madonna
Love is a Battlefield-Pat Benatar
We Need a Little Christmas-Mame soundtrack
Lose Yourself-Eminem
To be Loved-Jackie Wilson
Circle Game-Joni Mitchell
Smile-Nat King Cole version, Judy Garland version
Jesus Christ Superstar (album)
I Love You a Bushel and a Peck-Doris Day
Summer Madness-Kool and the Gang (song used by Alan Almond to close his Pillow Talk radio show)
Sound of Silence-Simon and Garfunkel, Disturbed cover
Old Friends-Simon and Garfunkel (many others)
A Song for You-Kode Lee (America’s Got Talent)
You are the Reason-Calum Scott
Lost Without You-Freya Ridings
500 Miles-The Proclaimers
Hey Look me Over-Wildcat soundtrack (Lucy)
Hello, It’s Me-Todd Rundgren (one of “our” songs…goes back to when I called her the first time in her dorm room at CMU) Also, Brown Eyed Girl (dedicated to Claudia)
Eve of Destruction-Barry McGuire
Nobody but You-Blake Sheldon duet with Gwen Stefani
Say You Won’t Let Go-James Arthur
The Story-Brandi Carlile
When I Fall in Love, Stay as Sweet as You Are, Unforgettable-Nat King Cole
If-Bread
I’ll be Seeing You-Jimmy Durante (The Notebook movie soundtrack)
Behind Blue Eyes-Who
I’d do Anything-Oliver soundtrack
Sultans of Swing-Dire Straits
William Tell Overture, Classical Gas, Dueling Banjos, Galveston, Adios, This Savior I sing of Today-Glen Campbell
Summer of ‘69-Bryan Adams
I Got the Music in Me-Kiki Dee Band
Never My Love-The Association
Where Were You-Alan Jackson
To Sir With Love-Lulu
How do I Live Without You-Trisha Yearwood
Funeral for a Friend, Don’t go Breaking My Heart, I Guess that’s Why They Call it the Blues-Elton John
Perfect, Thinking Out Loud, Shape of You-Ed Sheeran
Let it be Christmas-Alan Jackson
My Life Would Suck Without You-Kelly Clarkson
I want to Know what Love is-Foreigner
This is It, Nightwatch-Kenny Loggins
Live Like You are Dying-Tim McGraw
Just to See Her-Smokey Robinson
To Love Somebody (and many more)-The Bee Gees
It is Well with my Soul
Concerts/shows attended in no particular order: Steve Martin (Pine Knob, Eastern Michigan University Fieldhouse, The Whiting, Flint); Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers (Wharton, MSU); Steve Martin Mull, Steve Martin and Martin Mull (Royal Oak); No Doubt (twice in Pontiac, one at Clutch Cargo’s, two times at Palace of Auburn Hills, once at Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH); Gwen Stefani solo (two times, both at Palace of Auburn Hills w/Adam); Blink 182 (once with Green Day at Palace, once with No Doubt in Ohio); Green Day (Palace with Blink 182); Jethro Tull (Silverdome); Jesus Christ Superstar (Cobo Arena); School of Rock (Broadway show at DeVos Performance Hall, Grand Rapids); Simon and Garfunkel (Palace w/Claudia); Paul McCartney (Palace w/Ryan Fishman); Billy Joel (Silverdome w/Claudia); Carrie Underwood (Breslin, MSU); Bruce Springsteen (Silverdome w/Claudia); Jeff Foxworthy (Fox Theater, w/Claudia, front row seats!); Ron White (Fox, w/Ron); Jerry Seinfeld (Fox); Weird Al Yankovich ( two times, Meadowbrook); Demetri Martin (Meadowbrook w/Adam and Eric, front row!); Jay Leno (Freedom Hill, w/Tom); Beach Boys (Pine Knob); Harlem Globetrotters (Palace w/boyz); George Carlin (once at Central Michigan University, once at Michigan Theater); Steven Wright (Michigan Theater); Ben Folds (Wharton, MSU, w/boyz); Soupy Sales (Detroit); Prairie Home Companion live radio show (Fox Theater); KISS (CMU); James Taylor (CMU); Bob Seger (CMU); Kathleen Madigan (Royal Oak); Madonna/Beastie Boys (Cobo Arena); Lionel Ritchie (Cobo Arena); Guess Who (Pine Knob); Chicago (Pine Knob); Bruno Mars (Palace); Weezer (State Theater w/boyz); Wayne Brady (Las Vegas); Rita Rudner (Las Vegas); Alice Cooper (Cobo Arena); Johnny Ginger/Elvis impersonator (Northville); Howie Mandel (Pine Knob); Salute to America/Detroit Symphony Orchestra (Greenfield Village); Shout (Beatles tribute band, Hickory Grove 40th birthday party); Creed (Pine Knob, first rock concert for Adam and Eric); Ernie the Play (Hockeytown Cafe theater); 2nd City Detroit (Hockeytown Cafe theater…featuring Jackie Purtan); Kenny Wayne Shepard (Michigan State Fair); Movin’ Out (Broadway show at Fisher Theater); Jersey Boys (Wharton, MSU); School of Rock (Devos Performance Hall, Grand Rapids); The Scottville Clown Band (Fruitport park); Woodstock Revival Tribute Band (Coast Guard Festival, Grand Haven); It’s a Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play (Grand Haven Community Center); Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me live radio show (Wharton, MSU); 1964 The Tribute…Beatles tribute band (Freedom Hill); Beatlemania (New York, Broadway show); Linda Ronstadt (Pine Knob); Jeff Tweedy (Hill Auditorium w/Eric); Detroit Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra Hall); West Michigan Symphony (Frauenthal Center, Muskegon; Tom Chapin (Interlochen); Matt Watroba (The Ark); David Barrett (Andover Class of 1972, Trinity House); John Denver, Harry Chapin, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor (rare concert with all four together, Olympia Stadium, Detroit); The Late Show with David Letterman (in Ed Sullivan Theater, New York, TV show w/Ron…photo op with him on the street on his way in to do show!); Stand up comedians at Catch a Rising Star, Carolines on Broadway and The Improv, all in New York City; Won tickets to Gordon Lightfoot concert at Meadowbrook by calling in to Pillow Talk host Alan Almond’s radio show…on the way to show, it started raining cats and dogs…we decided not to attend thinking it would not be fun to watch a concert in an open amphitheater in pouring rain. One more story…when I was in college I applied for an usher job at Pine Knob Music Theater (now DTE Theater) and was hired. As an usher, I got to see a bunch of concerts even though I was technically working. I remember seeing acts like Andy Williams and Engelbert Humperdinck four nights in a row…it was painful to watch at times. Anyway, they hired too many people to be ushers so one night I was told to report to the theater office (which was a mobile home in the parking lot) and they let me and a few others go…I was “ushered” out of the office, the only job I was ever fired…not because I did anything wrong, but because they screwed up by hiring too many people.
Favorite Books in no particular order (most recent reads first):
Grieving with Hope by Samuel Hodges and Kathy Leonard
It’s OK that You’re Not OK (Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand) by Megan Devine
Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler
The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie
Healing After Loss by Martha Hickman
I Really Needed this Today by Hoda Kotb
When Life Hurts, a Book of Hope by Wayne Dosick
Encounters with Jesus by J.R. Hudberg
Keep Calm and Trust God by Jake and Keith Provance
How Not to Die by Michael Greger, MD & Gene Stone
When God Doesn’t Make Sense by Dr. James Dobson
Ask Your Developer by Jeff Lawson (former student, billionaire…see Blog about his book)
Let’s Roll by Lisa Beamer (wife of 9-11 hero Todd Beamer)
No Heavy Lifting, Globetrotting Adventures of a Sports Media Guy: Rob Simpson (see Blog about his book which he dedicated to me). Another book by Rob, The Winged Wheel, has great photos of Detroit Red Wings.
Natural Disaster: Ginger Z (met her in Rockford where she signed my book).
Love, Lucy: Lucille Ball
A Book: Desi Arnaz
Dean and Me, A Love Story: Jerry Lewis
One Heart at a Time: Delilah
Are You my Guru?: Wendy Shanker (former student, book is signed)
Soupy Sez!, My Zany Life and Times: Soupy Sales
Born Standing Up: Steve Martin
The Last Lecture: Randy Pausch
One Month to Live: Kerry and Chris Shook
Yertle the Turtle: Dr. Seuss
The Catcher in the Rye: J.D. Salinger
Tuesdays with Morrie: Mitch Albom (signed)
Naked: David Sedaris (signed)
Detroit’s Sports Broadcasters On the Air: George Eichorn
Pistol, The Life of Pete Maravich: Mark Kriegel
America’s Favorite Radio Station WKRP in Cincinnati: Michael Kassel
A Sense of Where You Are, Princeton’s Bill Bradley: John McPhee
When Bad Things Happen to Good People: Harold S. Kushner
From Soupy to Nuts, a History of Detroit Television: Tim Kiska
The Bible