The Big Thaw and Steve Hamm

 It seemed as though most folks had a week off of everything thanks to the recent polar vortex. There were those who suffered with it more than others and it wasn't just a simple extra blanket on the bed kind of thing. In this episode, Ric takes a brief look at the damage done and the repairs being made. 

Also in this episode, he sits down with pilot and actor Steve Hamm to talk a bit about flying and acting as well as working through a pandemic.

NEXT WEEK: Gina Coleman and Misty Blues

On Another List & Jessica Heim

 This humble little show has now made an appearance on yet another list. This time through The Hollywood Digest as "2020's Most Laid Back Show". Once again, we find ourselves in great company and again, we are humbled. In a way, you could say this is an "award winning" show. 

It's a great way to wrap up a bummer of a year and a nice kick start to 2021, for sure. In this episode, in keeping with an apparent "laid back" style, Ric sits down with actress and singer Jessica Heim for a conversation about the ups and downs of show business. Also, they play favorites and if that weren't enough, there is some overtime at the end of the show. 

Here's the list. 

NEXT WEEK: Robben Ford

The Emergency Room Emergency

What happens when an artist, performer, entertainer... a show biz type gets sick? Most of those people don't have insurance. Even if they did, it's not all that great. There are a couple things that go through the mind of these folks. "Oh my God, I have to go to the doctor to get that looked at..." followed immediately by, "This is going to cost me more than anything I have..."

It's the fear some people out there can't wrap their heads around. Recently, Memphis lost two musicians, one who was an elderly man with cancer and the other, a man in his late 30's who got sick from something that might have been curable. How many more benefits and crowd funding efforts are going to have to happen before we don't have to worry about this stuff any more?

Plus, the ridiculous plot to move Graceland out of Memphis.



NEXT WEEK: The Heavyweight Chumps

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Sarah Simmons-Langston & Gregory Langston

There are just as many reasons for people to find themselves in show business as there are people who are in this business. For a lot of people, they have to deal with a lot of hidden issues. Most of which are tied to the psychological aspects of this line of work.

Also, ever wanted to know what it is like to be on a reality based talent show on TV?

You are going to find out all about that and we play favorites. Listen now.



NEXT WEEK: Marie Hutton

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Gee Whiz, It's Carla Thomas

I recently spent some quality time with Carla Thomas. In 1961 she scored her first Billboard hit with Gee Whiz. In 1966, she repeated that with B-A-B-Y Baby with that song seeing the light again by being featured in the movie Baby Driver.

She spoke of how her path to show business was not quite what you'd think it was. Never seeking it out, the spotlight found her and her music still stands the test of the time.



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NEXT WEEK: Frank Monteleone and Blind Mississippi Morris

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People In Pants

It has been somewhat troublesome to read of the allegations that have been levelled against a number of people in Hollywood. Make no mistake, it is like the worst kept secret in the business. What is troublesome about this is watching other people react to all this news. Some of the stuff out there is interesting, for sure.

Plus music from Leo Leo.



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NEXT WEEK: Something's cooking. Plus music from Mojo Medicine Machine.

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You Ain't Got It, Kid

In the circles I run in, there are those I encounter (thankfully rarely) people who think they are God's greatest gift to show business. These are people who claim some sort of fame for nothing. Trust me, you don't know them. Yet, if you met one of these people you know it immediately. People who claim to be in "the biz" without paying their dues.

It's sad, actually. But there is one thing about these people, they are absolutely insufferable.

Plus music from Oliveria.



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NEXT WEEK: The reason this episode was delivered late? A weather delay, of all things. Plus music from Donnell London.

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The Cult of Personality

InfoWars host and strange person Alex Jones recently lost a custody trial due to his ex-wife and her lawyers successfully argued that the way he is on the air is exactly the way he is when he is off. In other words, bat-shit crazy.

It points to a unique facet of the entertainment business. Just who are these people and what is the difference between who they are on air as opposed to when they are off.

Short answer, very different people.

Plus music from Brandon Santini.



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NEXT WEEK: Mommy Con and music from Heather Bond.

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The Internal Interview

This episode gets a little dark. The reason is simple enough, we all have these little conversations going on inside our heads where something seems to be questioning every little thing we do. Every decision about to be made, even as our day to day living comes under scrutiny... by ourselves.

It's kind of what makes us who we are. However, those questions tend to get a little difficult. Coming from the perspective of what I do for a living, these little internal interviews become a little abusive. That again, is what makes all of us tick on some level.

Speaking of "tick", I began wearing a wristwatch again. Why?

Plus music from Objekt 12.



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NEXT WEEK: You are really small. Plus music from Tiger High.

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The Seduction of the Microphone

In all of the years I have been in this business, I have never seen anything more strange than the power a humble microphone can have over people. It can do a lot of things to people, actually. But, one of the more fascinating things it has is this thing it does to some people psychologically. It's not pretty either.

"I have been told by a lot of people that I have a good voice for radio."

That may be true, but you certainly don't have the mental issues you need to actually do this.

Plus music from Shame Finger.



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NEXT WEEK: Asking yourself the tough questions. Plus music from Objekt 12.

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Snakes In My Bushes

It happens to all of us, really. Just more so for those of us in the entertainment industry. There is ALWAYS someone lurking in the shadows ready to pounce on whatever good little thing you have created and what you are laying out to the general public. That's a given.

But there is someone worse. That is the person who claims they are ASSOCIATED with you in some sort of capacity because of the work you have done. Famous or not, it is a giant pain in the ass and this where the title of this episode comes from. The reason? They are NEVER to be trusted. Bastards...

Plus music from Capgun.



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NEXT WEEK: Upstream without a paddle. Plus music from The Candy Company.

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God, Damnit!

I have a feeling the title of this episode will be censored by iTunes. Which is sort of iRonic. Get it? Anyway, the title is certainly not to set out to offend anyone. Although, someone will no doubt get offended. If that is you, buck up buttercup, there are plenty of other things in this world that deserve your offense.

Over the years, I have been removed from several church services. Probably since I was a screaming infant giving my other Sunday morning fits at the church of my childhood home. So, how does one get kicked out of church? Simple. Do what Jesus did.

Start asking questions.

Apparently religious leaders don't like you doing this sort of thing in the middle of a sermon. "Disruptive" they'll say. Sure, it seems legit. But when they actually tell you to not come back, well... then I have to question the beliefs of said church. They would rather you engage in your religious discourse away from the flock so as not to disrupt anyone's thoughts. Read: money.

That is exactly what it is. A business. Show business.

Plus, music from Mark "Muleman" Massey.



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NEXT WEEK: Your heroes could be assholes. Plus music from The Starkillers.

Tick F'ng Tock

Since I got involved in this business of entertainment, I have always felt the presence of a clock of some sort. For the most part, I simply ignored it. Now, things are different. Working for yourself, you find there is a real pressure of the presence of time. It looms over you like the evil specter of death.

Okay, that may be a little dramatic. Then again... there is serious pressure. You want so much to make all your efforts worthwhile. You become intimately aware of a couple of major things. Failure and the fear of time simply running out.

Maybe you are experiencing the same anxiety. If you are, I feel you.

Plus music from River City Tanlines.



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NEXT WEEK: Televangelists, tent preachers and how to get kicked out of a church. Plus music from Mark "Muleman" Massey.

NOTE: From Radioland will not be video taped for the time being. This is due to the simple fact listeners are getting more from the audio only version than from the video version of the show. Mainly due to YouTube's weird rules on the performance of music.

Stay tuned...

Lessons In Show Business with Dianna Fryer

If you have any notion to get into the business of show business, it would be a good thing for you to pay particular attention to what Dianna Fryer says about this crazy industry. In the midst of all the new technological changes we have been making at Radio Memphis in the name of improvement, Dianna and I got to talking about all the other things happening in the industry.

One thing for sure, Dianna knows a lot about how the industry is changing and in what direction the music industry is going. Add to that how those changes are impacting the world of broadcast media. This is a good chat and I think you'll enjoy what direction this conversation went.

Plus, music from The Heavy Eyes from their brand new album.



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NEXT WEEK: Brother Sun, Sister Moon Dave Lambert and Donna Dahl

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A Chat With The Boss

Dianna Fryer & Ric Chetter with a Killer B Guitar for Radio Memphis

 For the last 100 weeks, I have sat down at a microphone and said some things. I even managed say a few things that I felt needed to be said. That is a good thing. Now, with this episode we have implemented a few changes to the format. We hope the changes are for the best. Progress is not always easy and certainly not always pleasing to everyone. However, in this instance, it seems as though it has been easy and somewhat pleasing to most.

This episode was recorded on my birthday. It wasn't planned. So, for a special episode on what some my consider a special day, the stars lined up just right and this show worked out beautifully. We hope you like it.

In this episode, Dianna Fryer and sat down to talk about a wide range of things. From understanding listener trends in the digital world to how the business of show business has changed and continues to do so.

If that wasn't enough, we even added a new bit. Music. One song from one band. This time out, Rind Stars.



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Our deepest thanks to all the fans of this show. It has been a real blast so far and we are looking forward to bringing you some entertaining and amusing shows in the future. Speaking of which...

NEXT WEEK: Jerry Lawler.

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Lord, Have Mercy... And Send In Your Checks

Televangelists are an interesting group of entertainers. I use that term because they are entertaining. Very much so, actually. When taken with a grain of salt, they make for some great late night television watching. And now, on the internet.

But, when you look at what makes these people tick, you realize rather quickly just how adept they are in the world of show business. Make no mistake, they are in the business of show, if you catch my meaning here.



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Sounds like I am in the wrong business. Then again, I do have a conscience despite what some people might think.

NEXT WEEK: Digging through the history of technology at a thrift store.

Stay tuned...

 

Not Now, Can't You See I'm Drinking?

Well, not really. I made mention of actually video taping this episode. After the session, the video got lost somewhere. Bummer. Or maybe not so much. That end of the production of this show is still being developed. It's not that I am having issues and yes, I was drinking during the session BUT, the video somehow was lost. Operator error, for sure.

Anyway, in this episode I wanted to talk a bit about some of the more darker elements of show business. It is an interesting thing and many folks don't necessarily understand. The business we chose to be in is not an easy one to be in. Make sense?



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NEXT WEEK: All these channels and there still not anything good on TV.

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The Music Industry

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S. Thompson

Never a more true statement has been made about the industry. It has been attributed by others to talk about the business they are in however, it was written specifically about the music business. In this episode, which is the season three finale, I talk about the business of music from the very bottom level, the local scene.

Those of you who are musicians who are not familiar with business of music should find this as an eye opener of sorts. Those of you who are not musicians will also find this enlightening and maybe force you to think about what is happening on stage while you are sitting there enjoying the show.



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NEXT WEEK: Back in the studio, finally. Studio A is alive and well and is the capital of Radioland.

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The Business of Show Business

On the heels of the last three weeks, it made perfect sense to me to lighten up the mood by sitting down with Dianna Fryer. Dianna is the General Manager of Radio Memphis. She is a funny lady and has a good grip on the subject at hand. We do talk about some interesting concepts when it comes to running an internet radio station.

There are hundreds of thousands of these stations out there, but there is a stark difference in what Radio Memphis does versus the others. Including AM/FM. It is a simple difference but it is rather important. The fact that what we do is live instead of pre-recorded is important, to me at least. It is that difference that sets Radio Memphis a part from the others.

Our conversation wanders all over the place, but it was great fun. The underlying tone of this episode is that both Dianna and I flow between our on air characters versus who we are away from the on air stuff. At one point, I had Dianna so worked up she actually... well, you'll just have to listen and find out.



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You can catch Dianna on the air every Monday night at 9PM CDT for the Memphis Metal Monday Show. You can also hear her at 1PM CDT for the Radio Memphis Around The World show.

NEXT WEEK: The voice of Radio Memphis joins the show. Jaeci King sits down with me and we get nostalgic about certain eras and why having a cocktail in the middle of the day should be a requirement.

Stay tuned...