Growing up listening to the radio

From AM to FM

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In​​​ the 1960's​, my old man would toss my little brother and I into the back seat of the car and we'd go to the store or the bank. The radio was always on. His favorite stations were WOKY out of Milwaukee and WRJN in Racine. When we were home, my mom would play records on the big console stereo in the living room. Sometimes she'd play the stereo radio. Music was a big deal in our house. My parents were musicians, so listening to music was a priority. Saturday nights meant turning on the TV and watching “Hee-Haw” and then “The Lawrence Welk Show”. As little kids, my brother and I didn't really have any preconceived notions about music. We sat and enjoyed the shows because our parents enjoyed the shows.

​In the early 1970's, Saturday afternoon meant watching “Dick Clark's - American Bandstand” and “Soul Train”. This was where hearing new pop music became an alternative to simply listening to the radio. If a song came on the radio in the station wagon that the kids liked, we made sure …