In Memory (and this one hurts)

I received a telephone call, last night. Having Bob Angelucci call me isn't unusual, but this call took my breath away.

For the second time, we've lost one of our own. Someone we'd shared such a huge part of our lives with.

"Chuck" Bob said, "Tom Hoover has died", and my heart stopped for a minute, it seemed.

Bob continued to give me what few details he had and my mind wandered back almost half a century ago. Tommy was two days older than I am. When my family moved to Camp Hill, Pennsylvania he was one of the first friends I made. Two 12 year olds beginning the 8th grade. So many memories have come rushing back, providing tears and some laughter as well.

Tom was brilliant, talented, undisciplined and far from a saint, but he was and is my friend and I love him .

I remember the speed reading contests in school. Finally, at 1,500 words per minute, it was only the two of us left. He beat me at 1,600 words per minute.

Tom lived behind Camp Hill High School and there used to be sock hops every Saturday night. As we became teenagers, Tom formed "The Pyramids", his first band. When the school officials wouldn't let him play one evening, he set the band up in his backyard and emptied the hop. 300 hundred kids in the parking lot with Tom playing on his lawn.

Because of Tommy, I met the men I call friends, today. It's been a gift I never really had the chance to thank him for. Bob Angelucci and I met in Tom's living room. We would later attend college, together, and start a friendship that's lasted for more that 40 years. I first met Dave Bupp and Buddy King at a "Battle of The Bands" that involved "The Del-Chords" and Bob's group, "The Endells".
As Tom Paine, Jim Seville and Terry Crousore joined "The Endells" my friendship with them began, as well. When Tom quit "The Magnificent Men" I had to track Bill Richter down, between college classes, and get him to agree to play that weekend with the band. The rest of that story became history.

There's a hole inside me. One that can not be filled. Although we hadn't stayed in close contact, Tommy was always there in my thoughts and my heart. I miss him.

THOMAS HOOVER

1946 - 2008

"Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you can never get them back. I'm gonna tie you to my heart so I never lose you"

PEOPLE WHO AREN'T LISTENING TO FNST

They're not listening because they insist on trying to use NSP.
It doesn't work, people. We've even downloaded it, here, and the
Techie Gnome can't get it to work.

Of course the major question we keep asking is this.

"If NSP doesn't work with Shoutcast, how the hell are these people finding us?"

That would be rhetorical, folks.

Silver Springs, Maryland Fairfax, Virginia
Winter Springs, Florida
St. Mary's College, Indianna
ComCast, New haven Conn. (although we have other listeners there)
Stockholm, Sweden
Taipei, China
Toronto Canada
New Iberia, Louisianna

THE MAGNIFICENT MEN MAY 10, 2008

Saturday - May10th
Kid Kyle - The Fabulous Duprees
The Magnificent Men
w/Class Act
6:00 PM
Pottstown High School
750 N. Washington Street
Pottstown, PA
$55 Assigned Seating (First 10 Rows)
$45 General Admission
For info contact:
Tom Coyle
610-306-9361
TCoyle8009@Comcast.net

Check it Out!!!

Week Beginning January 28, 2008

Monday's show is a mixed bag of artist's birthdays, history timeline and schtuff (yes I said schtuff).

We're celebrating everyone from Stan Getz and Phil Everly to Buddy King of The Magnificent Men (Feb. 2)
with stops all over the musical map, inbetween. Join us and by all means send us your comments.

There's also a new "Saturday Night Dance Party "and a Wednesday night "Request & Dedication" show.

As always, thanks for reading and especially for listening.

PD

Lovers & Other Losers

First, a bit of background on the title.

Many years ago, about 1973, there were a group of us sitting around with a few brown bottles (and some other stuff in different colored bottles) discussing ballards. Specifically, our favorite ballards.

Opinions were as varied as the musicians and singers, in the discussion. While we could agree on Misty, Skylark, I Wish You Love, Twelfth Of Never, etc. some of the other suggestions were met with more than a few laughs and replies like, "You have all your taste in your mouth!" and "Oh there's a loser."

Someone, and it may have been me, came up with the scotch induced idea to do an entire album dedicated to sad songs and calling it "Lovers and other losers". Kind of a double play on those who've loved and lost and some of the song choices the guys were throwing out.

I've never been able to shake that idea out of my head and when FNST Radio was first planned, one night was immediately dedicated to this idea. So, now you know.................blame the single malt.

I'm glad the listeners are enjoying two hours of ballards. I'd hoped it would be well received. To them, I say "Thank you for the e-mails and kind comments. Please spread the word. It's the only way the station can grow."

Sincerely,

PD

Facts and Figures

For those of you who listen to the closing on Monday Night shows and question the figures I give on the Iraq War, here are my sources.

For coalition forces I use: http://icasualties.org/oif/

For civilian casualties: http://www.iraqbodycount.org/

For the cost of this, whatever it is, versus other projects: http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home

Opinions are like............well, you know. I've tried to form mine by reading, watching cable news and sometimes digging as deep as I can on the internet. Will I believe all I read? Of course not. Every writer, reasearcher, etc. has an agenda whether they'll admit it or not. Such is life.

Enjoy the above sites. Let us know what you think.

MONDAY NIGHT

Happy January 7, everybody. We have another new show with a lot of music. There are new cuts from Smokey Robinson, Atlantic Star, Linda Jones, Shirley Bassey, Billy Eckstine, Rod Stewart (Rod Stewart?) , Jay McShann, Tower Of Power, Gloria Estafan and Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis.

Pretty neat, huh?

As always, show times are 3:00pm, 8:00pm and 11:00pm eastern United States. Govern yourselves from there.

By the way..............Is anyone else as sick and tired of reading, hearing and seeing the constant nonsense about Brittney Spears? Really, since when does an out of control, spoiled young woman become news? Someone should be more concerned with the real problems of this planet.

Enjoy the music

C