WTIT: The Blog

Unfamiliar with this week’s tune? Hear it here.

1. “Feliz Navidad” is Spanish for “Merry Christmas.” Can you wish us happy holidays in a language other than English or Spanish? No. Can you wiggle your ears? Your turn.

2. According to ASCAP (the American Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers), this is one of the 20 most played holiday songs of the last 10 years. What’s the most recent carol that you heard? “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” I am really happy that John wrote a song for the holidays that has endured.

3. Which Christmas song do you hope you never hear again? The one with Grandma or someone got run over by a reindeer. I also hate new songs and Christmas albums by pop stars. Oh. And anything country.

4. This week’s featured artist, Jose Feliciano, was honored to perform this song at the tree lighting ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. If you were to win a trip to our nation’s capital, which sites would you visit? The White House. I’d hop the fence and try to meet Obama. I don’t think this has ever been done before. Ah – what’s that? Oh. In that case, I got nothing.

5. As a very young child, Jose taught himself to play the accordion. If you could suddenly, easily learn to play any instrument, which would you choose? Guitar. I’d love to write a song.

6. Jose says that hearing early 1950s rock on the radio made him want to become a singer. What’s your favorite music genre? Rock. From Buddy Holly through The Imagine Dragons. I can’t get enough new music. I general track Alternative, Adult Alternative and Adult Contemporary. I have Paul’s new single “Hope for the Future”. I have his new tribute, “The Art of McCartney”. I also have “New” but other than the title song, I wasn’t thrilled with it.

7. At 17, Jose had to drop out of school to help support his family. Too young to enter bars, he played guitar in coffee houses for tips. Have you ever worked a job where you regularly received gratuities? No, but as a DJ in nightclubs, I was offered money to play songs. As long as it fit my disco/rock hybrid format I’d take the bribe.

8. Jose and wife Susan have been together for more than 40 years. Who is the happiest married couple you know? Ex-WTIT DJ Cos has been married 30 years and my brother and his wife nearly forty. Both seem amazingly happy. I only lasted 17 at the longest. I’m not sure what it all means. But I got it right for me at this age and stage. I’m not sure how I would have gotten through this week with the loss of my dad without her.

9. Jose wrote and performed the theme of the 1970s show, Chico and the Man. What’s your current favorite TV show? For comedy I’d say “Mom”. For drama I’ll go with “Scorpion”.

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As my previous post said, I buried my dad yesterday. I thought I’d share my eulogy with you.

Thank you for taking the time to join us today for celebrating the life of my dad, Bierne. He was more than just a “dad” to me. He was my mentor, my hero and most importantly one of my best friends. He loved people. He loved a good time. When he first started to sing at piano bars some twenty years ago, most nights I was at his side. He did not have the best voice or talent, but he cared about the message of the song and he gave every ounce of his being in a performance.

Dad was about fairness and equality. He stressed that we not judge others by the color of their skin or the god that they worshiped. He had no patience for intolerance. When my dad and I were partners in the hotel business, we needed some rooms carpeted. We always used the same local store. One day Harold, the owner of the carpet business told me that dad had saved his butt in high school. The man was Jewish and said that he would never forget the time when he surrounded and taunted with anti-Semitic slurs. My dad saw this and ran over to Harold. Dad told the group to leave Harold alone and that they would have to get through him first. The biggest of the group came forward and dad took him on. That kid ended up running away, so did the rest of the punks. I had never heard the story. Harold said he was never picked on again because he now was a friend of Bierne’s. After the carpet man left I asked Dad about it. He said he barely remembered the incident, but did say that sometimes somebody needs to be a stand up guy. And when it came to prejudice, he had no time for it, because my dad was always a stand up guy.

He was elated when the Mets came to New York. It meant that the Cubs would be back in New York and we could go to some games. I remember Mark and I and dad sitting at the Polo Grounds to watch our first game. Before the first pitch my dad said to me, because I am Yankee’s fan that for every Mets-Cubs game we went to that he’d bring us to a Yankees game. He never broke that promise. In those days fans could walk on the field to get to their seats. Dad made sure at my first game that we stood in centerfield to see the Yankee monuments. Some of my greatest memories are of Mark and I with dad going to New York.

Dad had a terrible sense of direction. We got lost trying to get out of New York. Which time? Every time. The incident that I remember best was when he got lost and realized that we were on the George Washington bridge headed south to New Jersey. He decided to do a u-turn on the bridge, which was possible in those days. As soon as he did it, he got pulled over. The cop was not pleased. He lectured dad about what he did with kids in the car. My dad was always the diplomat. He explained that we had just seen a Yankees game and he was concerned that we got home and to bed. The officer looked at Mark and me and said, “OK. You got cute kids and I am a dad myself. Just promise me you won’t do this again.” My dad promised, and didn’t even get a ticket. He kept that promise. We still got lost leaving New York every time but we never got on a bridge again.

As you know, Dad was captain of the 1945 UConn Huskies. By 1978 Dad and Mark had been going to UConn games for a while. Dad asked me if I wanted to join them for a game. It was at BU and our seats were lousy. The UConn crowd was small but loud. It took one game and I was hooked. Being a fan then was a major commitment. It was before the Big East and they were never on TV. Mark, Dad and I traveled to games throughout New England. When the Big East was formed everything changed. I remember in 1999 I took a two hour lunch because UConn was in the Elite Eight and if they won they’d be in the Final Four. When they won I found myself crying. I was so happy that dad was still around to see it happen. Of course I had no idea that he’d ultimately see four national championships.

He was all about family. A couple of weeks ago when I went to visit him I was supposed to go with Diane. Diane had sprained her ankle badly and didn’t come. He asked me why Diane didn’t come and I explained it. He said, “Will you tell Diane something?” Of course I agreed. He went on “Tell her not to worry about me. I’m fine. Tell her to just get better and that I love her.” He told my sister Amy that he was so happy that his kids all loved each other. He had never had that so he wanted it for is kids. Trust me that there are times when we do not like each other and get into an argument. But, it never goes on long. We usually call the one not in the argument and everything works out. We do love each other. It was because Dad taught us that family was everything.

My dad was an atheist. Me, I was raised Catholic but since I was about 14 I’m just an agnostic. One night before going to Apricot’s where he was going to sing he said that we were both atheists. I reminded him I was not. He laughed and said, “An agnostic is an atheist who just won’t commit.” I replied, “Atheists are like Catholics. You both think you have all the answers.” He roared. He said, “That’s a good one”. Today as I stand here I must admit that I hope we both were wrong. I hope I go to heaven and find dad at the piano bar.

My Dad was the best man that I have ever known. I know that I’m going to miss him everyday for the rest of my life. Rest in peace, Dad. Save me a stool at the piano.

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Thanks for joining us today. We’ll return. Same time. Same blog.