In his second year with us. His high school senior pic.

As anyone who has read about our Tape Radio station, we’ve often noted that of we consider our “Original 5” WTIT DJs, only Johnnie Walker has joined me for all the twists and turns. Gypsy Grillo has been my friend since I was in fourth grade. When WTIT started in 1967 Gyps sat in on most sessions. I think mostly because his best friend at the time was Bouncing Billy, who hosted the first WTIT show with me. He wanted to just watch, so we called him our “Chief Engineer”. Our first year in 1967 we had a ton of guys try WTIT, but really besides me, it was Bouncing Billy and Galloping Gary that launched what we called “The Big Station” or “The Big T”. Gyps decided to take the plunge in June of 1968. On what was his first “official” night, he brought a friend. The guy played Little League on Gypsy’s team and both (now 16) went to watch their old team on the same night. Gyps invited him to be on first show. He became Johnnie Walker and he and Gyps launched their first show as “The Team Time Show” since it was the team that brought Johnnie to us.

When I wounded up at a private school my junior year in high school, a half dozen guys became DJs. I always said it was because we went to a boy’s school and I knew tons of girls from public school. But besides Billy and Gary, it was Johnnie and Gypsy who made it all work. In fact, the other DJs refereed to the five of us as “The Family”. And to this day, it’s how I feel. I grew up with those four guys. Over the years we all lost touch, except

Our 1986 DJ staff shot. Top: B.B. and Bob. Lower: Bud, Johnnie & Cos.

for Johnnie and I. Before say 2010, I had not spoke to Gary since 1995 at my second wedding. Gary was our Political Chief. It’s the roll that Bob Smirnoff took over in 1985, and Rock Rolling took over from Bob in 1987. It was no surprise to me that at that reception in 1995 that Gary and Rock really hit it off. They have become friends over the years. When Gary made a surprise visit to a recording session in 2014 it the first time that four of the Original 5 had recorded together since 1973. Rock was there and really enjoyed to do a session with Gary.

So now we lose Johnnie Walker. If it were not for him Tape 138 in 1982 would have been our swan song. Through his encouragement we went on to bring in another starting five with Cos taking over for Billy, B.B. Bacardi taking over for Gypsy and Bob taking Gary’s chair. Because we recorded weekly, a lot of comedy was produced by that crew. But by 1990 another five would record. As I mentioned Rock took over for Bob, Mic Dry and later Midnight took over for B.B. and Captain Morgan took over for Cos. But it was always Johnnie and I who would make the

In 1992: Johnnie, Rock, Bud, Captain & Midnight.

recordings and teaching easier to adapt to for whoever the new guy was. We effectively will become a trio after Johnnie leaves. Bouncing Billy & Rock Rolling will help us move forward. Billy lamented recently, “I finally return and then Johnnie leaves? It’s not fair.” When Johnnie heard that he said, “I was here all along, pal. It was you who left us.” But I view Billy’s return now a blessing. It would have been hard for Rock and I to take it on alone. And Billy mentioned that he has a friend he’d like to check us out with. So, it will take a while, but I think we will get to five again. We always seem to land on our feet.

So I’ve been working on Johnnie’s last recording session. I want to have as many guys there as possible. I’ve already contacted Galloping Gary, Midnight and Gypsy. So far two of them plan to

2014: Top: Bouncing Billy & Johnnie. Seated: Galloping Gary, Bud and Rock

join us. My wife has suggested a stripper. Which is strange in a lot of ways. We’ve only had a stripper with us once. It was during our 20th Anniversary that my first wife “surprised” us with. Now my third wife wants me to do it again. Things get very circular in life. It’s like recording with the old guys. I never saw that coming. I hope we can do it one last time. Before Johnnie leaves us for Colorado. I don’t know how well I’ll throw that last party, but I do know one thing. We are really going to miss him.

A selfie. From left: Bud, Gypsy, Johnnie & Billy

“So where did you keep getting the guys to replace the guys who left?” Gypsy asked me. I explained that just as friends pass through your life, our DJs kept changing. The scene was surreal to me. We were at Gypsy’s apartment for a visit. Bouncing Billy had not seen him for forty years, Johnnie Walker and I for over twenty. The last recording he did (not including his call-in to our 45th Anniversary show) was with Bouncing Billy and me in 1974.

What was the shot of four of the original guys being together again? I always thought “zero”. And not for any nefarious reason, Gypsy lived in Texas and Johnnie and I had last seen Billy in 1985. He had been invited to my 60th birthday party but declined. He had sent Kathy an email suggesting that he and I get together for drinks. I didn’t contact him because I thought he was just being polite. It was 2011 and 1985 was a long time ago. The most of our post college era the most original WTIT DJs together photographed or recorded were three. Johnnie Walker and I have seen Galloping Gary over the years (most recently at my wedding to Kathy in 2012), but the last time the three of us recorded was in 1982. Now with Billy’s return, we have recorded with three of the original five since October of 2013.

But for some reason, last fall I did email Billy. We went to TGI Fridays and got pretty hammered. We realized how much we still enjoyed each other’s company. I suggested that Billy record with WTIT again, which he did. Since October of 2013 he has been to every session. When Gypsy retired he developed COPD stage four. He returned to the area and contacted me via Facebook and we chatted via its IM system quite a bit. He had invited me to a Young Rascals concert in October, but my back was out and I had arranged my 10th spine surgery.

Now that Billy was back he kept suggesting we go see Gypsy. The night of Friday night June 27, 2014 at his apartment was where we saw Gypsy once again. We sat and laughed; his food was excellent and only surpassed by his graciousness and hospitality. It was as though time had stood still and it was back in the day. Gypsy turned to me, “Remember all those nights chasing girls in cars?” as he let out a big laugh. He said he had told PGA golfers about our chases all over the country.

The time went way too quickly. He wrote me the next day to thank me for making it happened. On the way there, (Billy drove me) Billy thanked me too. I said “I just made phone calls…” Billy shook his head and stated, “You were always the ringleader. It happened then and now again because of you.” I smiled. To me friends was always what WTIT was about. We didn’t do it because we were great Tape Radio DJs, we did it as an excuse to get together. That was what happened in 1967 and it is what happened on that Friday night.

>

We are doing a restart. Yes, that’s right, just like we’d do with a computer. When WTIT: The Blog started it was to be an adjunct to our website and how we could communicate the WTIT Tape Radio story. From the start we had weekend meme features. First we discovered Saturday 8 by Ms. Harrington, and then Saturday 9. Sunday Stealing was done here on this blog for over two years before we syndicated it. Anyhow, we did swear that we would not do weekday memes. We had the story of a group of friends to tell. Guys, who at 15, played the current music, told the stories of their lives (including families of the DJs, the girlfriends, then later the wives. And kids.) We saw friends come and go, but then Johnnie Walker and I navigated over 40 years of WTIT through an ocean of DJs and a lot of relationships.

Johnnie Walker and Bud Weiser: February 2011

The Blog will try going back to its roots after a break. We will take time off to recharge. When we return, we will blog about WTIT again. We will give you our opinions on today’s music. We will “interview” celebrities. Less memes. More comedy. We will now only play the Rock ‘n Roll Fridays, Saturday 9 and Stealing memes.

We know this will disappoint a lot of our friends. But, when we started we wanted to write about life. We will try to get back to funny. We kinda lost our way. We will find it. Have a good week. We will return sooner or later after the break. Same time. Same blog. Peace!