My old friend.

“I'd sit alone and watch your light

My only friend through teenage nights

And everything I had to know

I heard it on my radio.”

Before iPods, iPhones, and iTunes, there were limited options on how to listen to music. You had records, cassettes and compact disc players—oh yeah, and you also had radios!

Growing up, we had several radios in our house, one TV and a record player. I remember when I was probably around 15 or so, my Dad purchased a Sony Walkman. With its thick cigarette-packed shape and head phones with orange sponge protectors, when I was able to use it, I thought it was the best. Its sound was so much better than the transistor radio we had—-and its single plug for your ear. Spoiler Alert: We have 2 ears, so the sound was never very good.

When I was 13 I received my first stereo, and with it, besides the turntable and 8-track player…was a radio. It was illuminated and it kept me company when I was holed up in my room while studying (yeah, right), talking with friends on the phone, or just hanging out listening to music. I bought albums, but since I didn’t have a job, I had very few of them. Some of my favorites were Fleetwood Mac, The Guess Who, Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band—-they were played so often, I seem to remember they skipped a lot.

When I would go home to visit my parents, many of the radio stations I had grown up with had either changed formats, call letters, and/or were no longer around. One of my favorite memories was calling the station and trying to win prizes; when my folks added a push button phone to our house, that was like heaven for me. I could dial faster, and when it was busy, I could dial fast again. I won a few records and one time won some free food!

Some would say the radio has passed us by, however I disagree. Every time I get in the car, even if I plug in my phone, I turn on the radio. I always know who has been in the car before me as the station I don’t listen to is playing….but I know how to take care of that. One thing I do, however, is when I hear a song on radio, I will download it on to my phone…certainly one of the beauties of technology!

The photo above was taken in a restaurant somewhere in Chicago. I saw this radio and it reminded me of what my Dad listened to when he was growing up—-you remember, the days before TV, cassettes and CD players! 

Thanks for stopping by.