rock and roll

Rock and Roll 101: Cousin Brucie Shares His Insights

Bill Thompson

Over the last few decades, entire libraries full of books have been written about the history of rock and roll.

Where do you even begin? How do you wrap your arms around such an enormous subject? And how do you keep it in proper context of the culture and society?

Perhaps few people are as well qualified to do that as Bruce Morrow, otherwise known to millions of radio listeners as cousin Brucie.

When I sat down with him a few years ago, we talked about the music, the culture, the society, and the careers that he helped shape.

So here now from 2009 Cousin Brucie, Bruce Morrow.

Bruce Morrow is 86 now.

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Graham Nash

Wolfman Jack

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Graham Nash

Bill Thompson

Graham Nash is actually in the Rock and Roll Hal;l of Fame twice – once as a member of the ’60s pop group The Hollies, and again for his work as a member of Crosby Stills and Nash.

Graham Nash with Bill and Hillary Thompson

Nash been an icon in pop and rock music for decades — and in 2002, he puboished a book about some of the best-known and most iconic songs of our time,

It was called “Off the Record,” and I met Graham Nash when he was on tour promoting that book.

You’ll be humming tunes for hours after hearing this interview.

And .. I also brought my wife Hillary with me that day. You may hear her off-mike a coupole of times…

So here now, from 2002, Graham Nash:

Graham Nash will be 79 in February. He lives in New York.

“Cousin Brucie” Morrow

Bill Thompson

Some of you, if you’re old enough, grew up listening to Cousin Brucie on New York City radio from 1961 to 1974. Others remember him from the movie Dirty Dancing. And still others know him from his show on Sirius XM in the last 15 years.

Bruce Morrow, known on the air as Cousin Brucie, is one of America’s most famous, and most popular, disc jockeys.

I first met him in 1987, when he wrote A Memoir of his broadcast years.

And yes, he’s just as wacky and funny in person as you’d expect him to be.

So here now, from 1987, Cousin Brucie.

Cousin Brucie Morrow celebrated his 85th birthday a couple of weeks ago. And you can still hear him on New York WABC late night on Saturdays.

Wolfman Jack

Bill Thompson

Tomorrow, August 20th, is National Radio Day.

Yoday, we’re going to revisit my interview 25 years ago with one of the greatest radio personalities of all time.

And I’m going to let you hear the question I asked him that day, and the answer he gave me, that has haunted me to this day.

I’m talking about the great Wolfman Jack, one of the greatest figures in the history of the music business in America, as well as radio.

So here now, froim 1995, Wolfman Jack:

Now, about that question I asked him, and the answer he gave — Here it is:

Just hours later, after he finished his live show in Washington, Wolfman Jack drove back to his home in North Carolina, got out of his car, and collapsed and died. He was 57.

It turns out mine was the last interview we ever gave. And I asked him why he wasn’t dead yet. That haunts me.