Steve’s List
Broadcasting Heroes: Norm Nathan, Steve Allen, Walter Cronkite
Biggest Influences On My Broadcasting Style: Norm Nathan, Steve Allen, Jean Shepherd, Groucho Marx
Favorite Radio Gigs: Hosting the morning show at WFTQ Worcester (1990-91), hosting the daily hour-long news program on Monitor Radio International (1993-94)
First Appearance on WBZ: I was a guest on "Sports Huddle" when I was about 14 years old.
First On-Air Appearance As Host: January 1974, WERS Boston, my college station. I co-hosted a weekly comedy show called, "But Seriously Folks..."
Cool Trivia: I was a guest on "Talk To The People" On WBZ-FM in 1975.
First Show As Host on WBZ: April, 1991
First Network Radio Appearances: For ABC Radio News and ABC Talkradio as a news reporter and sports commentator in the early 1980s.
First Network Radio Appearance as Host: Filling in for Steve Delaney on Monitor Radio's Early Edition on American Public Radio, 1993.
Longest Air Shift: 12 hours (WESO Southbridge, Mass. - Blizzard of '78 coverage)
Longest Off-Air Shift (writer, producer, editor): 34 hours (ABC News, New York - when the hostages were released from Iran in 1981.)
Most Talk Shows Hosted in One Weekend: Nine! From Friday afternoon through Sunday night. (WBZ, 1992) That has to be a station record. Maybe even a world record!
Biggest Radio Thrill: Filling in for Norm Nathan on WBZ, 1992
Favorite Award I've Won: Associated Press Massachusetts Broadcasters' Award for Best Sports Commentary, 1987 (I did sports commentary on WAAF Worcester)
Favorite Radio Anchor, Then: Leo Egan (WHDH Boston, 1960s)
Favorite Radio Anchor, Now: Gary LaPierre (WBZ)
Favorite Disc Jockey of All Time: Norm Nathan (WHDH, 1960s-70s)
Favorite Morning DJ of All Time: Jess Cain (WHDH, 1960s-70s)
Favorite DJ Sign-Off: "...and thanks for putting me on." - Ron Landry (WBZ, 1960s)
Favorite Talk Show Host of All Time: Larry Glick (WBZ, 1960s-70s)
Favorite Person on the Radio Today: Garrison Keillor
Favorite Radio Shows, Then: Norm Nathan Show (WHDH, 1960s-70s), Jean Shepherd Show (as replayed on WGBH, 1970s), Bob & Ray Show (WOR New York, 1970s. I only got to hear them when we visited my cousins in Jersey.)
Favorite Radio Shows, Recent/Current: A Prarie Home Companion (PRI), Sunday Morning (CBC), This American Life (NPR)
Favorite Old-Time Radio Show: Fred Allen Show
Favorite Sports Radio Show, Then: Voice of Sports (WHDH, 1960s with Don Gillis as host)
Favorite Sports Radio Show, Now: Only A Game (NPR) (I filled-in as host on that show once.)
Favorite Radio Show About Radio: Media Network (Radio Netherlands)
Favorite International Radio Hosts: Kim Shippey (on the now defunct Monitor Radio International a.k.a. The World Service of the Christian Science Monitor), Jonathan Marks (Radio Netherlands)
Favorite Norm Nathan Performances That Most People Don't Remember: His appearances on WHDH-TV in the 1960s on a morning news show that used to air around 5:30 or 6 a.m. I can't recall the name of the show. (Years later when I mentioned this to Norm he couldn't believe I remembered this show.)
Favorite TV Anchor of All Time: Walter Cronkite
Favorite TV Anchor, Current: Peter Jennings
Favorite Local TV Anchor of All Time: John Henning (WHDH-TV, 1960s-70s) (Nowadays John is a senior correspondent for WBZ-TV.)
Favorite TV Anchor Sign-Off: "So long and make it a good day." - Jack Chase (on WBZ-TV's "Daily Almanac" in the 1960s.)
Favorite TV Reporter of All Time: Dan Rather
Favorite TV Weather Forecaster, Then: Don Kent, Bruce Schwoegler
Favorite TV Weather Forecasters, Now: Kevin Mannix (Ch. 6, Portland, Me.)
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Month: October
Favorite Food: Pizza
Favorite Beer: Guinness (Sure, I could name some microbrew that I like a lot and that most people haven’t heard of and come off sounding really cool but the fact is that Guinness IS the best beer in the world)
Favorite Seasonal Brew: Samuel Adams' Octoberfest
Favorite Bar: Cornwall’s (Kenmore Square)
Favorite Brewpub: Gritty McDuff’s (Portland, Me)
Favorite Restaurant: Street & Co. (Portland, Me)
Favorite Restaurant of Days Gone By: Bette's Rolls Royce (Boston)
Favorite "Hole in the Wall" Bar/Restaurant: La Scala (Worcester)
Favorite Burger Joint: Rapid Ray's (Saco, Me.)
Favorite Hot Dog Joint: Coney Island (Worcester)
Favorite Seafood Joint: Woodman's (Essex, Mass.)
Favorite Deli: Carnegie Deli (New York)
Favorite Breakfast Place: Maine Diner (Wells, Me.)
Favorite Beach: Cape Cod National Seashore
Favorite Museum: Museum of Television & Radio (New York)
Favorite Boston Pops Conductor: Arthur Fiedler
Favorite Boston Symphony Conductor: Michael Tilson Thomas
Favorite Classical Music Announcer: William Pierce
Favorite Sport: Take a wild guess!
Favorite Album of All Time: Blood on the Tracks (Bob Dylan)
Favorite Musical Artist: Bob Dylan
Favorite Songwriter: Bob Dylan
Favorite Dylan Song: I really can’t pick just one. I really can’t pick just five or ten! But if I walked over to the CD player right now as I’m writing this I‘d play "Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat"
Favorite Singing Voice: Emmylou Harris
Favorite Rock Group of All Time: The Band
Favorite Rock Concert I Attended: Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at Sandstone (Kansas), 1985 or so.
Favorite "New" Musical Artist: Lucinda Williams
Favorite Folk Group of All Time: The Weavers
Favorite Folk Club: Passim (Harvard Square)
Favorite Coffeehouse: Coffee Kingdom (Worcester)
Favorite Folk Concert I Attended: Ronnie Gilbert at the Old Vienna Coffeehouse, Westboro, Mass., early 1990s
Favorite Country Artist: Willie Nelson
Favorite Country Concert I Attended: The Highwaymen (Waylon, Willie, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson), at The Centrum, about 1992.
Favorite Country & Bluegrass Musician: John Hartford
Favorite Song: Amazing Grace
Favorite Christmas Song: Holly Jolly Christmas (Burl Ives)
Favorite Jazz Group: This is a toughie...can I name three? Miles Davis’ group that included John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderly; The Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond; John Coltrane’s group with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones.
Favorite Jazz Recording: "Straight, No Chaser" (Miles Davis’ version on the "Milestones" album)
Favorite Jazz Disc Jockey: Steve Elman (WBUR Boston, 1970s)
Favorite Jazz Concerts I Attended: Roland Kirk, at Lenny's about 1972 and again at the Jazz Workshop about 1974.
Favorite Jazz Club: Far & Away (Cliffside Park, NJ) (I hope it's still there.)
Favorite Jazz Club of Days Gone By: Jazz Workshop (Boston)
Favorite Blues Artist: I can't possibly pick just one. How about one each from several different styles? Mississppi Fred McDowell, B.B. King, Jimmy Witherspoon, Rory Block, Stevie Ray Vaughn. And Bob Dylan. Yes, Dylan. If he'd never recorded a folk song and never recorded a rock song, he'd be recognized as a major blues artist.
Favorite Blues Concert I Attended: Stevie Ray Vaughn, Lincoln Center, about 1984.
Favorite Big Bands: Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich
Favorite Swing Recording: Sing! Sing! Sing! Benny Goodman, 1938 Carnegie Hall performance. (How can I pick anything else?)
Favorite Music Critic: Steve Morse (Boston Globe)
Favorite TV Show of All Time: Andy Griffith Show
Favorite TV Show, Current: The West Wing
Favorite Late Night TV Show: David Letterman
Favorite TV Character: Floyd the Barber (Andy Griffith Show)
Favorite Comedian of All Time: Groucho Marx
Favorite Comedian, Current: Mike McDonald
Favorite Comedy Groups: Marx Bros., Bob & Ray, Firesign Theatre
Favorite Comedy Album: "Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers" (Firesign Theatre)
Favorite Comedy Concert I Attended: "Bob & Ray - A Night of Two Stars" (Carnegie Hall, about 1984)
Favorite Books: The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck); Blue Highways (William Least Heat Moon); The Baseball Encyclopedia; The Cat In The Hat Comes Back (Dr. Seuss)
Favorite Writer: John Steinbeck
Favorite Sportswriter: Tom Boswell (Washington Post)
Favorite Source of Baseball Information: Peter Gammons (ESPN, Boston Globe)
Favorite Sports Section: Boston Globe
Favorite Baseball Annoucers, Radio: Ned Martin, Vin Scully, John Miller
Favorite Baseball Annoucer, TV: John Miller
Favorite Athlete: Doug Flutie
Favorite Computer Game: Civilization II
Favorite Website: Swanktown Radio
Favorite Search Engine: Google
Favorite Movie: This is more difficult than picking a Dylan song.
Favorite Actors: Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Hal Holbrook, Dustin Hoffman
Favorite Actress: Katherine Hepburn
Second Favorite State: Maine
Least Favorite State: Florida
Only Reasons to Visit Florida: 1-My brother lives there. 2-That's where spring training is.
Favorite Cities: Boston, New York, London, Prague
Favorite Smaller Cities: Portland, Me., Worcester, Mass., Portsmouth, NH
Favorite Quote: "I’m not a hawk, I’m a dove...a heavily-armed dove." - Jack Kemp, presidential candidate, 1988
Favorite Politician: George McGovern
Most Important President of My Lifetime: Richard Nixon
Worst President of My Lifetime: Richard Nixon (Dishonorable Mention: Bill Clinton)
Favorite First Lady: Barbara Bush
My First Vote for President: Eugene McCarthy (No, not 1968 - heck, I was only 13 then. It was in 1976 when he ran as an independent.)
First Election Night Assignment: I covered Massachusetts Secretary of State candidate Jack Quinlan’s concession speech in 1974 for my college station, WERS.
Best Election Night Assignment (Other than Anchoring): I covered Pat Buchanan's victory speech in the 1996 New Hampshire primary for Monitor Radio.
Favorite Holiday: Thanksgiving
Favorite Candy Bar: PayDay
Favorite Place: I’ll never tell!
Second Favorite Place: Fenway Park
Second Favorite Ballpark: Wrigley Field
Favorite New Ballpark: PNC Park
Favorite Baseball Game I Attended: Game One of the 1975 World Series (Luis Tiant shuts out the Big Red Machine)
Favorite Moment of the Year: The morning of the Opening Day of the baseball season.
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