WHOoPLA Book Proposal
WHOoPLA:
The Greatest Rock Radio Stunt Ever
By:
V. Scott Beddome
Overview
Much to the consternation of the critics, the death of freeform fm radio heralded the beginning of the biggest rock radio wave ever. The self enveloped, verbose dj’s of the past were finally muzzled and the wimpy and whiney 70’s “pranksters” music was culled out and replaced with only that which kicked ass. It was the early 80’s and the next generation had taken over with a vengeance.
In 1982, set against that backdrop, the Woodstock descended, legendary rock band The Who announced that they were about to embark on what would be called their “Farewell Tour.” As was the case for most mega bands of the period, The Who were going to pass over the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in favor of Chicago and Minneapolis. Milwaukee lacked a large enough venue and had long been considered a sister city to Chicago. Thus, the basic economics and mere proximity relegated the city to second class status.
In what has since come to be considered an urban legend, a true hearted DJ named Tim The Rock N Roll Animal decided he was not going to stand for it anymore. As he stepped out onto the 21st story ledge of his tiny independently owned rock radio station’s downtown penthouse, he vowed to stay out there in the cold Wisconsin fall elements until The Who would promise to add Milwaukee to it’s already planned and started American tour.
WHOoPLA: The Greatest Rock Radio Stunt Ever is the story of that now mythical event. It captures the era with wilder sex, better drugs and louder rock then had come before or has since been seen. It’s typical as a parable about a band of people who get in over their head and end up creating something that is greater than they could have imagined but also carries with it a true account of a vicious rock radio war, a burgeoning new music scene and the risky and maniacal genius that created and guided the action to it’s satisfying conclusion.
About The Author:
If you met him, Scott Beddome would strike you as the average, American, tall, dark and handsome guy. It’s only when he speaks that you could then peer down into his soul. His voice has a resonance and gently humorous demeanor that says there’s more to him than meets the eye. There’s wisdom and intelligence that’s disengaging and makes you feel at ease. You instantly know that he likes you. His sincere interest makes you want to begin to ramble.
It’s that ability to get folks talking that has always been his best talent. He hosted nearly 200 nights of a popular two hour call-in style radio talk show in Milwaukee for four years. The guests and topics were everything from sports stars to coroners. It provided welcome relief from his wild and woolly rock DJ duties.
After ten years of rock radio he escaped to the tiny central Wisconsin historic hamlet of Rural where the restoration of an 1853 Greek Revival National Register property led to a 20 year profession of large scale preservation projects that included Cathedrals, Basilicas, State Capitols, Supreme Courts and, ultimately, The Smithsonian (a 4 year, million dollar project he turned down!).
Part of that hokey wisdom comes from spending 8 years as a single father. Three kids (2 girls and a boy) will pretty much fill anyone’s day. After many thousands of them in a row, the sharp edges of his jagged mind have been tumbled smooth as a shoreline stone. Toss him onto the water at just the right angle and he’d skip!
Having the ability to do whatever you want is a daunting realization that those less weathered might never be able to properly handle. Not the case for Scott Beddome as he clearly has found his place writing stories about the everyday world in an every other day way. His narratives grace the LA and Milwaukee independent scene and the internet in two online magazine/blogs that are read by several thousand each month.
The Market and Promotion:
Do you know exactly how many middle aged men there are in the US? I don’t either, but I know it’s a lot. Everybody is after us. We’re under attack and it’s insidious. They’re using all the songs that we grew up with, went through puberty with and got high with to promote their new Cadillac Escalades and erectile dysfunction drugs. It makes me sick that even I, the contrary and suspicious cynic that I am, will sit through the entire commercial just to hear the song.
It’s because I, like all the others, love to have those nostalgic receptors tickled. It generates endorphins that make me feel sublime. As a purveyor of hip attitude back then, I know what we all feel we are missing today and am happy to provide it to them. I’m the Halcyon Daze pimp and WHOoPLA is the drug. It’s not limited to Milwaukee radio because the message back then had mass appeal and was carried internationally on all the network TV morning shows, the AP wire, BBC TV, the ABC Radio Network, syndicated rock radio interview shows like “Rockline” and literally hundreds of newspaper and radio outlets all over the world. It’s likely that they would love to revisit the story on this 25th Anniversary of the mythical “ledge” event.
Beyond that, many of my former cohorts never gave up on the era and still listen to one of the hundreds of classic rock radio stations that are still playing the same songs. Howard Stern and Steve Dahl are among dozens of alt funky personalities who would dig this. The audience is vast. Actor Jack Black’s appeal is dead center this.
Finally, the rock literati will love the backstage descriptions and period capturing of a distinct point in time for the legendary band The Who.
In summary, the market is everybody who listened to rock radio in the early 80’s and would like to relive the experience through the eyes of someone who was behind the scenes. That number is likely hundreds of times the number of visible stars in the sky but less than them all.
I’m a great interview and have dozens of old friends who would are anxious to help promote the book over their hundreds of radio venues that include those owned by Citadel Broadcasting, Clear Channel and XM. I am free as a bird to travel wherever they will have me. When do we leave?
The Competition
It’s amazing that this particular radio era has yet to be written about. There’s been much written about the freeform 70’s that includes:
FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio by Richard Neer (Villard)
and
Radio Waves: Life and Revolution on the FM Dial by Jim Ladd (St. Martin Press).
As comparables, they lack the wider storyline appeal of a fable that’s a metaphor for life.
FM was the source for a loosely based movie. Film parallels are the easier rap as WHOoPLA would be described as “Almost Famous meets Boogie Nights meets Blow.”
Book store display would be in the music section until the movie come out. It then would be moved to entertainment or general interest.
There’s so much more going on that you would need to talk with me directly (and pay for lunch) to hear it all.
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