Audio Media

When we turned to audio media, my Grandmother described how the radio was central in her home growing up. Her mom would listen to the news first thing in the morning, while her dad always had the fights tuned in at night after work. Whether it was the small radios in her siblings' rooms or the large one in the kitchen, there was always a radio tuned into WHB.

"I played it all day long, of course we had to work, but as much as I could. On the weekends especially. Then when I turned 16, I would listen to the radio in the car all night long. The Rolling Stones would play, Santana, The Who." 

She remembered WHB playing every type of music from county to pop music. The station would be cut off by Kansas City at nine at night, then she recalled having to make their own music. She would

The only country Linda listened to was
Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
Source: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country
/7873024/kenny-rogers-dolly-parton-final-performance

often listen to Motown and occasionally Kenny Rogers, but not anything with too much twang, while her parents had Dean Martin on in the kitchen.

"They listened to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. And my parents both said Dean Martin could sing better than Frank Sinatra"

Each broadcast started and ended with the Star Spangle Banner, and commericials would only be about thirty seconds long. Linda recalled commercials for insurance, cigarettes, cars, and even funeral homes, which she promptly described as "very weird." What I found most surprising was the use of the Star Spangle Banner to mark the start and end of a broadcast, which was not something I had heard before. Linda did not have access to FM radio until she moved to Kansas City in the mid-70's. She remembered being thrilled by the wide range of music options FM radio provided. The top 10 broadcast every Friday was her favorite to listen to.

In addition to the radio in her room, Linda recalls having a small record player with a pink case that she shared with her younger sister.

Cover of Michael Jackson's first single, "Ben".
Source: http://www.covermesongs.com/2018/10/
covering-the-hits-ben-michael-jackson.html

"I played 45's on it. One of my favorite 45' was Michael Jackson singing "Ben". It was about a mouse! It was the Jackson Five, but it was his first single as Michael Jackson. It was my favorite record and I wore it out!" 

Along with the record player she also used 8-tracks and cassettes growing up. She had no restriction on what kind of music she was allowed to listen to because she had very limited access to music being in Macon. However, the same cannot be said for her daughter, Stephanie, who Linda did not allow to listen to heavy metal.

Linda is a big fan of music, which lead her to attending many concerts throughout her life. She remembers attending her first concert in Kirksville, where Johnny Mathis played, followed shortly by a Tina and Ike Turner concert in Columbia. She continued recounting her favorite artists she heard on the radio and saw on TV.

"My first boy band that I fell in love with was the Beatles! Girl band was Diana Ross and the Supremes. I saw them on the Ed Sullivan Show. Elvis Presley was also on that show and they could only show him from the waist up because he was dancing and that wasn’t allowed on TV then."

Her favorite artist, Lionel Richie, has reigned supreme throughout most of her life. Today she mostly listens to songs on the radio and does not participate in streaming her music. She mostly uses CDs for specific albums she listens to. Since having her daughter, the artists and music Linda listens to often reflects what her daughter and grandkids are listening to. She recalled listening to one particular Elton John record every time she was in the car with Stephanie. However, the record met its end when it was left on the dash of the car and warped in the sun. Linda still has an aptitude for concerts, which lead her to see Michael Jackson in 1987, Duran Duran in 1989, the Jonas Brothers in 2008, Justin Timberlake in 2013, and the Jonas Brothers again just last month. When asked what her favorite concert is, she quickly responded with Lionel Richie in 1984 in Kansas City where she sat front row with Stephanie. As I conducted her interview, it became apparent that her love for music correlates closely with her love for her family that she listened to the music with.

Linda at the Jonas Brothers concert last month with her family
Source: Photo © by Ashley Masters. Used by permission