Phil Collins, Elton John, and Gloria Estefan dominated Adult Contemporary radio back in the 1980s and '90s, yet have disappeared from modern radio. Seemingly, the only time you ever hear them is at the grocery store or your local CVS. This blog remembers the music, the stories and the quirky characters from my days working in Adult Contemporary radio.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Billy Joel "Piano Man"
After slipping into a taxi outside of an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, the cab driver peered into his rear view mirror and noticed me and the handful of fellow Americans. He quickly grabbed a compact disc and slid it into his player. Moments later, the Eagles "Hotel California" came blaring out of his crackly speakers. With Don Henley and company introducing us to the place you can check out but never leave, the driver continued his drive into the bustling downtown area. Similar to cabs in America, he didn't run the air conditioning during this hot and humid March night -- is this some sort of universal rule among cab drivers? Other songs we heard on his CD included "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Piano Man". My guess is the driver had a special "gringo mix" of popular sing-along tunes for whenever he chauffeurs American tourists. I could also be wrong, but I don't think I am...