Mad Daddy - Myers, Mintz and the Moondog and How Cleveland, Ohio Changed Rock Radio - by Janice Olszewski & Mike Olszewski (Paperback)

About the Book

The history of Cleveland rock radio.

Book Synopsis

"I was lucky enough to grow up during the golden age of Top 40 AM radio and enjoying the best DJs in the business. We all listened to Bill Randle, Carl Reese, Phil McLean, Johnny Holiday, and of course Alan Freed and Mad Daddy. We exhibited our 'smarts' by pretending to know which hits would be # 1, next week. What my friends didn't know was my inside track with DJ's like Alan Freed coming to my house to go over play lists with my dad Leo who, of course, told Alan what would be 'selling' the next week. Although a distant memory, I believe Rock 'n' Roll owes its existence to all these great jocks giving the music we loved a vehicle to expand, last, and become part of our entire generation. Radio today isn't a shadow of the media of the 50's and 60's when the personalities like Pete 'Mad Daddy' truly were bigger than life and made radio fun to listen to. Now, when I was certain I remembered that good old age, these pages thoughtfully written by Janice and Mike Olszewski do indeed inform me of how much I didn't know."

- Stuart Mintz, son of Leo Mintz, who saw it all firsthand

"Rick (Lux) would be upstairs in his bedroom at our house spinning his countless collection of early rock n roll records, reading Mad magazine, and listening to the Mad Daddy radio show fueling his fire for his love of rock n roll. I was his young toddler brother first witnessing all this and seeing for the first time who was to become the great rock n roll madman Lux Interior of the Cramps. It was a powerful sight that created my own fire for music. Lux would be the first in line to buy this book."

- Michael Purkhiser, musician, writer and electronics designer

"The story of Pete Myers and his on-air persona, the Mad Daddy, is finally set straight in Janice and Mike Olszewski's ultimate bio of this legendary Cleveland radio god. This long-anticipated tome is a bubbling brew of history and hysterics, filled with facts and foibles of the fast-talking disc jockey who unknowingly influenced generations of bop-infested no-counts, and reset the horizontal for all inspired radio to come. Essential reading and absolutely recommended!"

- Miriam Linna, Cramps / Norton Records / Kicksville Radio

"I've been to Alan Phreed's grave in Cleveland, and Mad Daddy left us long ago. This book lets their memory live on!"

- Phlash Phelps, Sirius XM "Sixties Gold"