Show of the Week: Rockin’ Oldies

Every week of programing we will be highlighting the Black Squirrel Radio Show of the Week!

This week’s show is Rockin’ Oldies

Rockin’ Oldies airs every Monday from 10pm-Midnight. Host Maggie Flynn has been with BSR since she started at Kent State, making this the seventh semester of her nostalgia filled classic rock program.

Describe your show:
Rockin’ Oldies is a show based on 50s, 60s and 70s rock n’ roll. Each week I have a new theme that I closely base the show off of. We’ve had a show of only songs with laughing in them, shows full of songs that have talking in them, holiday shows, artist spotlights, love themed shows, dating themes, B-sides, songs that tell stories, Motown, guitar solos, you name it!

How did you come up with your show concept:
I want to, professionally, be a classic rock DJ. Kent State having a radio station was a big selling point for me, so when I started here I was sure to immediately start the process of becoming a DJ at BSR. My mom came up with the name, Rockin’ Oldies. My parents have always been very supportive of my interests and goals, so I liked the name being something she had thought of. As far as the content of my show, I have always had a pretty vast knowledge of classic rock music. As a result of this, creating sets for my themes the days beforehand or talking about song history, artists, albums, stats, etc. is very enjoyable, not something that causes stress of any kind. My format, although it’s shaped itself more as years have passed, was something I thought would make for an informative and fun classic rock radio show.

Who are some of your favorite bands/artists:
My favorite band is The Beatles. They are definitely at the top of my list. I’ve also always loved The Who, Elvis Presley, Simon & Garfunkel, Queen and The Rolling Stones. Although I’ll listen to almost anything from those three decades, some of my other favorite groups are The Lovin’ Spoonful and Tommy James & The Shondells. I am also a really big Wings fan. The Beatles all made great music separately, I love all of their solo work. Paul and John’s is my favorite though, they both had a continuous line of great, timeless solo albums. Paul’s ‘Every Night’ is my favorite song!

How did you get into oldies:
It’s hard to say when I really got into oldies, I’ve been listening to them since I was born. My dad had The Beatles Anthology movie playing in the delivery room while I was born, so I’ve literally been listening to The Beatles since the second I popped out. As a baby, one of the only things that could put me to sleep or get me to stop crying was my dad singing me ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ or playing Beatle records. The earliest memory I have of myself choosing to listen to oldies is in the car at 6 years old. I had just moved to Germany and I was sad about the big move. My mom put on a CD called ‘Elvis 30 #1 Hits’. I was instantly taken by it. I asked her who it was, along with a million other questions, got out of my car seat and came to the front of the car to look at the CD pamphlet. I think it’s pretty cool, the first song I remember really pulling me in was ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, the first song on the CD. George Harrison has called that song a “rock n’ roll epiphany”; the first song that really took him, which I always thought was pretty neat that two people can say that, decades apart. When we got home, my mom and I sat in the car and looked through the pamphlet of the CD case together. I remember us talking about his lips and how handsome he was. I took the CD, kept it (sorry mom) and would listen to it on my Walkman CD player every single day. I would beg teachers to play the CD at class parties, I’d be the only second grader to wear Elvis shirts, all oversized, and my first poster, and first real crush, was Elvis! My grandma would send me books and lunch boxes, whatever she could find, I really loved the King. From there, I remember, I got really into The Who. My dad and I would listen to them in the car together all the time and air drum like crazy people together, I have really fond memories of that. My Generation – The Very Best of The Who was the next CD that I began to listen to almost religiously. From there, my musical taste evolved and grew on its own. I got into The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, my library grew a lot as I got older. Growing up, my mom would play Frank Sinatra, American Graffiti Soundtracks, Queen, my dad would play The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, so I was exposed to a lot of different music through them. Since I was a kid, oldies have always been what I’m most interested in. There’s so much about the music that came out of that time that has impacted me so much that I want to devote my life to sharing it with people and letting them experience the same things that this music has let me experience. I still have those same two CD’s; Elvis 30 #1 Hits and My Generation – The Very Best of The Who. They’re always in my car and I still love to listen to them 🙂

If you could time travel to any time when/where would you go:
This question is so tough to answer. Being front row at The Beatles American debut on the Ed Sullivan Show would’ve been pretty cool. Woodstock would’ve been awesome too.

If you could have any dead celebrity on your show who would you have:
I think I’d have John Lennon on my show. I’ve always really admired him for many reasons and to be able to have a conversation with him and listen to music together would be incredible. Just to look at him in person would be amazing.

What is your favorite BSR memory:
It’s hard to pick just one! I have always had so much fun with BSR. Some highlights are definitely having people reach out and tell me they love the show. One time that stands out was last year. I got a typed letter in my mailbox from a professor that taught a class down the hall from the station, during my show. We have speakers outside of the studio that put our shows out into the hallways and he told me he always looked forward to the music I played, that was pretty special. When people are walking by the studio and get excited about what I’m playing and start dancing or give me a thumbs up and a big smile, I always really love that. Another highlight is always my friends and family constantly supporting me, spreading the word about the show, I’ve always really appreciated that. I can’t thank them enough for all their endless care. Probably my favorite moments though, besides first being hired which was very exciting, have been when people tell me I’m what got them into classic rock. I want people to know about and appreciate this music, I don’t want it to be forgotten, so when people tell me I opened them up to it or I showed them one of their now favorite artists, that’s probably what makes me happiest. Long live rock!

Be sure to check out Rockin’ Oldies every Monday 10pm-Midnight only on Black Squirrel Radio!