The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe - 155: Lullaby for a Crackhead

Episode Date: April 7, 2020

He only had the one hit...but boy, was it a wonder!

The ocean delights us as playful otters restore coastal kelp forests. The ocean teaches us how our choices impact even the deepest places. The ocean connects us. Visit Monterey Bay Aquarium.org slash connects. This is the way I heard it. Except for the bling around his collar and a net worth of $300 million, this former crackhead doesn't have much in common with your average record mogul. In fact, if you ask him to explain the same thing,

secret of his success, the man behind the music won't credit the song that made him famous. He prefers to talk instead about the dream that inspired his turnaround and the people who helped him along the way. People like Don Imus. Back in 2011, Don Imus had a very popular radio show. He wasn't impressed with the former Crackhead's music. But Imus was also a recovering drug addict and admired those who confronted and, admired those who confronted and overcame their demons.

So Imos agreed to play the crackhead song on the air, and to his surprise, the audience responded enthusiastically. After Imas, Joe Piscopo followed suit. Like Imos, Piscopo had a radio program with many devoted listeners, and they too responded amazingly well to the crackhead song. One of those listeners was Alec Baldwin's brother, Stephen, who was so inspired by what he heard, that he befriended the former crackhead. Another was Donald Trump, who went so far as to invite the man behind the music to his inauguration,

where this former crackhead was welcomed with great enthusiasm. But never mind all the celebrity endorsements. Like most successful people, this junkies rise to fame and fortune was made possible by millions of satisfied fans and a few business. businessmen you've probably never heard of. People like Leon Baracchus. Leon runs a cover business in New York City and shocked the industry when he extended a million dollars of credit to a recovering crackhead with no money and no collateral. When asked why, Leon said, there's just something about him that maybe trust him, something real.

He just had so much faith in what he was doing. And then there's Wyman Smith. Wyman was the president of the company that created the filler that helped turn an otherwise unforgettable melody into the infectious earworm. You can't help but hum along to. Like Leon Barraccus, Wyman Smith offered a million-dollar line of credit after a face-to-face meeting with this former junkie, a man who once smoked and snorted so much cocaine.

He didn't sleep for two weeks. It's true. This former crackhead once went without sleep for 14 straight days, an extraordinary two-week bender that should have killed him, but instead brought him to the man most responsible for the song, you can't forget. A drug dealer named Lee, who extended the most attractive terms imaginable. Like all successful entrepreneurs, Lee understood the importance of taking risks, but Lee also understood the importance of keeping his clients alive. And so, when his best customer showed up on the heels of that two-week bender, wide-eyed, sleepless, and looking to buy more cocaine, Lee turned him away.

You don't need any more crack, he said. What you need is a good night's sleep. Then, Lee took a picture of the broken man standing before him, strung out and desperate. Here, said Lee, look at yourself. I'm telling you, brother, you're going to die if you don't get some rest. Later that night, the crackhead prayed for God to take away his addiction. Then he fell asleep and dreamed the dream that would turn his life around. when he awakened, his craving was gone.

In its place, a new vision for a new life. It was a miracle, he says. An absolute miracle. A few months after quitting, Cold Turkey, Don Imus and Joe Piscopoe were playing his song on the radio. And just a few years after that, that same melody had generated over $2 billion in sales. It's a heck of a story, and you can read all about it in his autobiography.

It's called What Are the Odds? And like most celebrity memoirs, you'll find his face on the cover. But you might not recognize it as the face of the wholesome inventor in the blue shirt with the bling around the collar, the golden cross he never removes. Now, the image he chose for the cover of his memoir is the photo. taken after 14 days without sleep, a photo taken by Lee, the drug dealer, who just said no. It's a logical choice. Without Lee, this former crackhead would have surely overdosed or died of exhaustion. Had he not gone to sleep that fateful night, he would have never dreamed of the

product that saved his life, nor would he have purchased millions of Leonie. Barocca's custom covers or truckloads of Wyman Brown's patented fill or lived to personally oversee the manufacturing of 40 million revolutionary sleep aids in his home state of Minnesota. And if you still can't picture the well-rested face of this moustachioed pitchman, maybe you'll recognize the song that made him famous, the ubiquitous jingle, now synonymous. with a former crackhead named Mike Lindell, whose inescapable lullaby continues to haunt the airwaves. For the best night's sleep in the whole wide world, visit my pillow.com.

Anyway, that's the way I heard it. Over and over and over and over again. You're welcome. Now, I'm not the only one with that infernal one hit, wonder stuck in my mind's ear for the rest of the day. Oh, how many times do you reckon you have heard that jingle, honestly? I was thinking about it as I was writing the story and it's got to be north of 3,000. I mean, it's been on the air for years. I can't think of a day that I've been home when I haven't heard those people sing, for the best night's leap and the, oh my God,

I don't even going to do it again. This is the way I talked about the way I heard. heard it, the only spontaneous analysis of the only podcast for the curious mind with a short attention span, wherein I attempt to explain the circumstances that led me to write the story you just heard. I'll also be free associating a bit about my life here in the age of the coronavirus, so if you tune in for the mystery and only the mystery, this would be a terrific time for you to stop listening. If on the other hand, you don't mind a little extemporaneous free association, where were we? Ah, yes.

I, full disclosure, bought a my pillow about five years ago, not because I needed a new pillow or because I needed an extra pillow. I bought it because I thought maybe in some sort of mysterious, universal way, buying one might make the jingle stop. But of course, it didn't work. And I have to say, I've gotten used to the pillow. I like it. It was weird at first. It was kind of chunky and strange than my pillow was, but now it's what I prefer, and I've got a couple of them.

I'm what you call a satisfied customer, and I don't say that because they're sponsoring the podcast. They're not. Not yet, anyway. But if they were to make me an offer, I would probably say yes, because, again, full disclosure, I admire what the guy's done. I know he's a little strange, the mustache is kind of weird, the blue shirt, the crucifix, you know, all of that, you know, but when I saw him last week at that press conference, as I'm sure many of you did as well, he was in the Rose Garden with the president. I was really struck by the reaction to his comments. Now, this isn't a, I don't get political on the podcast, and I'm not going to get political now. I just mean it from a social standpoint. You know, here this guy is a former crackhead. He's got this amazing story from, you know, really a story of redemption. And he shared it. You know, he showed up there as a

businessman. He thanked the president, whom he clearly supports, and he encouraged the country to read the Bible. And those two things combined, wow, I mean, that's what all the conversation was about. That's what people have been discussing for the last four or five days and lost in the midst of all that is the fact that this moustachioed pitchman who makes a product right here in the United States has converted his manufacturing facility to create over 50,000 face masks a day. I don't care what color your shirt is or what you wear around your neck or what candidate you support. That in and of itself is kind of amazing and giving credit where it's due is something that I think, well, I think it's important now more than ever, especially now,

because we are truly all of us in the same boat for the first time in my lifetime. Anyway, and I applaud what Mike Lindell did. I don't care much about what he said one way or the other, or the fact that he got some free publicity in the process. Why not? Personally, I don't see how we get out of this mess without capitalism, working, without entrepreneurs and business leaders being creative and inventive and generous with their money, their time, their resources, and their brains. You know, if that means a pillow company steps up and starts making face masks, I say right on, man, keep it coming.

I love it. Anyway, that's how that story happened. As you know, these stories all evolve under completely different circumstances. and this one just happened because I was quarantined sitting at my kitchen table, flicking around and watching the My Pillow guy tell me to read the Bible and thank the President of the United States and me just thinking, wow, that is going to have an interesting reaction. And so it has. And maybe my reaction is part of it. I don't know. Anyway, that's how the story happened. As for me, let me just say thank you.

to so many of you who have reached out. Last week I explained the circumstances that led me to isolate myself. I was the last public speaker at the last big event held in the country, and I shook a lot of hands and was worried that I might have picked up the crud, as it were. But I haven't. I'm fine, and I'm busy, I'm happy to say. I'm lucky to be able to say how busy I am. It's funny. Each day for me starts with a list of things I've been meaning to do from straightening the office, cleaning the garage, answering emails, maybe even just catching up on some reading. But thankfully, Facebook has decided they want to keep returning the favor on the air during this time. And so we've delivered two episodes, the COVID edition of returning the favor. And they've been viewed millions of times. People love them. They're short and sweet. And they're on my Facebook page if you want to check them out. Discovery called and said, hey, season 16 of Deadliest Catch, which you've narrated again, you know, it's coming on the air. What do you think? You want to do another one of those after the catches? After the Catch used to be a talk show that I did in a bar with the captains after new episodes of Deadliest Catch. I said, well, how would we do it? They said, Zoom, from your office. I said, why not? And so a few days ago, we had an amazing conversation, me and a dozen or of the captains. And their insights, I thought, were really interesting. And that special will be on this Tuesday at 8 o'clock on Discovery. And honestly, if you want to hear from somebody who is

accustomed to isolation, who is accustomed to uncertainty, who understands the nature of unexpected calamities like rogue waves and lives in a constant state of fear and readiness, talk to a crabboat captain. I did, and the conversations are great. Microworks, we've extended our work ethic scholarship program through the end of April. So if you want to apply, this is the time to do it. We're giving away a million dollars this year at microworks.org slash scholarship. Every week, I try and get together a video that celebrates one of our applicants who went on to prove that mastering a skill that's in demand can still lead to some level of happiness and prosperity. I think when this thing settles out, they'll never be a better time

for skilled tradespeople to write their own ticket. So microworks.org slash scholarship if you want to apply. My mom, as you know, has written another terrific book. It's a funny book. Unfortunately, it's hitting the shelves at the height of the plague. So I'm trying to find creative ways to talk about her book. Is that gross? Is it weird?

Are we not supposed to do that in the time of coronavirus? I'm honestly not sure. We're all just kind of fumbling around trying to figure out what our lives look like and what our work looks like with this new set of rules. And I'm no different. I'm trying to figure out what this podcast is supposed to be. I want to keep it on the rails by writing stories each week. But I also feel like talking extemporaneously like I am right now about the headlines. Because the headlines are what's on my mind.

but I will attempt to measure of discipline. In fact, I'm going to sign off in a second, and when I do, I've got an idea for another story. I'm going to write it this afternoon. This is a Sunday, by the way, in real time. I'm going to write it this afternoon, and I'll have it up for you this time next week. So, until then, stay in, stay safe, stay home, keep close. Zoom with people you haven't seen in a while, or go to meeting, or whatever the latest technology. is I don't know about all that. I just know that this was the way I talked about the way I heard it, and I appreciate you listening.

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