Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Bill Welychka: Toronto Mike'd #1325

Episode Date: September 15, 2023

In this 1325th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Bill Welychka at his $300 room without a toilet at The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar. They cover his backwards career from national television to Kingston where he's found true happiness. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Pumpkins After Dark, Ridley Funeral Home and Electronic Products Recycling Association.

Welcome to episode 1325 of Toronto Mic'd. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery. A fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. for free local home delivery in the GTA. Palma Pasta. Enjoy the taste of fresh, homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville.

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Today, making his in-person Toronto Mike debut is Bill Wolichka. Good to see you. Thanks for coming to me. Let's explain where we're at, because normally I record in my basement. Paint a picture for us. You're the broadcaster, Bill. Paint the picture for those listening at home. Okay. Should we say the Rex Hotel?

Well, yeah. Why not? They weren't part of the sponsors that you mentioned, but they did bring a table up to the room. I'm going to talk to the manager after. So I am doing a national um morning show tomorrow so i came in today your morning on ctv yes i noticed you're hesitant to name things so we got to name things on this show bill okay and um and i figured well i want to be i have to get up early so i want

to be close to 299 queen the rex hotel here. Right. Landmark Blues Club as well. Where are we? Spadina and Queen, approximately? Whereabouts are we? This is Queen, and I don't know. Bay is just over there. Yeah, we're down the street from the Horseshoe Tavern. In the Cameron House.

I'm going to be walking to 299 Queen Street tomorrow. It'll take me one minute. One minute. So I figure, okay, this is a nice, and I'm seeing online, it's called a boutique hotel now. Right. Anyway, I guess with TIFF,

every hotel room is booked. What did you pay for this thing, Bill? 300 bucks a night. A few years ago, I'd be paying 300 bucks a night at the Royal York. So there is no bathroom, as you can see in this room. Okay, my turn to paint the picture. I'm in a shoe box. There's no bathroom here.

There is a sink and basically, yeah, for $300, you get like, yeah, like a shoebox with no, you have to share a bathroom with somebody else. But I biked here from New Toronto and I set up in your room. We didn't even have a table. You

borrowed a table. From the bar. From the bar. Okay, so I'm on a table. I think it's a little sticky too it is sticky and that's not is that great lakes beer okay that's okay that's great lakes but you're sitting on a on a bed yeah well it's very comfortable too you okay because you can actually we can move this blue thing and you could get more comfy just just you can move anything you want just don't unplug anything but no i am sure? I am good. I wish I had a table, and I wish I had a bigger room. And if you have to use the bathroom, it's across the hall.

I'm just going to go in a bush on my way home. I've done that before. On the Martin Goodman Trail, there's a bunch of trees. I'll just pull over. But this is the first time we've met. You did an episode of Toronto Mic'd remotely from Kingston. Well, I got to tell you, doing that podcast with Toronto Mike was sort of lent itself to the book. Okay, wait, slow the fuck down, Bill. Hold on.

Are you saying that because I cracked you open and started extracting stories, you realize you have enough stories for a book? You were one of the podcasts that reached out to me during COVID. And I guess, you know, to talk about my life or career or whatever, I'm grateful. And it was a lot of fun. I started writing stories down that came up and I combined that with a

monthly column I was doing for the Kingston wig standard. When I moved to Kingston about 12 years ago, they asked me to do a monthly column. And I thought, I don't know who's going to want to read this. Right. I don't think people, it was all about wrestling, and uh just do stone you know and

I thought it would be like four or five months long uh it ended up being four or five years doing this monthly column so of course a lot of stories were coming out then I used these columns and the stories that I was telling during COVID during the podcasts and you were one of them and I just started writing one day I think in late 2021 by the end of 2022 I'm looking at my computer and realizing I have a book I've been asked about a book for years I didn't really take it seriously again it's that idea that I don't know who's going to want to read this. It's been beyond my wildest imagination how this has taken off. What is the name of your book, Bill Welichka? It is called A Happy Has Been.

A Happy Has Been. Okay, that lends itself to a follow-up question. But first, I want to say this is back-to-back bills. My last bill, sorry, my last bill, it was my last bill, but my last episode was Bill Viggers, who was in the van with Terry Fox when Terry Fox was doing his marathon. I hope his PR person. Well,

yeah, he was with the Canadian, uh, cancer society, like the Ontario chapter. Yeah. And doing, uh,

helping book, uh, interviews for Terry. Yeah. No, yeah, absolutely. He,

he, uh, yeah, he liaison with the press and he, he'd help make sure that Terry got his warm greeting at Nathan Phillips Square. And he just wrote a book. That's it.

So the Bills who are writing books get on Toronto Mike. That's how it works. So back-to-back Bills, a happy has-been, exciting times and lessons learned by one of Canada's foremost entertainment journalists. It's a longer title than just The Happy Has Been. I'm quoted in this book. Okay, I got a copy of the book and I crack it open

and I see, oh, there's an excerpt from FOTM Kevin Shea and I'm reading that because Kevin Shea is a sweetheart. And then I actually saw there's a quote from me. Are you aware I'm actually in the front part, whatever you call it, the forward? Is that what you call it? No, the forward is Paul Anguas. Okay, well, before you get to Paul Anguas, I'm actually in the front part, whatever you call it. The forward? Is that what you call it? No, the forward is Paul Anguas. Okay, well, before you get to Paul Anguas, I'm there.

It's quotes. Quotes of people who have read the book before it came out and offering little quotes. So, yeah, you are a quotable quote. Okay, could I read my quote before I have a bit of music to guide us here? I can show you a book that's up there, but you actually got a copy? Well, I have a PDF. Oh, a PDF.

Well, look, there's a hard copy up there for you. Do I get a hard copy? a pdf oh pd well look there's a hard copy up there do i get a hard copy i haven't been in many books so this is exciting to me okay so this is a quote from toronto mike and that is me okay if you grew up in the heyday of the nation's music station you understand the impact the vjs had on your life bill wilichka was one of the greats in his book we're blessed with inside access to the life and times of Bill, who it turns out is much more than a beloved VJ. He's a beloved human being.

When I read that, I cried. Well, can you cry now? Because you're on my microphone. Would you mind? I'm crying from the stink that's coming. Bill Vickers cried in his episode. Okay, I expect tears. Yeah, that was a beautiful quote,

and I thank you so much. And yeah. Wow. Yep. The Bay City Rollers do get a little mention in the book as well. Well, I have to prove I read the book. You come prepared, man.

I biked, I don't know, 53 minutes through Toronto traffic with my studio. So let's listen for a few seconds and then I'm going to ask you about this song. Saturday night, dancing to the rhythm in our heart and soul. On Saturday night, Saturday night. Aye, aye, aye, aye, I just can't wait. Aye, aye, aye,, I got a day. That's a good old, good old, good old.

How do you feel hearing this song in the headphones? Taking you back? Brings back memories. One of the things I thought of, is it Monster Truck that covered that? Who covered that for Hockey Night in Canada? Oh, did Monster? Oh, okay. It might have been Monster Truck.

There was a rocked up, a real rocked up version of that on Hockey Night in Canada they would use sometimes. But Bay City Rollers, one of the bands that I think I was in the second grade when I saw them on the now defunct Howard Cosell show. It was their introduction to North America, the Scottish band. And I remember just watching this and being fascinated with how music was presented on TV with lights, with the camera angles. How old are you when you're watching Howard Cosell? How old are you? Second grade. Second grade.

I don't know how old that was. I have a kid in second grade. I can do this. Seven. Seven. And just the way it was presented, the sound mixing with the screaming girls. And I just thought, wow. So I asked my mom if she can buy me the record.

And you're looking around the room, can't believe that you're in here. Where the hell? And you know, all these signs everywhere, no smoking. It smells like someone just smoked a carton of cigarettes in here, right? That's why my eyes are watering. This is a smoky room, and everywhere there's signs no smoking. I don't think anyone's following those rules. And then she bought me the record, and that led to, you know, getting a lot of records that I asked my mom to buy me.

And that was like 45s and at a very young age. And I had older brothers that I would sneak into their rooms and stare at their album covers and Rod Stewart and Led Zeppelin. And so, yeah, the Bay City Rollers was my first, very first record that I owned. See, your Bay City Rollers was my Stray Cats because I still remember the first album I owned because I had all these like golden oldies cassettes and stuff. But my first album was Built for Speed by Stray Cats.

A classic. You know, there's a frame in the video for, I think it's Sexy and 17, a frame of video where you see a nipple. My goodness gracious. I'll be on YouTube tonight, Bill. Holy smokes. I did not know that. Keep those fun facts coming. So, okay. So, Bay City Rollers captures your fancy. You're interested in music and television and the rest is history. Thanks for coming out, Bill. I'm glad. But that's a spark, right? You found out there's a nipple in the video

and you're happy you're going to go. I'm off to YouTube now. Does this room come with Wi-Fi? That's what I need to know. But then the book is very interesting because it kind of walks you through your life of music. Starts with the Bay City Rollers. And then there's a whole interesting talk

of how it's heavy metal and then rock know there's a whole interesting like talk of how it's uh heavy metal and then rock but then i was interested because we got to get you to uh too much music but i was interested that you kind of fell for country music right no one i knew listened to country i was into alternative at the time this was around 86 my first year of college uh a friend that i had met at college he was into country. And this was the same year that the debut albums from Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam, and Steve Earle all came out. So to me, listening to these guys was alternative.

Again, no one I knew except this one guy listened to country. And I just loved it. And started going back and doing my homework and realizing each three artists sort of represented a time in country music. Dwight was a very big traditionalist. Lefty Frizzell, Hank Williams, Steve Earle sort of came from that more singer-songwriter, Texan kind of rock approach. Randy Travis, a little bit of a AM, early 80s style to country. And I went back and I found out about johnny cash and george

jones and waylon jennings and all these guys and when i was at much uh my first job um well hold on here so the first job you're not paid right like they're asking you to uh help to dub all of much music's video for music plus yes but they don't want to pay you right it was a volunteer position but that's bullshit, right? Bill, we can talk about this now. Like, come on. This is what I tell people. If any young people are still interested

in media or television, the numbers have dropped off greatly. But there was a time when people would say, well, how do I break into the business? And I would say, you know what? You have to volunteer. It's free education. You're staring at the bulletin boards

for placements. And it helped me. It really did. And it got my foot in the door, which led to the week I graduated, I got hired at Much as an editor. Okay, so there you go. So you volunteer for Music Plus, and then you're graduated full-time as an editor at Much Music

because your foot's in the door. They like what you do. They say, hey, we like this Bill guy. Let's give him a bit of money to stick around, pretty much, right? Yeah. And then, yeah, it was a week I graduated. So I was an adult.

I was working. I got an apartment on Queen East over Angie's Steakhouse. It was a bachelor apartment. Not much bigger than this bed. Did it have a bathroom? It did have a bathroom did you read this though uh it says do please use designated tissues for removing makeup do not use the towels and as you can see i wear makeup i haven't used the towels to wipe off any makeup yet no i don't

think i would use those towels you'll end up with like a pink eye or something so just you know and this is 300 bucks right 300 bucks a night yeah what's happened hello tiff hello inflation i was saying to you earlier uh i come to toronto at least once a year to see my chicago blackhawks and uh i was at the royal york i think three years ago and i think that hotel was 300 bucks a night inflation that's unbelievable though because i'm i'm so out of touch with what hotels cost but 300 bucks. They're calling this a boutique hotel. The location is everything I guess

and you're right down the street from 299. This is Tiff and yeah, this is what you get for 300 bucks. Okay, could be worse. Okay, I'm digging it now. It's boutique. It's cool. It could be a back alley with no sink. Could be a garage. Okay, so now what I'm digging it now. It's boutique. It's cool. It could be a back alley with no sink. Yeah.

Could be a garage. Okay, so now what I'm curious about is this idea you had for a country music video show. Well, when I was dubbing the videos for Music Plus, I was also responsible for taking all the one-inch video, yeah, one-inch videos from the record companies and dubbed them for the Much Music Library. And we were getting in all these country music videos and they weren't

being played. And I knew that Much had collected in its library older country music interviews and some older videos. And I just thought, wow, you know, they have a hip hop show. They have a rock show. They have all, how, how, how about a country show? Why not? So very naively, I drew up a proposal, left it on John Martin's desk and he doesn't know me from a hole in the ground. Well, let's tell, I happen to know who John Martin is because I've talked to a 101 VJs. Okay.

So tell the listenership, who was John Martin? 101 VJs. Okay, so tell the listenership, who was John Martin? He had developed a show called City Limits, which was an all-night music video show hosted by Christopher Ward. I think it aired on Fridays or Saturday nights on City TV. And he was a good friend of Moses. When they submitted an application for Canada's first music video channel, John Martin was the executive producer of it.

He was much music. He created it and he hired the VJs and he got it off the ground. And much like Moses, a visionary. And this was a couple of years after MTV debuted in the US, but it wasn't like MTV. It was a lot better. Well, here, let me, okay, we'll get to that

because I'm going to ask you about the doc later but i am curious when you say you put this uh proposal for a country music video show on john martin's desk is that the the bar across the street that the friar um i was actually working overnight so uh he was probably at home sleeping it off at that point uh but no it was his desk at work yeah he liked probably at home sleeping it off at that point. But no, it was his desk at work. Yeah, he liked to be at the fryer. His calls went there. Where's John?

Where's John? Check the fryer. Yeah, we're putting on the MuchMusicVideo Awards. We need to ask a question. Where's John? Oh, he's at the fryer. Yeah, we got a lot of work done there. So I hear.

So I hear. A lot of work. All right, so this proposal was put on the desk of John Martin. And then suddenly, magically, weeks later, there's a new weekly country music video show called Outlaws and Heroes. I have been asked if I created it. Well, that's my next question. I would like to think that he had an idea for it. had an idea for it and i would sort of maybe him realizing that i was a young person and loved country so why not put a country music show on the air um he might have had the idea for it and was just why not just take credit for it john's no longer with us okay so i'm serious

shout out to ridley funeral home because i why not why not just take credit I think that would be really egotistical of me to do so but you did not you didn't know about any plans in place and you put together a proposal for a

country music show I would like to think and then weeks later there's a country music show I would like to think that proposal was really well written and it sort of got it

off the ground why not just like give yourself the benefit of the doubt because because you don't know I don't know. I don't know.

I do not know. You created Outlaws and Heroes. Well. I'm here to tell you that. Okay. What's the name of this hotel again? It's The Rex. The Rex. The Rex, yeah.

Okay. I always bike by this place, and it looks kind of cool. It's a legendary blues jazz bar right downstairs. Well, I actually didn't know where to find you, so i walked into the the bar bar and bill's sleeping behind the bar well the guy at the he said there's a cover charge and i said i'm not paying a cover charge to talk to bill wilichka i said that's when i phoned you so okay so it wasn't heroes i think i think i'm like what kind of a cover charge okay because there's a great musician down there but apparently i'll hear at one in the morning or two in the morning some cool jazz coming from downstairs so uh that's a nice bonus

i guess could be worse it could be worse okay so here's a fun fact for everybody i'm big on the fun facts uh people i think might think just like people erroneously think that erica m was the first female vj people might erroneously think that bill wilichka is the original host of Outlaws and Heroes, and I'm here to share with everybody the original host of Outlaws and Heroes in 1988 when it launches is FOTM Christopher Ward. The legend. Yeah.

Christopher Ward and Laurie... Black Velvet Zone. Yeah, and Laurie Brown for about two weeks. Oh, I didn't know that. And then it was just Christopher and then Christopher wrote some album that made him a few bucks and he left. Alana Miles. Do you know her real name is Alana Biles?

Yes. Okay, I can't put anything by Welichka here. Okay, please. And just as you were about to say it, I said it first. So, yeah, I beat you to it. Did you know the director of Mimi on the Beach by Jane Sibury went on to father the most decorated Canadian Olympian of all time, Penny Oleksiak?

That I didn't know. I gave that fun fact to Jane Sibury, and she essentially said, I don't find that to be a fun fact. Like, she had no, like, interest in it at all. I thought it was amazing. I could see. Oh, I got a funny Jane Sibury. I got cartwheels down Queen Street when I told her that. I got a funny Jane Sibury. I was doing cartwheels down Queen Street when I told her that. I got a funny Jane Sibury story.

Oh, please. I'm fascinated with Jane Sibury. So we're jumping around the years here, and I'm interviewing Garth Brooks live on Much, and she was about to be interviewed later in the day, so she's hanging around the studio, and we throw to a Garth Brooks video. I think it was called The Red Strokes, and it's a concept video where he's all in white playing a white piano and all of a sudden

red paint starts falling. It looked kind of eerie. It looked like blood. I don't think it was the intention. And she goes, oh, who's the director? She asked me, who's the director of this video? And I says, oh, I don't know. And she goes, well, I should find out because I don't want that person directing any of my videos. It sounds like Jane Sibbering. And then I wanted to say to her, I don't think you can afford the director that did that video. But I'll bet you the director of that video hasn't created any Olympians, let alone the most decorated Canadian Olympian of all time.

Okay. I got to, before, okay. So Denise Donlan gets the gig, right? Of hosting Outlaws and Heroes. FOTM Denise Donlan.

From the new music. Right, of course. And she's in the Order of Canada. When are you getting your Order of Canada, Bill? I didn't know that. Yeah. Wow. I mean, she and her husband have the Order of Canada. They've got just a whole room you walk in. I'm sure there's like a trophy room. What was the question?

Oh, when am I going to get an Order of Canada? That's not a real question. I'll get one before you, Bill. Okay, so you have Christopher Ward. You mentioned Laurie Brown for a cup of coffee, then Christopher Ward, then Denise Donlan. Who's another legend, yeah. So why does Denise Donlan stop hosting Outlaws and Heroes?

Murray and her had sex, and she had a baby. Do you know this song, Bill? Travis! Somebody else is on this song. And Marty Stewart. Marty Stewart. Yeah. Okay, let me drink this in.

Look like it's whiskey for a moment. It ain't Great Lakes beer, but let me drink it in for a moment. When the thought of you came crashing through, I'd have one more. But now the whiskey ain't working anymore. See, I'm digging it, Bill. My problem is all country songs sound the same to me. It's all the same kind of twangy, like this, you know, the whiskey ain't working no more.

That sentiment seems to be repeated quite a bit. Like, let me drink my sorrows away because I'm heartbroken a woman left me or whatever. Well, you know, rock does that too. It's true. Look at Shattered by the Stones. That's, you know. No, you're fucking right.

I should stop picking on country music. Who am I? Some Toronto snob. I love my Kenny Rogers. Grew up with Kenny Rogers. Okay. So why am I? Some Toronto snob. I love my Kenny Rogers. Grew up with Kenny Rogers. Okay, so why am I playing Marty Stewart? Well, anyway, Denise Dolan. Marty gave

me a jacket one time, but let's get back to Denise. So she stepped away to become the music director, director of music programming. Well, yeah, she goes on maternity leave. I take care of the show while she's gone as the editor sort of taking care of the show while she's gone as the editor sort of taking care of the show while she's gone.

And then when she came back from that leave, uh, became everyone's boss, director of music programming. She asked me to, uh, be the host of the show. And I did.

So she took John Martin's job. Yes. Um, when John retired. And, uh, so I was sort of hosting the show, but still doing the editing and producing behind-the-scenes stuff,

which, incidentally, I have never stopped doing. I love the behind-the-scenes stuff, but no one ever wants to talk about that. But why did you eventually end up in front of the camera then? You love doing the behind-the-scenes stuff. Taking care of the show while the host was away. I was an editor who was taking care of the show, everyone knowing that Denise was gone. So I'm just the editor throwing to music videos in the edit bay, sort of.

Okay, there's a quote from you. So I read this book and I enjoyed it very much. And people should buy your book, not just because I'm in there somewhere, but I want to just remind everybody, it's called A Happy Has Been. Exciting times and lessons learned by one of canada's foremost entertainment journalists and this is of course is the story of bill walichka inspired by his

toronto mic appearance is that in the book somewhere how come i didn't read that part in there okay so here's a quote from you in the book you go i have always said that the viewer is doing us a huge favor by watching but i have worked with too many on-air people whose egos dictate that they are the ones doing the viewer a favor simply by being on their tv screen that's a telling quote you're working you worked with some egomaniacs a few not just there but over the years my name's Who are the VJs that are egomaniacs? I'll probably see some of them next Friday at the... You know I'm going to be there.

Are you? This is at Roy Thompson Hall. At the 299 Queen Street West premiere. Did you get good seats? I'll tell you after that premiere and after I run into a bunch of them. Okay. Have you seen the doc? I have not.

I was interviewed for like an hour. So I better be in the damn thing. I'm sure you're in there. But I have not. I was interviewed for like an hour. So I better be in the damn thing. I'm sure you're in there. But I have not seen it. Yeah. I mean, I was talking to Michael Williams like maybe two weeks ago. And he said the same thing. He hasn't seen this thing, but he wants to see it.

And then he's going to come over to my, I'm not coming to his, he's not in a hotel like this. I'm going to have him visit me after the viewing at Roy Thompson Hall to get his review of 299 Queen Street West. I know it's going to be good. It has to be with all that footage that Sean Menard acquired. You know how I know it's good? How? Moses hates it.

I have an inside source that tells me Moses has seen the doc and he hates it. And that makes me think it's going to be good hmm you're processing that in real time I'm wondering how he saw it that is interesting he's hard to please he's very hard to please

and I think maybe he might not like it because maybe he wasn't interviewed for it I'm sure I'm sure he was asked and he probably just declined. That's my feeling on this. There's no way they don't ask him, right? Like Sean's probably knocking on his door there at the Zoomerplex and he's probably turning it down. This is just my speculation, everybody. I don't know. I would like to talk to

Moses. Moses is in the book. What was your relationship like with Moses? It was very limited, but which is good because you don't want too much of Moses. But he was a visionary, that is for sure. Everyone cites that

YouTube was basically a speaker's corner back then. Wait, wait, wait. So Moses invented YouTube is what I'm noticing. No, Moses, without a doubt, a visionary. Like a lot of his stuff was all I consumed. I was big on the City Pulse newscast. I'm still friends with a lot of those cats. And I loved much music.

And that whole environment at 299, originally 99 Queen East. And then when you get there, it's a 299 Queen Street West, down the street from where we're recording right now. I totally love the spirit and the environment. Like I think he was a visionary but he's not a guy that everybody has rave reviews about.

He was I think expected a lot and was very cryptic in his delivery in what he expected from people. And I think for the most part that I think you get that with a lot of geniuses. They exist on another level and it's hard to understand basically what they want.

And as far as what he created, I am grateful. And yeah, I think the thumbprint that he had on that building and initially initially, yeah, 99 Queen East, for that matter, is it became 3D. Television wasn't just two-dimensional. He made it somehow three-dimensional without wearing glasses. And he gave access to viewers that were, they were part of the environment as well. Like, they would come in, they would ask questions.

They were part of what we were doing as well. And having that open door, having access with Speaker's Corner around Canada, getting their questions asked, and that whole interactivity thing, no one else was doing that. By the way, there are still tickets available if you want to catch the premiere

of this documentary on much music 299 queen street west you mentioned sean menard he came over he's an fotm it's at roy thompson hall they're not cheap they're not cheap uh tickets but that's a beautiful venue like that's an unbelievable venue roy thompson hall so you're not going to get your 15 seat like i like whatever but uh there's tickets available and after this viewing, it's not just a movie because are you going to be part of the intimate and interactive chat with the VJs? Apparently there's

that happening. Are you part of it? Yeah, I would think so. You don't know? He hasn't told me. That's a bad sign, Bill. I think you're going to be sitting with me. In the balcony way up. And then it's touring across Canada. Are you on the tour?

A couple of dates we've discussed, yeah. Kingston? I think Ottawa, Hamilton. Okay. You didn't know I'd ask these tough questions, right, Bill? I need to know the answers to these things. But you're in the doc for sure. I mean, come on, that's a lot of tape

to put on the Cunning Room floor if you're out of that documentary. You're in that doc and I'm going to see that. And then FOTMs, I'm going to report back to put on the Cunning Room floor. If you're out of that documentary, you're in that doc, and I'm going to see that. And then FOTMs, I'm going to report back to you, so I'll review it on this show. And quite a bit of the review will happen with Michael Williams on the 25th of September.

When he returns, you two don't overlap at all, of course, because he's done by the early 90s, and then Bill, you're far too young to be around then. So I'm actually going to play. I have songs to guide us through the chat. I love that you come prepared by the way.

This is awesome. Well, I read the book. I don't like, you know, I read the book, your book and Bill Vigger's books. I've read the, this ain't coming from no prophet.

Just an ordinary man. When I close my eyes I see The way this world shall be When we all walk in it When the last child cries for a crust of bread When the last man dies for just words that he said When they're sheltered over the poorest hill We shall be free The last thing we notice is the color of skin I'm digging this country jam.

This is We Shall Be Free by Garth Brooks, but it's got a little bit of a gospel feel to it. He doesn't sing about whiskey, see? He's got that great song though about, what's his big, I got friends. That one's about booze. He's got some booze songs. You gotta have a booze song if you're a country

singer. You alluded to your Garth Brooks chat when you talked about the Jane Sibberi, FOTM Jane Sibberi. Garth Brooks not yet an FOTM. What does FOTM mean? Friend of Toronto Mike. You're an FOTM Bill. Come on. Come on. Do.o.t.m. mean friend of toronto miked you're an f.o.t.m. bill come on okay come on uh but do you mind telling me a little bit more about uh this interview with garth because it's uh it's a big big fucking deal at this time to get your garth brooks sit down

i've interviewed him a few times this is the first time i interviewed garth yeah it was for this album actually uh well that's why i chose this song that was the coo connects yeah it was in nashville and um the biggest you know on his way to becoming the biggest star on the planet Well, that's why I chose this song. The COL Connects. Yeah, it was in Nashville, and on his way to becoming the biggest star on the planet, I think Barbara Walters just did a national special with him a few weeks before, and it was a special I put together for Much for primetime, and it killed in the ratings,

and it would because a monkey could interview garth and would get great ratings because uh he's probably better ratings because people are like fucking monkeys i love monkeys i think that'd be huge you don't have to be a garth brooks fan to watch that show and uh yeah garth has a special place in my heart for in my career for that reason and um yeah i've interviewed him a number of times and always a gentleman and I talked about in the book how and if you read the book you'll know that he wanted to go into business at one point with me which didn't materialize sadly okay so now that we're telling stories from the

book again you got to buy the book because there's a million stories in there but I was because it's in the book i feel i can go there normally i wouldn't bother you about relationships but uh may i get a little personal for you considering you wrote about it in a book that you're selling to anyone who wants to buy it like i feel like that's fair game ask away all right for sure For sure. All right, Garth, we're going to switch you out for a moment here. Bless your heart, Garth Brooks. Actually, we're not going there yet. That's a teaser here. Is this edited?

Nope. That's going to drive you crazy, right? Because you're the editor, man. You're like, we got to clean this up. You can say all things must end. You can smile and even pretend. And even pretend And you can turn And walk away so easily But you can't say

You don't love me anymore Who are we listening to, Bill? I haven't heard that song in years, wow. That is Ronna reeves uh mercury polygram artist uh from nashville why am i playing rana reeves i don't know why are you have you read your book yet yeah we uh we dated uh long distance i was in nashville or she was in nashville i was in toronto i'd met her through interviewing her on outlaws and heroes we did a number of interviews and i asked her out she she said no. And then she got ahold of me and

said, I'm free. Do you want to go out? And I said, sure. She came to Toronto for a radio show. And we did this long distance thing for years. And then I wasn't going to move there and she wasn't going to move here. So we ended it it and then years later we reconnected and um she said nothing's changed i still love you you still love me let's get married i'll move to toronto she had secured a songwriting deal which you can write a song from anywhere you don't have to be in nashville for that and uh she moved to toronto and eight months later we separated and divorced and she's back now in nashville and i haven't talked with her since that, which would have been 2002, I guess. So I wish I had a funny story.

It's actually somewhat serious. No, no, this is not a funny part of the... No, it's not. This wasn't meant to be funny. It was, well, it's in the book and I did not know this. And Ronna Reeves, country music artist that appeared on Outlaws and Heroes and sparked a relationship that didn't go the distance, but she sounds like you're very special to you. I tried.

I tried. I've never lived with someone before. And then all of a sudden, I know you're married with kids. I don't have any kids i've this was my only marriage and uh i've never lived with someone before and it's a it's a big thing and i wasn't prepared for it and i returned her to nashville um that's a funny story back to nashville that's a funny story in there, you know, with a car and an apartment set up and everything. So yeah, we haven't talked since then. Wow. Okay. Would you get married again?

I'm engaged. Okay. Congratulations. Yep. Okay. You know, sometimes the second marriages are better. Or even the third I've heard. Third time's a charm. Is that true? Okay. But yeah, Amanda is a girl that I met in Kingston about five years ago, and we've become inseparable. And love is back in my life, and she has taught me a few things. And I proposed to Amanda last November. Amazing. And she said yes, more importantly. That's actually even better.

Okay. I thought you might do the engagement on Toronto Mike, but I guess. That's okay. I can only inspire the book. That's fine. That's fine. Okay.

So this sadly, and again, I'm sorry, but it sounds like it all worked out for you with Amanda here, but your relationship with Rana ended in 1994. And that's also the year that Outlaws and Heroes ends. It was a very bad year. It was a lot of changes going on in that year, and that's one of the reasons why we ended things, because I said, you know,

I'm not going to be in Nashville for work anymore, which was very handy. And so when they canceled the country show, Denise moved me over to regular flow VJing, which surprised the heck out of me because I was worried. I thought, oh, nice. I thought, is the audience going to believe this once country host cares about Pearl Jam or Nirvana?

Does he understand about... It's a fair question, actually. I remember thinking, oh, this is the country guy. Yeah, and I was worried people were going to have that reaction and not be into it. But people were. And I think what people like... ...is a good interview.

And I think that's basically what I've done my entire career, is tell people's stories, including this band's story. It's got a long build-up, actually. I just checked out the waveform there. We got a bit to go before this edge starts rocking here. But Lightning Crashes live. I think that came into rotation the week I went from the country show to regular flow VJ. And there was something about this song that I just gravitated to and loved and really supported this band. And it was a nice transitional artist and song for me.

I think to be accepted by the general public who only knew me as a country guy. But here's the thing. My entire life has been based on loving all kinds of music and I'm passionate about all kinds of music. So it was easy for me to go from interviewing Garth Brooks to live, for instance. Well, hey, your book makes it clear. You start with Bay City Rollers, but then there's heavy metal and there's rock and there's country. You're all over the place. And I think like most people who view music as a badge, like I did,

just because you stop maybe listening to a certain genre doesn't mean you still don't appreciate it. And my phone, you'll see, is just jammed with the hugest mix you've ever seen, from hip-hop to hardcore country. It's all over the place. Okay, let's let Ed go for a bit here. Yeah. I can feel it The name crashes

Oh, mother Christ This moment she's been waiting for The angel opens her eyes Pale blue colored eyes Presents the circle Puts the glory out to High, high You want to sing with me?

Oh, I'm feeling Coming back again Like a rolling thunder Chasing the wind Towards the storm Just thinking, we had a PA named Cara Nye, a real cool girl, and she messaged me about a year ago on Facebook

and said that she heard live, it came on the radio or something, and she immediately thought of me. I thought, well, good, I love that. Yeah, it's like your signature song there, Holy Smokes. Okay, the fun fact I have is that Ed is Ed Kowalczuk, right? That's his name, right? Yeah.

He's in Fight Club. He's one of the waiters in Fight Club, like a cameo. I forgot that, but I... You knew it, and then you forgot you knew it, and now you know it again. I remember that. It happens to me all the time. Like, I knew that, and then I forgot I knew that, and now I know it again. So, yeah, I love Fight Club.

There's a possible theme. There's a flash frame of a boob in that video too. Okay. In that movie. I believe it. Is it Helena Bonham Carter's? I don't think so. I think it was on the movie screen.

Okay. Where they're doing the subliminal thing. Right. Yeah, they're talking about the marks. Yeah, with Tyler Durden. Okay. So this has been going great, Bill. I want to thank Great Lakes Brewery

who hosted us at TMLX 13 last week, Great Lakes Rules. I want to thank Palma Pasta for feeding us. They're going to host us at TMLX 14 on December 9th at noon. It's worth the drive from Kingston, Mr. Wilichka. I want to thank RecycleMyElectronics.ca.

If you have any old tech, old electronics, don't throw it in the garbage. Go to recyclemyelectronics.ca. I would like to shout out Ridley Funeral Home. We just dropped a new episode of Life's Undertaking

with Brad Jones. I co-host that show. You can find it right now. Go listen. Learn how to plan, invest, and live smarter with the Raymond James The Advantaged Investor podcast. Whether you already work with a trusted financial advisor or currently

manage your own investment plans, The Advantaged Investor provides the engaging wealth management information you value as you pursue your most important goals. And last but not least, important goals. And last but not least, Pumpkins After Dark, the award-winning Halloween event is in Milton and it's September 23rd through October 31st. And if you buy your tickets right now, you can save 15% with the promo code TOMIKE15. Go to pumpkinsafterdark.com after you went to recyclemyelectronics.ca. Go to pumpkinsafterdark.com. you went to recyclemyelectronics.ca. Go to pumpkinsafterdark.com. Use that promo code TOMIKE15. Get your tickets now.

They're going to sell out, and that event kicks ass. Okay. We now have you as a full-fledged VJ. No more outlaws in Heroes. CMT killed the outlaws in Heroes star, right? Like, CMT just came. It's like video killed the radio star.

And they don't even exist anymore, sadly. No. Yeah. Everything's YouTube now. Thankfully Moses invented YouTube and that's where everything is right now. Okay, so you're now at MuchMusic. I want to ask you about a big time rock star that you interviewed because I found this very interesting.

I'll just play a little bit of this to segue us over. Visiting is pretty. Visiting is good. It seems that all they ever wanted was a brother. This could be a scene. ever wanted was a brother takes me back i was a big nirvana fan like many many guys and gals my age a big nirvana fan and then of course this is like this is all this is date the drummer's got a project and it fucking sounds great it's amazing yeah i know, this is early, yeah, early Foo Fighters. Now, what I thought was interesting was your interview with Dave Grohl in the beginning. Like, did you get word from, like, did somebody say to you, don't talk about Nirvana?

No, it wasn't said to me. That was through, yeah, his first couple of solo records were Capital, EMI. By the way, yeah, this album was a true, in the truest sense, a solo record. He did everything on it. But yeah, he was going to come live on Much and be interviewed for 30 or 40 minutes. And we invited people in, people were outside watching. And this was his first major interview, for Canada anyway, outside of Nirvana. And you just know everyone there is wanting to hear the word Kurt,

to say the word Nirvana, talk about it. What's the elephant in the room? His friend and the lead singer of the band he was in that made him famous took his own life shortly, not long before. How do you not talk about that? Well, and you know he's proud of the new project. He wants to talk about the new project, and he the new project he wants to talk about the new project and he should and everyone wants to know about the new project interview's going great and then i brought up the fact that i think uh smells like teen spirit was starting to be called the

anthem of the 90s and it was only 1995 at this point and i brought that up and he said basically it was to me it was just this mimicking playing guitar or playing drums right Right. And he just sort of really downplayed it. Didn't really have a lot to say. And there was some silence. And I said, I asked him, does it hurt to talk about it? And he went, yeah, of course it would. Why would you even ask? And I said, well, you know, enough time has passed maybe.

And he went into, so obviously he didn't like the question. He didn't like where it was going. And I opened it up. And so I had to go there with him. And he basically answered the question to me by not answering the question and explaining why he didn't want to answer the question. And to me, that was the perfect response. And by the end of the interview, it was great. He was laughing.

He was having a great time. And by the end of the interview, it was great. He was laughing. He was having a great time. It was one of those moments where if you're doing an interview and you think in your head, oh, that's not going well. Oh, this is live. I killed it. It's not killing it in a good way. I'm destroying this interview.

And then you watch it back, and it's not bad at all. It was in my head. And it's not bad at all. It was in my head. But I gave him, I think, a signed Stompin' Tom Connors book because he loves Stompin' Tom. He left and everyone applauded. It was great. And a couple of days later, I got a call into Denise's office.

She said, did anyone from EMI say to you, don't go near Nirvana at all? And I said, no, not at all. And she says, well, they told you, I guess, management got pissed off at them. So they were pissed. Management, Dave Grohl's people, basically, were pissed at you for referencing Nirvana in the Dave Grohl interview. I did not mention the word Nirvana.

I did not mention the word. Yeahon. I did not mention the word. No, you said it smells like teen spirit. Yeah. And then I said, no, no one told me that, Denise. And if they did, I would have come to you and asked for your opinion. Because basically you're telling me I cannot go. And I'm respectful. I really, and I love Dave.

So I'm like, I don't want to piss him off. No. But I felt that he could not be where he was without where he was with Nirvana. So to me, it's all part of the same story. Years later, he's open to talk about it now, but this was his first solo record. And then I said to Denise,

I would have come to you to ask your opinion. She said, you did the right thing. No one can dictate to us. Right. So she had my back. So Denise is a great boss, it sounds like. You're very complimentary about Denise Donlan in the book. You thought she was a great boss. I was pissed off at someone at EMI for lying.

You know, someone at EMI was covering their ass, and so their response was, oh no, we told them to not talk about that. But you know, now I'm pissed. I don't talk to Dave Grohl, but I did talk to to chuck d okay we're not that far removed i talked to bill wilichka not dave grohl okay i would be pissed off if i got rules from your pr saying you know bill you know bill's not going to talk about this and bill's not going to talk about that like it

would piss me off like i don't think that fair. I'm the kind of person that immediately puts myself into the other person's headspace. And so if Dave had gave instructions to management and management was to tell record company, Dave does not want to go out there and talk about his first Foo Fighters record and every question be about Nirvana. No, that's ridiculous.

And so, you know, I think what I did was timely because Smells Like Teen Spirit was being called the anthem of the 90s five years before the decade even ended. And so to get his take on that and what that song meant to a whole generation and what that movement meant as an influence to countless bands following, I thought was a safe and respectful way to get into it. I think you did a great job. And I don't know how you have, I think it would be auspicious by its absence. Like if you had a conversation with Dave Grohl at that point in his career, and there was zero reference to the fact he was in the world's biggest rock band.

Good point. Whose lead singer took his own life shortly there before. I don't know how you that doesn't come up it would be like okay bill got orders not to talk about that and because it wouldn't make any sense i think the way you brought it up was uh was uh respectful and it addressed the elephant in the room and i think eight or nine years later finding my way down to San Bernardino to Dave's newly built studio, uh, for the album in your honor.

Right. And spending the day with him and his band and getting a tour of the facilities was awesome. And one of my favorite projects that I've worked on in my entire career was that Foo Fighters special. And so bottom line for me is no harm was done. Years previous, he still liked me. Okay, one more question about rock stars

and either their people or them making demands. I want to ask about Madonna because there's a great story you tell in your book about Madonna demanding a monitor. Not the, not the lizard. We're talking about a TV monitor. Not the, not the lizard, a TV monitor. Right. Yeah, we were, it was the Much Music Video Awards. It was the Ray of Light record. And she was, she had won best international album. And so we were in L.A. with Warner Music

doing a bunch of interviews that week, four or five. FOTM Steve Waxman might have been involved. Yes, yes, love Steve. With Warner Music Canada. One of the assignments was to go to Madonna's house. This was the sprawling bungalow she had near the Hollywood Hill sign, the Hollywood sign, and present her with a Much Music Video Award.

And then we had to take it back. It was just a prototype, which was weird in itself. So we get there. Her assistant shows us into the living room, and we're looking around. Yeah, okay, this is a nice background. I like the art here. She said, okay, Madonna will be here in a few moments,

so I get the award out. And Steve Gelder's setting up the light stands, the tripod on the camera. Everything's good. She comes into the room. She goes, okay, hi, guys. This is the award. Great. She looked at me.

She goes, you're a VJ? We made the introduction. Steve goes, here's Billy. He's a VJ with much. She looks at me and goes, you're a VJ? What the hell is a vj supposed to look like i have no idea that's a little bit insulting well later there would be a sock who would be a vj so there you go at least you're a human being um and so she goes well where's the monitor i have

to see the shot and i look at steve and steve looks at steve waxman and uh i said no one told us to bring a monitor and steve waxman says yeah no one told us to bring a monitor. And Steve Waxman says, yeah, no one told us to bring a monitor. And she goes, well, boys, I can't work without a monitor.

Can you get a monitor? And I said, well, we're in Hollywood. I'm sure there's a production company or two where we can rent one. She said, well, there's the phone book.

There's the phone. I'll give you 20 minutes to arrange it. And she walks out of the room. And then immediately I just envisioned the three stooges if i was looking down at this scene three guys just running around bumping into each other wondering okay what do we do what do we do what do we do i i called a production company a monitor was going to be delivered uh in 20 minutes it's all good steve waxman and i said here's the plan come out with me. Grab the monitor.

Bring it in. Give it to Steve Gelder. I'll take care of the paperwork. And the assistant came back in. We told her our plan. She goes, okay. He's not allowed in the house, obviously. Just take the monitor in.

So 15, 20 minutes later, this van pulls up. They let him into the gate. I go out. I meet Steve. I get the monitor. I go walking into the living room, hand the monitor to Steve so he can plug in the cable. Everything's working. And then I hear behind me, oh, man, who lives here?

This is a nice house. What are you guys shooting, a porn? I turn around. It's the delivery guy. I go, man, you can't be here. Please leave. Just please go out before anyone sees you. Anyway, Madonna eventually comes into the room.

I'm holding the monitor. She's looking at the shot, adjusting the light, saying, yeah, come here. Move that light here. Everything's good. Okay, let's do it. She's got the monitor. She's got the trophy looking at the monitor, looking at the camera. She says, in three, two, and then the light bulb bursts on the lights.

She goes, great. Guys, do you have a light bulb? And so Steve goes, yeah, yeah, I got a light bulb. So he adjusts the clamp to lower the light bulb, puts the light bulb back in, pushes the light back up in the air. We go to start again. And then the clamp on the light stand wasn't tight enough.

And so the light was starting to move down slowly. And she looks at us at this point, I would have kicked us out. Okay, guys, you're done out of here. She's a trooper. She says, okay uh i'll wait and so anyway you say but she didn't need the fucking monitor okay madonna you're madonna you look fine uh and and she did nailed it in one take and i said can i

have the trophy back it's just a prototype and she goes no i don't need it anyway here and i want to be sent to you i'm sure and she goes no i don't don't need it anyway here. And I go, well, one will be sent to you, I'm sure. And she goes, no, I don't. Look around. I don't like trophies. They're tacky. And I said, well, where are your Grammys, your AMAs? And she goes, they're in a box under the stairs.

I don't know. She likes Frida art. Sure, of course. The unibrow. Yeah, the Mexican artist. Okay, great Madonna story here. Why did you leave Much Music for the Much More Much? By the way, I'll tell you, I didn't like Much More Music

because it felt like it was the old fogey stuff. Like I just didn't, even though I was an old... That's the way it launched. Yeah, that's the way it launched. I know. It just didn't seem cool. Well, one of the reasons why... No disrespect to you, Mr. Cool.

I like to think when I got there, I wanted to change up the programming a little bit i wanted to introduce more uh cooler acts but yeah cooler acts more i didn't feel that it was just dan hill and ann murray uh and celine dion i thought it could have been a lot more than that and it eventually became a lot more than that and i'm proud of that but i was just sort of um um, I had to dress up as Posh Spice for Spice Girls Day. And I just realized, I think I told you this before that the delivery of the music wasn't as important or the music wasn't as important as the delivery of the music. So Spice Girls Day, it's a lot of fun, got a lot of ratings. I don't want to dress up as

Posh Spice, you know? And so I asked to get moved over to much more music when it first launched introduced some really cool new programming and after about five years of that and loving it and introducing more uh live programming to much more because it was largely taped right i started to see the signs on the wall that music was changing entertainment was changing in the way it was delivering things everything became about the soundbite who's screwing who who's in rehab i came back with this 30 40 minute david bowie interview that i was going to use for i love this story that i was you know no cleveland no bowie remember that mr wileczka and it was an awesome interview and i've interviewed boy before.

And, you know, you talk about legends and icons. Oh, yeah. I came back and I was going to work on an hour special with this new interview. And my supervisor, Denise Donlan, had left at this point. Yeah, this is a key detail. I'm going to help you here. That Denise Donlan leaves because she's off to Sony. Is that where she went?

Yeah. So Denise Donlan leaves. President of Sony Music Canada. Nice gig. Okay. So, and just before Nap President of Sony Music Canada. Right. Nice gig. Okay. So and just before Napster blows it all up probably. So time you might have been good too. Okay. So Denise or maybe it was bad. I can't remember now. But Denise Donlan

leaves much music. And I mean we're not naming names because you didn't name names in your book. But the replacement, her replacement wondered if a Bowie interview would get ratings. Yeah. And that's when you're not working for a music station anymore. You're working for like TMZ Music or something.

That's the first thing that went through my mind. And I just thought, I think I'm done with entertainment. And being a music journalist, television is all I've ever known. I've never worked in any other field in my entire 35-year career. But I just thought it was time to do something else if this was the way music was going. And sure enough, that channel much eventually died a few years later. So I got out at the right time, I think. I went to Edmonton to co-host a morning show for the newly rebranded City TV out there.

That was like a breakfast television. Yeah, exactly. But essentially, yeah, I'm not interviewing rock stars anymore, but what I realized, and then I went to Ottawa for five years after that to become a weather anchor.

So again, reinvention. But what I realized is around that time, I realized, yeah, I'm not interviewing rock stars anymore, but I'm still telling people's stories. That's all I've ever done, whether the focus was they were a musician or whether it was a local real estate agent talking about the economy. It could have been an event to promote in terms of a charity. But yeah, telling people stories is all I've ever done. And you ended up in Kingston, Ontario, where you live and work today. You literally were on the air in Kingston this morning, right?

Yep. Three in the morning. I got hired for a five o'clock afternoon show. And then with Global Kingston, of course, entertainment, CKWS TV channel. And they eventually established a morning show. And so they canceled the five o'clock show for that. And I got moved over to the morning show. And that's been around four or five years and loving the show, loving where I work, loving who I work with, loving the city. Shout out to Bingo Bob. Now, when I agreed to have an in-person with you, Bill,

so your in-person debut, but you have been on remotely. I actually recently had Neil Osborne in the basement. So in-person with Neil Osborne from 5440. And I had previously in the pandemic, much like with you, I did a Zoom with him, but I decided when Neil was coming over, I'm going to pretend like the Zoom never happened. Like this was a conscious decision I made that the Zoom didn't happen.

I'm going to treat Neil Osborne's in-person debut like it's his Toronto Mike debut. And I was thinking, I'm going to treat Bill Wilichka's in-person debut as if the Zoom never happened. Like this is, I'm going to follow the same blueprint there. And I always knew how I was going to end our conversation. I recently had Paul Langlois in my basement for an episode of Toronto Mike.

Then he played live and it's a, it's a highlight for me as a podcaster. Love Tragically Hip. I'm staring at your Tragically Hip sweater right now. Oh my hoodie. Yeah. But you're in Kingston now. So let's listen to this and let's talk about this band. You know the reasons I can't conceal You know I'm leaving you

I'm just a know-how deal It's not as easy as calling out your name When I'm down It's not a matter for color eyes It is much better than thinking and looking But you know I'm tired of calling out my name I'm on the ground I'm on the last American exit to the Northland

I'm on the last American exit to my home land. I'm on the last American exit to my last dance. They keep calling out my name. I shout it out. How awesome was it to get Paul Langlois to write the foreword for your new book? I cried when he sent it to me, emailed it to me. I read it and I cried. I asked him if he wanted to do it, I think in December, late last year.

And he said, yeah, he'd love to. And then when I turned it into the publisher of course i needed the forward and so i emailed him and he says uh okay i'll give it i'll give it to you by the end of the week i'm in costa rica with joanne right now and a couple of days later he emailed it to me and uh i wept i know it but... No, it doesn't sound weird at all. It was beautiful. His words were beautiful. They were awesome.

Just like he is, just like the rest of the band is. I cannot say anything bad about The Hip at all. I love the guys, and they've done so much for Kingston in terms of charity. They've done so much for charity across Canada. And, you know, I had the opportunity to emcee 27,000 people for their final show, August 20th, 2016. There was a big outdoor screening, and I got to host that. And I've been interviewing the boys for years and love them, love them, love them, and become friends with them over love them, love them, and become friends with them over the years,

especially since I moved to Kingston, friends with their families. And I absolutely adore the boys. I really do. And it's clearly mutual. They, they trusted you. You know, we talked, you know, I pretend like your first appearance didn't exist, but there are great stories there where we talk about, you know, Gord Downie's intimate and interactive and everything. There's a lot of great stories in there, but your relationship with The Hip,

it was mutual. What a fortunate position for me to be in, you know? And I look at my entire career that way and I'm very fortunate. I'm always grateful and humbled by the fact that I have met every single one of my idols and got to spend time with them. And I know it's a fortunate position that most people don't get a chance to be in.

And I've had the best life ever. And, you know, part of the title, A Happy Has-Been, there are people who don't know who i am or i've only heard of me through much and much more on those stations years ago and if they've heard my name recently probably thinking oh whatever happened to that guy yeah i remember him uh he's still around i would have has been he's not national anymore i did my career backwards mike i started off on this major level and then i slowly worked my way down to a smaller market and um and so to some i am a has been there's also some people who have followed me from day one which blows my mind and i'm grateful for and there are people in kingston or in eastern ontario who watch the show who don't

know that i had a music journalistic past so it's a little bit of everything the important part of the title for me though and it's self-deprecating i know but The important part of the title for me, though, and it's self-deprecating, I know, but the important part of the title is the word happy in there. And I am the happiest that I've been in many, many years. And that's in all aspects of my life. That's emotionally, that's romantically, that is professionally. It's right across the board. Bill, that's everything, man. That's the goal, you know i know it you found it yeah

i really did and something beautiful to write about too will there be another book in your future uh again people this book is available now a happy has been uh is it been or been how do you say the title i've heard it said both i say a a happy has been. I feel like I say been. B-I-N. I can't be right. I say a lot of words wrong, Bill. The thing is, if no one questions you, then it's okay. And if you say it with confidence, no one's going to question you. Okay, then I'm going to be very confident when I say a happy has been.

Exciting times and lessons learned by one of Canada's foremost entertainment journalists. A new book by Bill Wilichka. It was amazing to get to meet you. $300 doesn't get you as much as it used to in this city, but it's a cool location. You got a safe place to hang your hat, and good luck tomorrow on your morning. It won't be as fun as this, you know.

I know. Nothing can beat this. Paul Langlois came over after doing a breakfast television hit. Not as fun. Okay. Not as fun. Okay, not as fun. Was Greg Ball with him? No, not Greg Ball. Jake Gold was with him.

Oh, Jake Gold. Jake Gold came with him. When was that? That was for a solo record. Yeah, this is recent. Okay, because Greg Ball did his promo tour with him for a lot of stuff. And Greg Ball's a party boy. He's a party boy.

I mean, like party. He's a big party. He's a party. He is fun. He is a wild party like Kim Mitchell. Yeah, so when those two get together, yeah, stand back. And that brings us to the end of our 1,325th show. What did I say?

Do you know? I guess it was up there. It was pretty high. But I got to say, Mike, thank you so much for the opportunity. Thank you so much. You're really good at what you do. And you're very talented. Was it worth the bike ride?

All this gear from Etobicoke, was it? South Etobicoke. All the way here down to downtown Toronto. I'm blown away by it and I'll help you pack up. But it was a great experience and I wanted to do it

and I wanted to finally meet Bill Weliczka for goodness sakes. Enough of this Zoom bullshit. Yes, thank you so much. I think we're good friends now. Oh, without a doubt. Without a doubt.

If you get any plus ones to any Foo Fighters concerts, you know who to hit up here. You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at Toronto Mike. Hey, Bill, you still on Twitter? I couldn't find you on Twitter. Where are you?

I got kicked off. Okay, where are you then? You on Instagram? I'm on Instagram and Facebook. It's a weird story too. It was a big mistake. I've been talking to Twitter about getting me back on.

I reported the second Bill Wolitschka copy Twitter account. And they thought you were the... And then they removed mine. Isn't that... What's the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie where you can't tell who's the clone or whatever? Is that True Lies?

Predator, maybe? I don't know. It was after that, but okay. Faceoff? No, he wasn't in that one. He wasn't in that one. Our friends at Great Lakes Brewery, they're at Great Lakes Beer. Palma Pasta is at Palma Pasta. Recycle My Electronics are at EPRA underscore.

It's Total Recall. In Total Recall, there's a scene where there's two Arnolds and they're like, you know, I'm the real one. So there's two Sharon Stones maybe. There's two characters and then Arnold doesn't know which one to kill. And I think he sees a bead of sweat on one of them and that tells him. The only thing I remember.

Oh, okay. You remember the scene? Yeah, it was a great scene, I remember. I remember. I'm the real one. No, I'm the real one. And he's got to kill one. He needs the bead of sweat.

I remember the girl with three breasts from that. That's almost as good as when I go back to that video. I'm going to find the nipple. From the Stray Cats video. From the Stray Cats video. Yeah. Recycle My Electronics are at EPRA underscore Canada. Pumpkins After Dark are at Pumpkins Dark.

And Ridley Funeral Home, they're at Ridley FH. See you all tomorrow. David McPherson. It's funny, I'm down the street from the Horseshoe Tavern because he wrote a great book about the horseshoe. And he wrote a great book about Massey Hall. And now he's written a book about like 101 amazing or fantastic stories about Canadian rock and roll or something like that.

Regardless, I'm going to capture some of those fun facts with him tomorrow. And I got music for that too. So does the horseshoe still have checkerboard floors? Yes, sir. Yeah, absolutely.

Absolutely. See you all tomorrow. feel great