TTwenty questions with Dan Gallo
(Host of American Road)
Q: Tell us about your yourself.
A: Who wants to know?
Q: We do.
A: Who's "we"?
Q: Do you answer every question with a question?
A: Do I do that? Sorry. Okay, forgive me....here's another question: Where were we?
Q: I hardly remember. Wait! I think I started with, "Tell us about yourself".
A: Well, I wish there was more to tell. I've been in radio, in one form or another, since I was 13.
Q: How long ago was that?
A: Oh, no you don't! You're not going to pull that one on me. Let's just say that it was 13 years into my life and that was that! Besides, I don't want to be mistaken for all those other "Dan Gallos" out there.
Q: What kind of radio did you do?
A: Oh, the legal kind, mostly. I started with Top 40, and as I moved from job to job, I did some Adult Contemporary, AOR (All over the road), and eventually, Country.
Q: With your background in Top 40 and Rock, how did you end up in Country radio?
A: It was quite simple, actually. I was out of work, at the time, keeping myself alive with freelance voice-over work. While in a recording session, one of the ad agency people asked if I knew Ric Libby at KENR, here in Houston. I told her that I didn't, but, she said that he was looking for someone and that I ought to go see him. Since KENR's studios were right across the street, I walked in right after the session. Now, either Ric wasn't a very busy guy, or, it was an off day for him. He saw me right away. He listened to my Top 40 aircheck, looked at me and said, "Come back tonight at 10:30. Mike Cannon will let you in. You can take the board at 11, do an hour, Mike will tape it, and I'll listen in the morning."
Q: You got the job?
A: No. I ended up doing phone research five days a week, and an air shift one day a week. But, it was a start. Within a few months, I was doing middays, and getting real comfortable with country music. After four years and another hitch doing oldies at KNUZ, I joined KILT for a 21 year stand, leaving in August '04.
Q: Had you ever listened to country music before this point?
A: Not really, only the cross-over stuff. You'd hear Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, Eddy Arnold and those kinds of acts on the radio stations that my parents listened to.
Q: What kinds of stations did your parents listen to?
A: News/Talk. But, you should have heard Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline do the news!
Q: Now, we're getting nowhere! We're on question number eleven, and we still don't know much about you.
A: That's nothing! I've been married to my wife for thirteen years, and just last night she said, "After all these years, I still don't know you!" That was just before she opened the hide-a-bed for me.
Q: What kind of music did you grow up on?
A: Nice of you to assume that I grew up. Thanks! Let's put it this way.....I spent the earlier part of my life listening to rock music. Not so much the real hard stuff, but, mainstream rock and Top 40. It was such an inventive form of music. It had an "anything goes" flair to it that just got into my blood.
Q: What was your impression of country music, once you started working with it?
A: I loved the lyrics. Every song had a story to it. And wow, some of those stories should've been rated 'R'! What impressed me was the way song writers, in the country genre, weaved words together in such a clever way. They spent a lot of time thinking about their lyrics. Then, as I got more familiar with the songs, artists, and song writers, I realized that there was a very thin line between country and rock music.
Q: What gave you the idea for "American Road"?
A: Not, "What", but, "Who".
Q: Okay, "who", then?
A: Alan Shapiro. Actually, he gave the idea to Rod Tanner, and Rod gave it to me. Alan had been working with a lot of new artists and groups that were emerging. Alan had been a VP at one of the big record labels, until a couple of years ago. He knew good music when he heard it. He had the idea to put together a syndicated radio program that would be devoted to showcasing these new acts.
Q: So, the show is about new music?
A: Not entirely. We have a segment called, "Back to the Vinyl". It's where we salute artists who were instrumental in helping to shape country music.
Q: Any examples?
A: Sure, Waylon, Roy Orbison, Cyrstal Gayle, Eddie Rabbitt....the list is almost endless. I have it all right her on this roll of toilet paper. Sheryl Crow gave it to me.
Q: Alright, while we're on the topic, what groups, or artists, have you heard that have made an impression on you?
A: They all have, really. Sometimes, I have a hard time believing that there's so much creativity out there. No other genre has the impactive lyrics that country music does. This has been the backbone of country music, Each song tells a story.
Q: How do you select the new music to be played?
A: Alan and Rod are always listening to the new music. Then, the three of us get together on a conference call....usually, at Alan's expense....and discuss what we've heard and what ought to go on the show.
Q: Last question: Where can I hear the show?
A: Just go to AmericanRoadOnline.com and click the link to the latest show. It doesn't get any easier than that. If you like what you heard, click it again and listen a second time, or save it to your file or mp3 player. Now, are you paying for this lunch, or, are we going to have to wash dishes?
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