‘Rock ‘n? roll music? is the conclusion of ‘Coming to a theater near you,? from last week’s edition of The Clarkston News. The first half of the story explored Flint radio personality Peter Cavanaugh’s early years in radio in New York and the course of events that brought him to Michigan where he would help launch the careers of Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper and Bob Seger. To read the first half visit www.clarkstonnews.com and search ‘Coming to a theater near you.?

That rock attitude
Due to the hysteria surrounding a Beatles? performance on Sept. 6, 1964 at Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Peter Cavanaugh and the staff at WTAC were told there would be no radio interviews and radio personalities would not be allowed backstage.
Arriving at the venue with another radio personality, the two men donned their freshly designed ‘Michigan State Police Beatles Security Pass,? and left an officially looking parking permit in the car window.
The newly created passes worked, getting Cavanaugh a view of the Beatles from 20 feet away and a backstage meeting with the band. ‘WTAC meets the Beatles? was produced consisting of concert tracks and interviews, ratings surged as people from Flint and surrounding counties tuned in.

‘Play your music loud and hard?
While at WTAC, Cavanaugh served many roles including program director, president and general manager.
Along with serving as a voice on Flint radio, Cavanaugh continued to organize concert events in Michigan. The scene thrived bringing in big names, until music started to become big business.
‘As rock ‘n? roll really became definitive, we were doing these dances and gigs, especially at Mt. Holly, we started seeing a tremendously radical shift in music’As we saw the music radically change, we decided to adjust our programming accordingly,? said Cavanaugh.
Cavanaugh defined the WTAC as a Top Forty station during this change. At that time, different types of music where mixed together. Think ‘We’ve Only Just Began? by the Carpenters followed by Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Purple Haze.?
As the crowds stormed Mt. Holly loving the new form of music, WTAC looked to provide the rock music to fans on the radio instead of the Top Forty. Programming like ‘WTAC Underground,? where fans could listen to two hours of rock, helped usher in a new period in radio.
‘It’s staggering when you think that between Elvis Presley recording ‘Mystery Train? at Sun Studios in Memphis and Woodstock; between those two points barely more than a dozen years passed. So there was this enormous velocity in music, this enormous ascension? we thought at the time’that degree of acceleration would continue and there would always be every year another Beatles or another whatever it was,? said Cavanaugh, who highlighted 1972 as a marking point where that velocity slowed down.
Undoubtedly, the radio personalities played a role in the era which produced social change across the country.
‘We? were pulled by the culture in Michigan into the forefront of global change and as a consequence at WTAC, because we were able to create our own radio station (programming) we were really a bridge between the old and the new, said Cavanaugh.
‘Politically speaking, we ended up being very anti-Vietnam War because so many of our friends were coming back so screwed up.?

‘Be Rock ‘n Roll?
According to Cavanaugh, of all the musicians on the Michigan scene during his time promoting concerts in the 60’s and 70’s, Bob Seger edged out Ted Nugent and Alice Cooper as the best performer. (He selected MC5 was the best group.)
‘The thing about Seger was this. He was very introverted. He’s a very shy guy. He’s very, very smart. Every time he played, once he hit the stage there was this magical transformation. He would just seize control and grab the audience unlike anyone I’ve ever seen. If it were not for the fact that he really doesn’t like to perform in front of a crowd, he would have been bigger than (Bruce) Springsteen. Bob Seger has held Bob Seger back only because he didn’t feel it was necessary to extend himself to that level,? said Cavanaugh.
While the music scene, culture and country differ greatly from WTAC’s heyday, Cavanaugh sees some good things happening in Michigan including Kid Rock and the White Stripes.
‘Kid Rock is without hesitation the embodiment of everything which has preceded him. That’s a Michigan rock ‘n? roll show? I got blown away last time I saw him? He’s right there? He’s almost perfect,? said Cavanaugh.

‘Uncertainties of Life?
Currently, Cavanaugh is working on a new book, ‘Uncertainties of Life, A Rock ‘N? Roll Mystery.? He started a few weeks ago after thinking about the book for the last three years. He hopes to have a first draft done in June.
As tentatively planned, Cavanaugh thinks the book will have many more biographical anecdotes and serve as ‘last will and testament.? The book starts with his great grandfather’s last will and testament which included a line Cavanaugh really liked, ‘I’m preparing this due to the uncertainties of life.?
‘I talk about how my favorite religious movie of all time is the ‘Wizard of Oz.? Here’s why. Because at the very end of it, just where we hear ‘Don’t look at the man behind the curtain,? we are so disappointed to realize that the wizard is fake. But wait nonetheless, we have talking scarecrows and flying monkeys and evil witches, there is still magic after all. The wizard was just a part of it. It’s kind of like when you look at what a lot of people are putting down, saying ‘You have to believe this and if that’s not true than nothing is true.? You have to look behind the curtain. All my grandchildren, I want them to look behind the curtain,? said Cavanaugh. ‘A lot of times you’ll find another curtain, but keep on looking. As soon as you let someone else start thinking for you, you’re seriously hampered.?
Knowing that eventually all parties must come to an end, Cavanaugh has an epitaph for his grave stone ready. ‘Laugh, go ahead. I don’t care.?
Today, Cavanaugh listens to most of his music by CD, but enjoys listening to talk radio, particularly Howard Stern. With so many media options, Cavanaugh is plugged into one source or another throughout the day.

‘Love your family?
Peter and Eileen Cavanaugh’s refrigerator looks like a guitar case plastered with band stickers. Pictures of their four daughters, their husbands and grandchildren cover most of the freezer door.
After a high speed career, dealing with music icons at every corner, Cavanaugh’s content with the past and happy to share the future with his family.
The Cavanaughs moved to Independence Township to be closer to a daughter who lived in Davisburg and another in Royal Oak. While life is slower, even though there is a bar in walking distance, Cavanaugh enjoys his setup.
‘In 1992 when I went to Ireland and took that year off’I took off 1993, it gave me a lot of perspective. Since that point I’ve been much more involved with the family, especially with the grandchildren,? said Cavanaugh. ‘I enjoy it, but I don’t think I could have enjoyed it until I was in my late 50’s and early 60’s because I just was too wired.?
Right now, with only one daughter remaining in the Metro Detroit area, Cavanaugh sees Clarkston as a potential base from which to travel more and visit his family.
Cavanaugh credits Eileen, his wife of nearly 42 years, with stability as he enjoyed rock ‘n? roll at all hours of the day and night.
‘Eileen has been enormously patient,? said Cavanaugh.
‘We met as part of a Catholic school organization. He was president and I was secretary and I always thought he was just so full of himself. I used to make fun of him? And then all of a sudden he didn’t seem to bad,? laughed Eileen.

These are troubled times
The emergence of the iPod, internet and satellite radio show how far technology and media have come. Yet with the convenience, Cavanaugh sees some shortfalls with today’s radio technology.
‘The proliferation of technology drives us apart. We can all have our own radio station now? You can become so self isolated and insular in your own tastes you don’t allow for cross-pollination. That was the good thing about Top Forty. You might have Johnny Cash a country guy, there’s black Chuck Berry, then here’s these English Beatles,? said Cavanaugh.
According to Cavanaugh, Flint’s radio stations are owned by two companies who have one newsman between them. He thinks the industry looks only to make money. He admits many made money during the early days of radio, but that today things are different.
‘If a tornado should come tearing into Flint, Michigan on a weekend, it’s going to be a miracle if we here anything until it’s broken on TV because no one is paying attention,? said Cavanaugh. ‘Radio is operated to make money’they are paying what I paid my employees at WWCK 20 years ago.?