Being Persistent Has Finally Paid Off!

I don't know if any of my faithful few that frequent this page are familiar with DJ Dick Bartley or not, although Kingfish should be, but I've been an avid fan of his for over twenty-five years.

Dick is the DJ for an oldies show that is broadcast live every Saturday evening. Back in the 80's when I first heard him, his program was called Solid Gold Saturday Night. Then later on in the 80's the name was changed to the Rock and Roll Oldies Show. I believe around 1991 his program was changed to Rock and Roll's Greatest Hits. That name has stuck for the past fifteen years and his program is still known by that name.

Dick is a fabulous DJ and his knowledge of rock and roll is next to none. I've been listening to him faithfully for so long I feel like I've known him personally, though I assure you, I have never met him. I've spoken with him a few times on the toll free hotline he has every Saturday night, and over those years I've listened to him, he has taken and played several of my requests.

He also has an hourly contest, playing just one second of music from an oldie and taking calls from a certain caller, say for instance, the 33rd caller, and asking them to name the song and the artist. Out of his five hour program, I'm usually right about 60 to 80 percent of the time. For years I have tried in vain to get thru, only to find out I'm too early a caller or I reach the ever persistent busy signal, and when that happens I know I'm too late.

That is, until tonight!

Tonight, on his very first hourly contest, I listened to the one second clue, which was a mere four notes. My wife and I were sitting outside enjoying a fire in our firepit and the cool fall air and listening to Dick Bartley and Rock and Roll's Greatest Hits. The moment I heard the clue, my mind began searching back thru eons of music I've listened to, and in less than ten seconds, I knew the song and the artist.

I stared at the cordless phone I had brought outside, but decided it was futile as usual to call. After all, I've tried countless times over the years, and never, never, have been the right caller. I've had Dick pick up my call and tell me I was like caller thirteen and to hang up and try again, only to never be able to get thru.

My wife headed into the house to take a few things back in from our supper we had cooked over the fire, and finally, after deliberating for thirty seconds or so, I decided to make the call. Of course, I heard the busy signal on my first try, but I thought, what the hell, let's try again. I put the cordless on speakerphone and hit redial at least six more times. I thought about laying the phone down and saying to hell with it, and decided to myself to try it just one more time.

As soon as I hit the redial button and heard the numbers dial out, I heard the phone ring on the other end. I thought to myself, okay, they've got a winner, I need to hang up. After three rings I heard Dick Bartley answer the phone and say, "Rock and Roll's Greatest Hits, hold please."

A few seconds later I heard him say, "What can I do for you?"

Just knowing I was too late to be the right caller I answered him. "Well, I wanted to make a guess on the mystery oldie."

"Okay, what do you think it is?" I heard him ask me.

Nervously, not sure why he was asking me, but hoping the reason was the one I had been hoping for I replied, "Thank The Lord For The Night Time."

"And what artist?" Dick asked me.

"Neil Diamond," I answered.

Dick asked me, "Have you ever been a winner on the show before?"

"No, sir, I haven't" I replied.

"Well, you can't say that anymore, man."

I couldn't believe what he had said, and all I could think of to say was, "Outstanding!"

Again, he told me to hold, and though I was never put on hold, it was strange to hear the music on the phone he was playing and him almost constantly clearing his throat.

Hell, after twenty-five years of trying to win I had finally done the impossible, and I didn't even know what the hell I had won!

He talked to me again while the song Louie, Louie, Louie was playing and told me he needed to get my name and address. Again, he put me on standby then after a short pause came back on, took my necessary info and told me that after this song he was going to put me on the air live with him and that he was going to play that one second clip again and for me to give him the answer once again as to what the song was and who the artist was singing it. He also told me to turn my radio all the way down.

Instead of doing that, I left the radio on, stepped inside the house and left Peggy outside to listen to me on the air. Again, after what seemed like an absolutely incredibly long time, he came back on, and told the nationwide audience who he had on the phone, where I was from, and played the clue once again and asked me what the song was and who the artist was who sang it.

Being inside the house, alone, I was amazingly calm and didn't get tongue-tied or suffered a brain fart or anything, and after my conversation that went out live over the air nationwide, I went outside and asked my wife how I sounded. She told me I sounded cool and calm and not nervous at all.

It was then that I asked her what the heck it was I had won, anyhow. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate the fact that I had won a prize, it was simply that I had only wanted for one time to be able to tell the nation that I knew what the song and the artist were on Dick's mystery oldie. Hell, I had done so well and had guessed so many of them right over the years, I just wanted for one time to be recognized for my knowledge of music.

Peggy told me I had won a commemorative edition of a monorail train set from Disney World.

I know that's going to be an excellent prize when I receive it, but the prize itself wasn't as important to me as just knowing that people all over the US were listening and they heard this 54 year old dude from this little town in Indiana who knew what the first mystery oldie of the evening was.

And to think, it only took me twenty-five years to win it.....