Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, hey there, Detroit Wheels.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Doug Hodell. Hello, Damon Johnson, Oh hear.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Me, Yes I can, Damon Johnson. How the heck are you, buddy?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
And it's really really good to talk to you, my friend.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Well, obviously the word is out on my retirement, so
I appreciate the phone call. But man, you've been doing
some big things here this year. Congratulations on this new
brother Kine album, the first one in I think I
read twenty eight years? Is that right?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
It is right? I mean, that's crazy. That just sounds
so insane. The first time someone said that to me,
I was like, wait, no, what Yeah, And it has
been twenty eight years since. You know, we put out
a record in nineteen ninety eight called Wishpool, and you know,
(00:56):
a couple of years after that, man, we called it
a day, and the band's been basically dormant since. Stand
up until a couple of years ago. You came to
see us, yep, at the awesome Token Lounds there in
Detroit Rock City.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah, the Smoking Token. Yeah, we had a good time there,
and and the songs are timeless. They sounded timeless. They
sounded as good then as they did in nineteen ninety seven.
Ninety eight, and h boy, I got a chance to
listen to If This Means War? Now. I gotta say,
first off, this is a little harder than I've heard
(01:36):
Brother Kane before, So you really cranked up the amplifier.
I don't know, you know, if you got that from
being in Leonard skinnerd or hanging around al Nally or
rick Ricky Medlock, but somebody, somebody turned you up.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
It would it would probably definitely be a little more
al Nally than it would be Medlock. No, listen to me, Doug.
That means so much, brother, Thank you for listening to
the song. We just felt like it was the perfect
track to kind of announce the new record with. You
(02:15):
know better than anybody, buddy, it's a different world now
than it was in nineteen ninety eight. And you know,
we've got our little fan base, we've got our little
social media footprint, We've got a great website, and we're
just putting stuff out there man for people to hear.
But the reaction to If This Means War has been incredible,
(02:36):
and I just think our fan base loves the fact
that we've made kind of a musical statement. We've come
out with a big kind of kick in the teeth
and say, hey, we're not messing around. I can't wait
for you and everyone else to hear the rest of
the album, Doug, because it reflects that same kind of
musical diversity that brother Came was always known for.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, when you're on all the platforms, especially something like YouTube,
you got to make some noise, and you know, you
made some strong, a strong statement, not only with the
title but with the music itself. So no doubt about it.
You hit the nail right on the head. Magnolia Medicine
is the name of the album. It says it's not
(03:20):
coming out though till like, I don't know the summer
of twenty twenty six. Is it that far away?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Not quite. It's gonna come out in April of twenty
fourty six. All right, Yeah, that's still a ways away.
It's still a ways a way, Doug. But what we're
doing is we are kind of subscribing to the new
music operating manual, which is to put out a new song.
(03:48):
Let people kind of chew on that for four to
six weeks, drop another song. Yeah, same thing, another four
to six weeks, drop yet a third song, and then
and then shortly after that put record.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I was just gonna say, how different is that that
you put out three singles before you release the record.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, I think, man, it's.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
I think the Beatles might have done that, so I
can't be you know, I mean, if we're going back
to the sixties, let's go back.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah, I mean, I guess you're right, buddy. The Beatles
did do that, and it was over sixty years ago.
I can't remember who said it, Doug. But in some ways, man,
especially if you're playing rock and roll, it is a
bit of a throwback to the way it was way back, man,
(04:40):
like in the Sun Records days when Johnny Cash would
go in and record a song and he'd be selling
the you know, the forty five singles out of the
trunk of his car man at the gigs. If that's
what it takes, we're all about it. We are not
intimidated to roll up our sleeves and work hard.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Well. Yeah, on like a Spotify, all these different platforms.
It's all about the big hit single. It's all about
the forty five, you know, it's all about the seven inch.
So unfortunately they don't have vinyl seven inches anymore, so
you just put the single out on digital and get
people fired up about it, and then eventually they do
gravitate to the whole thing and maybe even you know,
(05:22):
a vinyl album.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Who knows, but ah for sure, Doug. Listen. That's the
that's the other kind of main focus for putting out
the first track, which is if this means war, is
to announce that the record is coming, you know, and
it takes it. We we've redone our website Brothercane dot com.
(05:45):
It looks incredible. People can go there, they can pre
order the vinyl, they can pre order the CD if
that's what they if they're looking for. Man, we're already
selling new Magnolia medicine merch. Doug Podell I went on
the website myself and bought a hoodie because it's got
(06:08):
that awesome magnolia tree right on the right chest and
it just looks super cool. Is a kind of thing
you can wear out and people will go what's that
and you just kind of wink at them and say like, hey,
you'll have to figure it.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Out if you know, you know, but you know, obviously,
one thing you've done very well, Damon Johnson, is adapt
You've adapted to the new style you've adapted to the
new music. And you know, honestly, in radio, I had
to do that myself or I would have never survived
(06:45):
fifty years, because you know, you do have to, you know,
roll with the flow, change with the times, keep up
with the technology. You know, shorten your breaks from three
minutes to two minutes, it's to one minute to seventeen seconds,
you know. So uh, you know we're adapting, we're changing
(07:06):
with the music business and especially in rock. Uh, not
only for you, but you know, for guys like me.
But yeah, that's the name of the game today. It's
it's being able to adapt to survive. I tell kids
who who come through the radio station here from these
broadcasting schools, they go, well, what what do you what's
(07:26):
the first thing you know we need to learn? And
I said, you need to be ready to adapt to anything,
you know, Because.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Amen, Doug, Amen Doug, and listen. I hope those kids
will listen to you, because man, you have been You've
worn so many hats over the course of your fifty years. Brother,
you know, you you have had to adapt. I love
that word. Visit you know, we you and me, Ricky Medlog,
(07:59):
many of the people I'm sure you've spoken to over
the last month as you're you know, celebrating your retirement.
At some point, we've all had to pivot, yeah, and
be flexible, pay attention. You know, things are never going
to always be the same. Change is inevitable. And look, man,
if you're if you're the real deal, which you certainly are,
(08:22):
my friend, you adapt and you keep on trucking and
your whole your whole story, Doug, your entire career path
is absolutely inspiring, man. And I am honored to be
on your show this week man to uh, to just
commemorate a momentous occasion. And I'm grateful to you, brother.
(08:45):
You've been so supportive of me and my band and
just my whole career. And well, I'm I'm proud to
call you a friend.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Meeting you, we kind of became friends. And uh, you know,
I've worked with a lot of bands over the years
who have been you know, acquaintances or good you know, camaraderie.
But you know, friendship is a little different, and I
(09:15):
always thought we had that. And I was so excited
when I saw you go into Leonard Skinnard because you know,
Ricky Medlack, I just talked to him, and you're actually
on my and Brother Kane will be represented on my
very last show, so you know, I am pretty proud
(09:36):
of that. I'm pretty proud of what we did with
brother Kin and and my friendship with Ricky Medlock over
the years with Blackfoot and al Nally down there at
the store, and everything that you guys have done with
Leonard SKINNERD is exactly what we were just talking about.
I mean, you've taken Leonard SKINNERD now and adapted and
kept the legacy and the history and the profoundness of
(10:00):
that music alive, and I for one, am appreciative of
that and respected very much.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
It means a lot coming from your Doug being a part,
being just a footnote in the you know, the legacy
story that is Leonard Skinner. It's a huge honor for me.
You and I talked about that last time. It's been
incredible for me musically, it's been very fulfilling, and I
think I have been a great fit to come into
(10:31):
that band and play those Gary Rossington parts. It is
not only my hero, but he was also my friend
and I learned a lot from Gary and it just
meant so much to me for him to sit with
me or call me on the phone and say, hey, listen, buddy,
I want you to keep this going. It's it's kind
(10:53):
of hard to put that into proper perspective, Doug. You know,
I felt it's almost like being you know, touched by
the Pope. Hey, buddy, you're the next in line, and
I endorse you doing this. Man, what a thrill for me.
And you know, listen, Doug, I don't know if you
(11:14):
remember this, man, but when brother Kane called it a
day back in ninety nine or two thousand, man, I
was ready to get out of the music business. It
had been such an arduous experience. We had a lot
of great success at radio, but you know, everything at
(11:36):
home was a mess. You know, everybody's personal life were struggling.
There was drugs and alcohol within the band. I mean,
it was just a mess, man, And I just thought, well,
that's it for me. That was my shot. I thought
about going back to school. You know. I played some
on the weekends with my friends, just playing cover teams.
(11:56):
I mean like, I totally went a different direction with
no idea of what the future would hold. So for
you and I to be talking on the occasion of
your incredible career and your oncoming retirement, and then you
look at what path I was able to take, which
I was very fortunate man to play with John Waite,
(12:18):
play with Alice Cooper, play with then Lizzy, and make
some solo records and just keep you know, the music
kept pulling me back in. I guess this is what
I'm trying to say, Doug. And so for me to
be at this point in my career, I feel like
I'm much much more confident of a band leader of
(12:39):
a songwriter. Man, if I'd have this confidence thirty years ago,
who knows, men, brother came out of never but you know,
we would have never left, would have been able to
stick around.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
But you still got it and timings everything, and you know,
you got to go through some adversity to find your path.
I did, We all did. So you know, I found
my way back to my original stomping grounds here at WLLZ.
I would have never thought that I was doing my
last year of radio, which I thought in twenty seventeen
(13:14):
I had gone to country radio. I was on Nash
FM and they were talking about doing a contract for
me and putting me on a bunch of stations across
the country, and I'm thinking, man, I don't know a
damn thing about country music, so I better go down
to Nashville and absorb some of this. And I went
down there and it's all rock first off. And then
(13:37):
I got the call from my Heart radio that Wheels
is coming back. So my dream of country music was
squashed immediately and I was back rocking again, and it
was It's been a great last seven years. And to
wake up and oh boo, here you go fifty years.
(13:58):
It's kind of a shocker. But I'm looking forward to
seeing you with Leonard Skinnerd out there at Pine Knob
coming up on July thirty. First, You'll be out there
at the Knob with Foreigner.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
You know. You and I are sitting here reflecting on
all the changes.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Will you have time at all this year to get
brother kin out there?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
This is yeah. The plan for twenty twenty six. Skinnerd's
schedule is very sparse, the entire the entire first half
of the year, Doug, which speaks well to us putting
out this record and just having a lot of opportunities
man to go out and play. We just announced the
(14:39):
show down here in Alabama with our buddies in Tesla.
Oh yeah, we just supported def Leopard back in August.
They wanted us to come and do some more shows.
We're working on that. Charlie, my buddy, Charlie Starr BlackBerry Smoke.
It looks like we're playing an amphitheater with them in
(14:59):
East Timor See. So you know, man, we're just we're
starting to put ourselves out there and again, Doug, the
reaction to the record, the reaction to the fact that
the band is back for real, is incredibly exciting for
me man, and all the guys in the band. And
you know, we're just look, man, we're just having fun
(15:21):
in our minds. This new record is already a success.
It was so fulfilling in the writing, the recording, you know,
working on the mixes and then getting it all done
and be able to listen and play it for our friends,
for our family. Yeah, man, it we're so proud of it.
And whatever else happens past, this is all just icing
(15:43):
on the cakes. So yes, we're going to be working
very diligently to play as many shows as we can
before Skinnered fires up pretty aggressively the end of June,
first part of July.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
I go all right. What's even more awesome is your
call today, and I appreciate it so much. I've enjoyed
our time together and I know that somewhere along the line,
somehow I'm going to get back. But I'm gonna definitely
come out and see you guys this summer and check
(16:17):
out the Skinnered Band, and wherever you are with Brother Kan,
I'll be there.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
You know that, Doug Listen, Man, your family, you know this.
You're certainly family to me, and you know how to
get in touch with me. Man, any show you want
to come, you can come. You just let me know
and it's a done deal. Brother. I will never be
able to fully express my gratitude for the fact that
(16:42):
something about Brother Kane's music connected with you way back
in nineteen ninety three when some whoever played You've Got
No Shame for the first time. You know, I remember
we got a phone call that same week from the
radio rep saying, hey, Man and Doug Podell and Detroit
loves this song. They're already played at medium rotation. Man,
(17:05):
we had no way of really knowing what that meant
at that time. And then you you just proceeded to
add every single song that we ever put out at
radio over the next seven years. Buddy, listen, I wouldn't
have the career I've had had we not had some
radio success with Brother Kane, and you had a huge
(17:26):
part to do with that, Doug Podell, don't ever doubt it.
Don't ever forget it.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Well, I appreciate that, and trust me, the music did
the talk and it's fit Detroit like a glove. It
still does. And uh and you know as evident by
the last time we played, you played the Token Lounge
and it was jam packed out there. So we will uh,
we'll keep it going.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
I'll let you go with this, buddy. Don't forget as
well how much Detroit ultimately became a major part of
my life. One Darren McCarty from the Detroit Red Wings
introduced me to who would become my future wife one
night at the Post at the Post Bar downtown after
(18:15):
after a Red Wings game. Yeah, man, he loved Brother
Kine Dougi. In ninety six, he invited us to a game,
so we got tickets to the Joe. He took care
of us. Man, took us in the dressing room. We
met everybody. Stevie Whye, everybody Scotty Bowman. It was insane.
(18:40):
It was insane. We go out to the post, I
meet this beautiful girl named Linda, and it took us
a minute to kind of get going. But about three
years later we became an item, and shortly after that
we got married. She moved to Alabama, was a great
step mom to my older kids. We got two beautiful
kids together, and Detroit is eternally a special place for
(19:06):
us and it means everything to me. Man, It's brought
me many good things.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
What a great story. Well, I appreciate that so much,
and thank you again for the time and the music,
and we will we will hook up this summer for sure.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
God speed to you. Doug Codell. You're a legend. Brother,
so so grateful to know you. And I'll be seeing
you really soon. A very latest dude at Pine Knob
when we come through with Skinner. Yes, summer, let's go.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
We'll see you there. But Damon Johnson, thank you once
again for the call. After fifty years. You know, you
find some friends in the business and you're absolutely one
of them. So thank you very.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Much, Thank you so much. All the best brothers.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
All right, all right, rock it out.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Rock it out.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Thank you, Damon
Yeah, hey there, Detroit Wheels.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Doug Hodell. Hello, Damon Johnson, Oh hear.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Me, Yes I can, Damon Johnson. How the heck are you, buddy?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
And it's really really good to talk to you, my friend.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Well, obviously the word is out on my retirement, so
I appreciate the phone call. But man, you've been doing
some big things here this year. Congratulations on this new
brother Kine album, the first one in I think I
read twenty eight years? Is that right?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
It is right? I mean, that's crazy. That just sounds
so insane. The first time someone said that to me,
I was like, wait, no, what Yeah, And it has
been twenty eight years since. You know, we put out
a record in nineteen ninety eight called Wishpool, and you know,
(00:56):
a couple of years after that, man, we called it
a day, and the band's been basically dormant since. Stand
up until a couple of years ago. You came to
see us, yep, at the awesome Token Lounds there in
Detroit Rock City.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah, the Smoking Token. Yeah, we had a good time there,
and and the songs are timeless. They sounded timeless. They
sounded as good then as they did in nineteen ninety seven.
Ninety eight, and h boy, I got a chance to
listen to If This Means War? Now. I gotta say,
first off, this is a little harder than I've heard
(01:36):
Brother Kane before, So you really cranked up the amplifier.
I don't know, you know, if you got that from
being in Leonard skinnerd or hanging around al Nally or
rick Ricky Medlock, but somebody, somebody turned you up.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
It would it would probably definitely be a little more
al Nally than it would be Medlock. No, listen to me, Doug.
That means so much, brother, Thank you for listening to
the song. We just felt like it was the perfect
track to kind of announce the new record with. You
(02:15):
know better than anybody, buddy, it's a different world now
than it was in nineteen ninety eight. And you know,
we've got our little fan base, we've got our little
social media footprint, We've got a great website, and we're
just putting stuff out there man for people to hear.
But the reaction to If This Means War has been incredible,
(02:36):
and I just think our fan base loves the fact
that we've made kind of a musical statement. We've come
out with a big kind of kick in the teeth
and say, hey, we're not messing around. I can't wait
for you and everyone else to hear the rest of
the album, Doug, because it reflects that same kind of
musical diversity that brother Came was always known for.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, when you're on all the platforms, especially something like YouTube,
you got to make some noise, and you know, you
made some strong, a strong statement, not only with the
title but with the music itself. So no doubt about it.
You hit the nail right on the head. Magnolia Medicine
is the name of the album. It says it's not
(03:20):
coming out though till like, I don't know the summer
of twenty twenty six. Is it that far away?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Not quite. It's gonna come out in April of twenty
fourty six. All right, Yeah, that's still a ways away.
It's still a ways a way, Doug. But what we're
doing is we are kind of subscribing to the new
music operating manual, which is to put out a new song.
(03:48):
Let people kind of chew on that for four to
six weeks, drop another song. Yeah, same thing, another four
to six weeks, drop yet a third song, and then
and then shortly after that put record.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I was just gonna say, how different is that that
you put out three singles before you release the record.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, I think, man, it's.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
I think the Beatles might have done that, so I
can't be you know, I mean, if we're going back
to the sixties, let's go back.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah, I mean, I guess you're right, buddy. The Beatles
did do that, and it was over sixty years ago.
I can't remember who said it, Doug. But in some ways, man,
especially if you're playing rock and roll, it is a
bit of a throwback to the way it was way back, man,
(04:40):
like in the Sun Records days when Johnny Cash would
go in and record a song and he'd be selling
the you know, the forty five singles out of the
trunk of his car man at the gigs. If that's
what it takes, we're all about it. We are not
intimidated to roll up our sleeves and work hard.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Well. Yeah, on like a Spotify, all these different platforms.
It's all about the big hit single. It's all about
the forty five, you know, it's all about the seven inch.
So unfortunately they don't have vinyl seven inches anymore, so
you just put the single out on digital and get
people fired up about it, and then eventually they do
gravitate to the whole thing and maybe even you know,
(05:22):
a vinyl album.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Who knows, but ah for sure, Doug. Listen. That's the
that's the other kind of main focus for putting out
the first track, which is if this means war, is
to announce that the record is coming, you know, and
it takes it. We we've redone our website Brothercane dot com.
(05:45):
It looks incredible. People can go there, they can pre
order the vinyl, they can pre order the CD if
that's what they if they're looking for. Man, we're already
selling new Magnolia medicine merch. Doug Podell I went on
the website myself and bought a hoodie because it's got
(06:08):
that awesome magnolia tree right on the right chest and
it just looks super cool. Is a kind of thing
you can wear out and people will go what's that
and you just kind of wink at them and say like, hey,
you'll have to figure it.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Out if you know, you know, but you know, obviously,
one thing you've done very well, Damon Johnson, is adapt
You've adapted to the new style you've adapted to the
new music. And you know, honestly, in radio, I had
to do that myself or I would have never survived
(06:45):
fifty years, because you know, you do have to, you know,
roll with the flow, change with the times, keep up
with the technology. You know, shorten your breaks from three
minutes to two minutes, it's to one minute to seventeen seconds,
you know. So uh, you know we're adapting, we're changing
(07:06):
with the music business and especially in rock. Uh, not
only for you, but you know, for guys like me.
But yeah, that's the name of the game today. It's
it's being able to adapt to survive. I tell kids
who who come through the radio station here from these
broadcasting schools, they go, well, what what do you what's
(07:26):
the first thing you know we need to learn? And
I said, you need to be ready to adapt to anything,
you know, Because.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Amen, Doug, Amen Doug, and listen. I hope those kids
will listen to you, because man, you have been You've
worn so many hats over the course of your fifty years. Brother,
you know, you you have had to adapt. I love
that word. Visit you know, we you and me, Ricky Medlog,
(07:59):
many of the people I'm sure you've spoken to over
the last month as you're you know, celebrating your retirement.
At some point, we've all had to pivot, yeah, and
be flexible, pay attention. You know, things are never going
to always be the same. Change is inevitable. And look, man,
if you're if you're the real deal, which you certainly are,
(08:22):
my friend, you adapt and you keep on trucking and
your whole your whole story, Doug, your entire career path
is absolutely inspiring, man. And I am honored to be
on your show this week man to uh, to just
commemorate a momentous occasion. And I'm grateful to you, brother.
(08:45):
You've been so supportive of me and my band and
just my whole career. And well, I'm I'm proud to
call you a friend.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Meeting you, we kind of became friends. And uh, you know,
I've worked with a lot of bands over the years
who have been you know, acquaintances or good you know, camaraderie.
But you know, friendship is a little different, and I
(09:15):
always thought we had that. And I was so excited
when I saw you go into Leonard Skinnard because you know,
Ricky Medlack, I just talked to him, and you're actually
on my and Brother Kane will be represented on my
very last show, so you know, I am pretty proud
(09:36):
of that. I'm pretty proud of what we did with
brother Kin and and my friendship with Ricky Medlock over
the years with Blackfoot and al Nally down there at
the store, and everything that you guys have done with
Leonard SKINNERD is exactly what we were just talking about.
I mean, you've taken Leonard SKINNERD now and adapted and
kept the legacy and the history and the profoundness of
(10:00):
that music alive, and I for one, am appreciative of
that and respected very much.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
It means a lot coming from your Doug being a part,
being just a footnote in the you know, the legacy
story that is Leonard Skinner. It's a huge honor for me.
You and I talked about that last time. It's been
incredible for me musically, it's been very fulfilling, and I
think I have been a great fit to come into
(10:31):
that band and play those Gary Rossington parts. It is
not only my hero, but he was also my friend
and I learned a lot from Gary and it just
meant so much to me for him to sit with
me or call me on the phone and say, hey, listen, buddy,
I want you to keep this going. It's it's kind
(10:53):
of hard to put that into proper perspective, Doug. You know,
I felt it's almost like being you know, touched by
the Pope. Hey, buddy, you're the next in line, and
I endorse you doing this. Man, what a thrill for me.
And you know, listen, Doug, I don't know if you
(11:14):
remember this, man, but when brother Kane called it a
day back in ninety nine or two thousand, man, I
was ready to get out of the music business. It
had been such an arduous experience. We had a lot
of great success at radio, but you know, everything at
(11:36):
home was a mess. You know, everybody's personal life were struggling.
There was drugs and alcohol within the band. I mean,
it was just a mess, man, And I just thought, well,
that's it for me. That was my shot. I thought
about going back to school. You know. I played some
on the weekends with my friends, just playing cover teams.
(11:56):
I mean like, I totally went a different direction with
no idea of what the future would hold. So for
you and I to be talking on the occasion of
your incredible career and your oncoming retirement, and then you
look at what path I was able to take, which
I was very fortunate man to play with John Waite,
(12:18):
play with Alice Cooper, play with then Lizzy, and make
some solo records and just keep you know, the music
kept pulling me back in. I guess this is what
I'm trying to say, Doug. And so for me to
be at this point in my career, I feel like
I'm much much more confident of a band leader of
(12:39):
a songwriter. Man, if I'd have this confidence thirty years ago,
who knows, men, brother came out of never but you know,
we would have never left, would have been able to
stick around.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
But you still got it and timings everything, and you know,
you got to go through some adversity to find your path.
I did, We all did. So you know, I found
my way back to my original stomping grounds here at WLLZ.
I would have never thought that I was doing my
last year of radio, which I thought in twenty seventeen
(13:14):
I had gone to country radio. I was on Nash
FM and they were talking about doing a contract for
me and putting me on a bunch of stations across
the country, and I'm thinking, man, I don't know a
damn thing about country music, so I better go down
to Nashville and absorb some of this. And I went
down there and it's all rock first off. And then
(13:37):
I got the call from my Heart radio that Wheels
is coming back. So my dream of country music was
squashed immediately and I was back rocking again, and it
was It's been a great last seven years. And to
wake up and oh boo, here you go fifty years.
(13:58):
It's kind of a shocker. But I'm looking forward to
seeing you with Leonard Skinnerd out there at Pine Knob
coming up on July thirty. First, You'll be out there
at the Knob with Foreigner.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
You know. You and I are sitting here reflecting on
all the changes.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Will you have time at all this year to get
brother kin out there?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
This is yeah. The plan for twenty twenty six. Skinnerd's
schedule is very sparse, the entire the entire first half
of the year, Doug, which speaks well to us putting
out this record and just having a lot of opportunities
man to go out and play. We just announced the
(14:39):
show down here in Alabama with our buddies in Tesla.
Oh yeah, we just supported def Leopard back in August.
They wanted us to come and do some more shows.
We're working on that. Charlie, my buddy, Charlie Starr BlackBerry Smoke.
It looks like we're playing an amphitheater with them in
(14:59):
East Timor See. So you know, man, we're just we're
starting to put ourselves out there and again, Doug, the
reaction to the record, the reaction to the fact that
the band is back for real, is incredibly exciting for
me man, and all the guys in the band. And
you know, we're just look, man, we're just having fun
(15:21):
in our minds. This new record is already a success.
It was so fulfilling in the writing, the recording, you know,
working on the mixes and then getting it all done
and be able to listen and play it for our friends,
for our family. Yeah, man, it we're so proud of it.
And whatever else happens past, this is all just icing
(15:43):
on the cakes. So yes, we're going to be working
very diligently to play as many shows as we can
before Skinnered fires up pretty aggressively the end of June,
first part of July.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
I go all right. What's even more awesome is your
call today, and I appreciate it so much. I've enjoyed
our time together and I know that somewhere along the line,
somehow I'm going to get back. But I'm gonna definitely
come out and see you guys this summer and check
(16:17):
out the Skinnered Band, and wherever you are with Brother Kan,
I'll be there.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
You know that, Doug Listen, Man, your family, you know this.
You're certainly family to me, and you know how to
get in touch with me. Man, any show you want
to come, you can come. You just let me know
and it's a done deal. Brother. I will never be
able to fully express my gratitude for the fact that
(16:42):
something about Brother Kane's music connected with you way back
in nineteen ninety three when some whoever played You've Got
No Shame for the first time. You know, I remember
we got a phone call that same week from the
radio rep saying, hey, Man and Doug Podell and Detroit
loves this song. They're already played at medium rotation. Man,
(17:05):
we had no way of really knowing what that meant
at that time. And then you you just proceeded to
add every single song that we ever put out at
radio over the next seven years. Buddy, listen, I wouldn't
have the career I've had had we not had some
radio success with Brother Kane, and you had a huge
(17:26):
part to do with that, Doug Podell, don't ever doubt it.
Don't ever forget it.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Well, I appreciate that, and trust me, the music did
the talk and it's fit Detroit like a glove. It
still does. And uh and you know as evident by
the last time we played, you played the Token Lounge
and it was jam packed out there. So we will uh,
we'll keep it going.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
I'll let you go with this, buddy. Don't forget as
well how much Detroit ultimately became a major part of
my life. One Darren McCarty from the Detroit Red Wings
introduced me to who would become my future wife one
night at the Post at the Post Bar downtown after
(18:15):
after a Red Wings game. Yeah, man, he loved Brother
Kine Dougi. In ninety six, he invited us to a game,
so we got tickets to the Joe. He took care
of us. Man, took us in the dressing room. We
met everybody. Stevie Whye, everybody Scotty Bowman. It was insane.
(18:40):
It was insane. We go out to the post, I
meet this beautiful girl named Linda, and it took us
a minute to kind of get going. But about three
years later we became an item, and shortly after that
we got married. She moved to Alabama, was a great
step mom to my older kids. We got two beautiful
kids together, and Detroit is eternally a special place for
(19:06):
us and it means everything to me. Man, It's brought
me many good things.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
What a great story. Well, I appreciate that so much,
and thank you again for the time and the music,
and we will we will hook up this summer for sure.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
God speed to you. Doug Codell. You're a legend. Brother,
so so grateful to know you. And I'll be seeing
you really soon. A very latest dude at Pine Knob
when we come through with Skinner. Yes, summer, let's go.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
We'll see you there. But Damon Johnson, thank you once
again for the call. After fifty years. You know, you
find some friends in the business and you're absolutely one
of them. So thank you very.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Much, Thank you so much. All the best brothers.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
All right, all right, rock it out.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Rock it out.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Thank you, Damon
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