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Brown Deer Public Library to host an evening with Obie Yadgar.
Obie Yadgar, known to many Milwaukee area residents as the morning voice of WFMR for many years will be presenting amusing anecdotes and recollections from his 30 year career in radio. He has published a book, “Obie’s Opus” which includes many of these stories which will be available for purchase and he will be autographing copies on Wednesday, May 30th from 6:30-8:00 PM. A wonderful voice and a very entertaining evening will be found here. The program is free, refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Brown Deer Library.
Classical Radio Gems
Stories and anecdotes from behind the microphone
An aging actor called on Offenbach on the morning of October 5, 1880. “How is he?” he inquired. “Mr. Offenbach is dead,” replied the servant. “He died peacefully, without knowing anything about it.” The actor sighed and said, “Ah, he will be surprised when he finds out.”
This gem is one of hundreds of amusing little stories and anecdotes from the world of classical music appearing in Obie Yadgar’s new book Obie’s Opus (now available from obieyadgar.com; authorhouse.com; or by calling 888-280-7715). Obie, the veteran writer and classical music radio announcer, collected these tidbits in a radio career that spanned more than 30 years.
“Obie’s Opus is a glimpse of my life in classical music radio,” said Yadgar, “and the anecdotes illustrate some of my simple reflections on life sitting behind the microphone. The book is not only a good off-beat reference source for classical music lovers, but it’s also a good source for some laughter.”
Obie’s Opus is divided into 23 sections each packed with stories and anecdotes that reflect its subject. The sections have such titles as: “The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed,” “When a guy gets stabbed in the back and instead of bleeding, he sings – or some of life’s ironies,” “Only a lunatic would dance when sober,” “Wait till you’re fifty and you’ll see – or trying to make sense out of life,” and “The importance of being useless as a critic.”
In 1896, a New Orleans newspaper called The Item had no available music critic to review Paderewski’s piano concert. So they sent the boxing editor instead. In his review, the editor wrote: “In my opinion, he is the best two-handed piano fighter that ever wore hair. If I were a piano, I wouldn’t travel as Paderewski’s sparring partner for two-thirds of the gross receipts.”
As an Assyrian growing up in Tehran, Iran, Obelit Yadgar (Obie) spent long hours listening to stations in distant lands on the family shortwave radio. It was only natural that years later, in American, he would drift into radio as announcer and music programmer. Working mostly in classical and jazz radio stations, he has had stints at KWMU, St. Louis; WFMR, Milwaukee; WUWM, Milwaukee; and the former WNIB, Chicago. “The stories in Obie’s Opus were always a sure fire on radio,” he said.
Obie, who has enjoyed a parallel career as writer, has written magazine and newspaper features, short stories, radio essays and video scripts. He spent a tour of duty in Vietnam as a U.S. Army combat correspondent. “Will’s Music,” his first novel, published in 2005, and is also available from obieyadgar.com; authorhouse.com; or by calling 888-280-7755. Obie is currently working on his second novel.
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