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From historic downtown Plymouth, Indiana, where the Lincoln Highway and Michigan Road cross the banks of the beautiful Yellow River, it's The Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour. It airs the first Monday of the month at 7 PM on 88.1 WVPE.

The Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour-John Gorka

Photo by Matthew Bergmoser

 

Legendary Songwriter, John Gorka, Emerges from COVID Retreat 

“Music was my refuge—my friend.  When no people were there it helped me sort out and objectify my feelings.”  And so, John Gorka’s interview concludes in his exchange with radio host, George Schricker, on this month’s edition of The Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour on WVPE FM 88.1.  John sings his traditional introductory song, I’m from New Jersey, in which he unfolds the title and concludes, “—I don’t expect too much.”  Of course, late in the program, he references the line whimsically when he relates, “I live in Minnesota now, so I’m expecting a little more.”  And so it goes, John’s marvelous sense of humor covering up for any sense of anguish he might feel as he reboots his performance acumen, stumbling slightly at times, but recovering like a stand-up—  tossing off a self-deprecating aside for laughs.  What is marvelous about John’s humor is it allows him to bring a remarkable sense of intimacy to his material, as if each song was a secret to be shared with the audience.     He performs four more songs, the insightful, Outside, a song to which any wordsmith or administrator of anything can relate—the need to escape one’s own interiority, “I just want to get a little bit outta my head.”  When back from the break, John performs his moving rendition of, “Christmas Bells,” before which he jokingly attributes, “I wrote this with my friend, William Henry Longfellow.”   Following this, John sings a piece co-written by Liza Gilkerson—a beautiful love song, If I Could Forget How to Breathe.  Following his aforementioned observation concerning the therapeutic effects of songwriting, he renders the show’s marvelous conclusion – a song so apropos in our troubled times, Oh, Abraham.  This remarkable song serves as an entreat to get money out of politics and to get on with the restoration of a sense of reason to the soul of our electorate.  Before rendering these words, John pauses to make connections of his own, demonstrating his equanimous  nature(think, “Unum, E Pluribus), by remarking—“You know, the Lincoln Highway, not far outside my home town in New Jersey, runs right outside the door here—Lincoln’s Funeral Train passed right through both places!”  This is a beautiful mind at work, this songwriter, providing strong, intimate reflections from the human heart. Lucky us!  John Gorka goes on sharing his songs with us!  

Also on this program is a fine original song by a young Plymouth songwriter, Dylan Hall, with accompaniment on the Viola by Matt Scutchfield, and on Cajon, by Jerry Mitchell.  In addition, the Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour qazi-quiz show, “Shoot the Moon,” features two wonderful guests from the region, Mickey and Linda Camp.   It’s a remarkable adventure, climb in on Monday night.  The Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour, “A Home for Humans.”

 

  

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Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour, Episode 50, Segment 2

  

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Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour, Episode 50, Segment 3