moon o That was a big deal then, before FM

... challenge of paying $20,000 if anyone caught them playing less. I had a friend from high school who became schizophrenic about his second year at Akron U. His disease and personality change was more than his family could cope with and he became a resident in sheltered residence where he would stay up all night long listening to the radio. One night about 2:00am, he heard only two songs and he claimed the cash.

Because the station was not ever intending to play less than three songs, they fired the dj and had investigators look for a connection between Larry and the dj. Finding none they gave Larry his twenty thousand.

The rest of the story is long and sad. But he did not get to enjoy his windfall for long.

... red haired folks ever. Four or five boys with freckles and built like football players. All nice and up for a challenge short of criminal. Mom and dad both red haired.

What happened to Larry was, he bought a Les Paul and practice amp (he'd never played guitar as far as I know), a decent stereo and some records and spent the rest of it taking a cab about 40 miles from where he lived to Massilon State Hospital where his girl friend was in residence. Within a few weeks of spending the last of his fortune, one of his housemates (I assume) swiped his guitar, amp and stereo.

About eight or ten years later, when they had turned the old YMCA into a residential hotel for those with disabilities, he lived there. There was even a photo of him sitting in the window on a sunny day another friend of mine took of Larry. Within a month or so, Larry jumped.

That YMCA was where for the first and only time this Lutheran ever swam nude when our church youth group went there one Sunday afternoon for a group event. I don't remember where the girls went, but it wasn't a co-ed swim.