WELCOME TO THE #RRBC ROCKIN’ 2020 AWAY BOOK, BLOG & TRAILER BLOCK PARTY!!! @WandaFischer #Giveaways

What I’m Giving Away…

(2) Amazon Gift Cards

# of Winners at this stop:  2

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I’ve done a radio show at WAMC-FM/Northeast Public Radio in Albany, New York since 1982, every Saturday, from 8-10 pm ET. Before moving to the Albany area in 1979, I did a similar show in Worcester, Massachusetts for four years, while my husband went to medical school.

I became interested in folk music, thanks to my father, Giles Adams, who grew up in southwestern Virginia and went to school with members of the famous Carter Family—Joe, June and Jannette Carter. You may recognize June’s name: She was married to some guy named Johnny Cash! She and my father remained good friends until his death in 1987. She, Johnny and my dad frequently went “antiquing” on Cape Cod whenever they were touring the area where my father and mother lived in southeastern Massachusetts.

Since New York Governor Andrew Cuomo deemed radio to be an essential service during the pandemic, I’ve not missed one live show. The first several shows were eerie: The normally hopping street on which the station is located was deserted. No cars, no even police, were visible. The bus stop outside of the station, which usually is bustling with people waiting for transportation, was empty.

A few places were open, but no people. The street is called Central Avenue for a reason. It’s a bustling place that leads to many different spots in Albany.

Many listeners have told me how appreciative they’ve been that I’ve been on “live” throughout the pandemic. From March 6, before the emergency was actually declared, I went into the station. I have to sanitize the studio I use, including employing my own headphones and a special “windscreen” for the microphone, to ensure that, when I speak into it, I don’t spread my germs. Only one other person is in the station in addition to me, and we wear face masks around the station when we’re not sequestered in the studio.

I take requests from listeners via an 800 number and do my best to fulfill them. Sometimes these are a little out-of-the ordinary, but I do my best. For example, someone may call for John Lennon’s “Imagine,” and, while we don’t have that in a folk music library, we do have Eva Cassidy’s (gorgeous) version. I substitute when I can’t find the original.

People might be surprised to learn that folk music DJs exist all over this country, as well as Canada, and, indeed, the world. In 2019, the Folk Alliance International inducted me into their Folk DJ Hall of Fame at their meeting held in Montreal. I dedicated that to my late father, because, without him, I’d never have been exposed to this wonderful music that I love, and pass on to people all over the country–and some in other countries–every week.

EMPTY SEATS

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