Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers' Rumble. [July 9 - August 9]
When I first started listening to Tommy Conwell and his music, it brought me back to the great true foundation artists – as I call them – namely the founders of rock ‘n’ roll.
Back in 1988, I was a lifelong fan of Philly radio and especially WMMR. But I was too young to attend all the hot Philly talent playing local venues like the Chestnut Cabaret - you had to be 21 years old to get into the clubs!
My love of Tommy Conwell started when I heard the song "I'm Not Your Man" – and the message and lyrics of the song were perfectly in sync with a relationship I was experiencing at that time. It never ceases to amaze me when an artist can capture how I'm feeling.
When I heard this song, I called WMMR immediately. The DJ gave me the scoop about Tommy and his Young Rumblers. And the station even aired my call because they said I was so enthusiastic!
Of course, there was no social media back then. I was an avid reader of Circus Magazine and part of a rock fan pen pal circle from all across the country. We would make mix tapes of our local bands and share them with others. Needless to say I was sending Tommy's music to people as far away as Hawaii, Colorado, Virginia, Washington, etc.
One of my best memories was the thrill I had in seeing Tommy appear on the American Music Awards in 1989! A lot of my pen pal circle at the time saw the performance as well – it led to a lifelong love of Tommy's music.
