HOMEGROWN ROCKER 6/15/25 (FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL)

[Jim Price]

Hello Everyone,

Here is the recap of the June 15 edition of “The Homegrown Rocker,” which airs every Sunday night from 8 to 10 PM on Q94 Classic Rock (www.q94classicrock.com), and from 10 PM to midnight on 107.1 and 101.3 Jack FM (www.1071jack.fm)!

With this Sunday being Father's Day, it was time for the annual "Homegrown Rocker" Father's Day Special! We celebrated numerous dads of the area and regional music scene...as well as some moms, sons and daughters as well - and celebrated area music scene family traditions! We provided a musical mix of old and new as we celebrated two and sometimes even three generations of musicians within the same song. Along the way, we updated "Local Music News," plus introduced a few new numbers from Rick Wertz, Jim Donovan & the Sun King Warriors and Bloomfield Pest Control, and dug out a couple of 1990s "Local Music Flashback" numbers from Donny Burns (Sr.) & the Sharp Turns and D.D. & the Swing Hounds! (For those who missed the program, a four-part podcast of this show is available for listening or download from Q94’s website, www.q94classicrock.com. Click on “The Professor’s Classroom,” and then scroll down to “Homegrown Rocker Podcast” and look for the four show segments marked with the date, 061525.)

Here is this week’s playlist (with family members on the song in parentheses):

HOUR ONE:

INFUSED - "Wake Tomorrow" (Shawn Huss = father, Adrianna = daughter)

ALLISON BOREK - "Hellos and Smiles" (Allison = daughter, John Borek = father)

CHIP & THE CHARGE UPS - "Welcome to the Neighborhood" (Chip Dominick = father, Maleena = daughter)

JUKEHOUSE BOMBERS - "Shake What Momma Gave You" (Jimmy Roach = father, Joe Roach = son)

INSIDE OUT - "In My Blood" (Tim Frick = father, Patrick Frick = son, Ben Frick = Tim's brother and Patrick's uncle)

RACHEL ALLEN - "Good Shepherd" (Rachel = mother)

JOHNNY BAYUSH - "Always" (Johnny = Rachel's son)

RICK WERTZ - "Shine Your Light" (new) (Rick = son of Gary, who the song is written for; Rick also father of Eric Wertz who plays drums on the song)

THE BACKYARD ROCKERS - "Tara's Song" (Richard Dasch = father, wrote and played the song for his daughter Tara on her wedding day)

DONNY BURNS (SR.) & THE SHARP TURNS - "Hooterville U.S.A." (1991, Local Music Flashback) 

DONNY BURNS (JR.) & THE 3RD DEGREE - "Summer Rain" (Donny Jr. is son of Don Sr.)

HOUR TWO:

STERLING KOCH & FREEWAY JAM - "Orange Crush" (Sterling = father, Kate Koch = daughter)

JIM DONOVAN & THE SUN KING WARRIORS - "When the Rains Come" (new) (Jim = father, Tupelo and Oliver Donovan = daughter and son; daughter Ella Donovan has sung on other Sun King Warriors songs. Dan Murphy = father, son Dylan has performed with the group on recordings and live.)

TOY (THE BAND) - "Target Audience" (bassist Adela = daughter of Jim Howsare)

D.D. & THE SWING HOUNDS - "Wait A Minute Baby" (1996, Local Music Flashback) (Jim Howsare = father of Adela; Dana and Art Martino are parents of sons Anthony and Nicholas Martino - all now members of D.D. & THE PUB CRAWLERS)

CHRIS BELL - "The Dad Song" (written for his father)

FRAN HITE - "Mom's Song" (1987, Local Music Flashback) (written for his mother)

TIM WOODS - "Vortex" (Tim = father; sons Derek and Ryan sing backing vocals)

DEREK WOODS BAND - "Thank You for Being Here" (Derek = son of Tim Woods)

HABATAT - "City Minute" (Ryan Woods = son of Tim Woods)

FELIX & THE HURRICANES - "It's Just Me" (Jeff Clapper = father, Ryan Clapper = son; Felix Kos and Bob Watters also fathers)

BLOOMFIELD PEST CONTROL - "Zhang" (new) (Forrest Kos = son of Felix Kos)

PENSIVE FEAR - "Demon Lovers" (Tom Brown = father, Shawn Brown = son)

RADIO 45 - "Good Dawg" (Mark Wesesky = father)

OSPREY - "Oji Wan" (Luke Wesesky = son)

We welcome guests into the studio for our next program, as 16-year-old Somerset-based singer and songwriter Allison Borek and her father John Borek pay us a visit. We'll learn Allison's story and discuss her music and live song, plus hear songs off her vinyl debut album "Melancholy." And Allison is bringing her guitar to play a few songs live too! We'll also update "Local Music News" and dig into the archive for another "Local Music Flashback!" Hear the “Homegrown Rocker” this Sunday night (June 22) on Q94 Classic Rock – 94.3 FM and online at www.q94classicrock.com, and on 107.1 and 101.3 Jack FM, online at www.1071jack.fm!

JUNE 29 – Coltt Winter Lepley

JULY 20 – Cover Song Special

JULY 27 – With Hopes Of Falling

AUG. 3 – Dave Mayersky (Upstage Music Fest)

AUG. 10 – Billy Davis

OCT. 26 – Halloween Special

NOV. 30 – Local Music on Vinyl Special

DEC. 14 – Dr. Barry Atticks (Lilla Jul Rockeband)

DEC. 21 – Christmas Special

DEC. 28 – 2025 Year in Review

(All dates are subject to changes as circumstances warrant.)

Bands and artists wanting to submit news items for “Local Music News” may email their news to homegrownrocker@gmail.com. Indicate “MUSIC NEWS” in the subject heading!

Bands and artists interested in having music aired on the show are invited to send their broadcast-quality recordings to: The Homegrown Rocker, 2513 6th Avenue, Altoona, PA 16602 (ATTN: Jim Price). You can also email digital song files or inquiries about the show to homegrownrocker@gmail.com; and submit digital song files through the link on “The Professor’s Classroom” page. And bands and musicians interested in being guests on the program can email their interest to homegrownrocker@gmail.com as well!

Jim Price

In Local Music News…

A film creation by an area musician will air nationally this Thursday. The 2018 documentary film “How They Got Over: Gospel Quartets and the Road to Rock ‘n’ Roll,” co-produced, co-written and featuring area musician and Professor Jerry Zolten, will be screened nationally Thursday (June 19) at 1 p.m. on Turner Classic Movies as part of Juneteenth celebration programming. In addition to his musical work, Jerry is a professor emeritus of communication arts and sciences and integrative arts at Penn State Altoona.

And a benefit event is coming up next month to help out a Johnstown musician and self-employed healing arts practitioner. “Rachel Fest” will help out Rachel Allen, who is facing a hip replacement and will not be able to work as she recovers. The event will take place on Sunday afternoon, July 13 at the Community Foundation Oilhouse at People's Natural Gas Park in Johnstown. The event will feature a silent auction of local handcrafted items, as well as live music from Rachel herself, along with Johnny Bayush, Norman Ed and Bo Moore. The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m., and the suggested donation at the gate is $10.