Ryan Vincent

Born in 1911, I’d like to wish a very “Happy Heavenly Birthday” to the creator of everyone’s favorite little blue tank engine - The Reverend Wilbert Awdry!

In 1945, he published the first book of “The Railway Series” featuring the characters Edward, Gordon, and Henry. One year later, in 1946, the world was introduced to Thomas The Tank Engine and the rest was history. He did it all for the love of the railways, and especially for the love of his son Christopher of whom he helped to make them.

He passed away in 1997, but his stories are still told to children around the world to this very day. For as long as Thomas still steams to this day, the Island Of Sodor will live on forever.

Happy 115th Birthday, Reverend Awdry! ♥️🚂

Good Morning Everyone!

Time to vote for this week’s WABC Pick Hit! Here are your options:

1. Surfin’ U.S.A. - The Beach Boys
2. Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer - Nat King Cole
3. My Summer Love - Ruby & The Romantics

Comment down below, email me at [email protected] or call (201)-692-2012 to cast your vote along with your request. The countdown begins at 9 AM EST.

May the best song win!

WFDU

Tomorrow’s show is a Birthday bash, and I can’t wait to play some of my favorite hits! Thank you to everyone who sent me Birthday wishes on Wednesday. As my gift to you, we’re doing at Top 5 countdown brought to you by 77 WABC in the heat.

Check back here tomorrow morning at 7 AM EST to vote for this week’s WABC Pick Hit as voted on by you, the listeners.

Listen LIVE on iHeartradio, TuneIn, Audacy, 89.1 pn your dial or streaming worldwide at wfdu.fm.

See you tomorrow morning!

Not a bad Birthday when you’re working on the railroad! Today I turned 29 years old and I can genuinely say that things have been absolutely incredible.

Not only are things great at home, but it’s been really cool being a part of New Hope Railroad and making things fun for all the passengers that come through Bucks County. On top of that, I get to play great music for everybody every Saturday morning on WFDU. It’s gonna be a great week!

(Shown behind me are Pennsylvania Northeastern 5342 and coach 1127.)

It is genuinely shocking to see this in perspective. Mind you, some of those featured on the full cover had already passed by 1967.

Just to summarize who is left:
- Paul
- Ringo
- Bob Dylan
- Dion DiMucci
- Larry Bell (Artist - behind Ringo)
- Sophia Loren (Actress - hidden behind wax figures)

59 Years Later, Only Five Faces From the Pepper Cover Remain Alive

When Peter Blake and Jann Haworth gathered a crowd of historical heavyweights for the Sgt. Pepper photo shoot in March 1967, they inadvertently built a living time capsule. Many of the cultural icons chosen by the band were already figures of the past.

Decades later, time has naturally thinned the crowd. What remains is an incredibly exclusive club. If you strip away the cardboard cutouts of historical ghosts and the wax figurines, only five actual people pictured on that legendary sleeve remain alive today.

Naturally, Paul and Ringo are at the absolute heart of the image, standing proudly in their satin uniforms as the leaders of the fictional band. They are also unique for appearing on the cover twice, as the Madame Tussauds wax figures of their younger, moptop selves stand directly to their left.

Beyond our two surviving Beatles, the rock-and-roll contingent is anchored by two definitive pioneers of the American scene.

First is Bob Dylan, peering out from the top right corner as a symbol of the heavy folk-rock influence that shifted the band’s songwriting years earlier. Just a few rows down stands Dion DiMucci, the voice behind "The Wanderer," smiling just above the actors.

Both men were vital architects of the 1960s sonic landscape, and their presence on the sleeve serves as a direct nod from the band to the artists who helped pave their way.

The final living witness hidden in the collage isn't a musician at all, but American sculptor Larry Bell. Standing directly between John Lennon and Ringo Starr, Bell represents the cutting-edge visual art world that the band was heavily immersed in during their London years.

An honorable mention also belongs to cinema legend Sophia Loren. While her cutout was completely obscured behind the wax statues in the final print, she remains a living link to the massive list of personalities originally intended for this pop-art masterpiece.

If you could pull one person off the Sgt. Pepper cover to sit down and interview about what it felt like to witness the 1967 cultural explosion firsthand, who would you choose and why?

Made it to today on my day off, and decided to spend a short time at the station.

I got to see the unit from NJT and the newly-wrapped unit being serviced on the far platform. Just before I left, I caught the “Atlas” ALP-45 entering the station.

Did you know there are lots of ways to listen to WFDU RetroRadio, even when you're out of range of 89.1 FM? 🎶📻

🌐 Visit wfdu.fm and click the "Listen" button on your phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop to stream us anywhere you have internet access. While you're there, you can also check show schedules, browse playlists, and listen to any program you may have missed over the past two weeks in our archives!

🗣️ Have a smart speaker? Just ask Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri to play WFDU and enjoy the music hands-free.

📱 Prefer an app? You can stream WFDU for free on iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and Audacy apps.

No matter where you are, your favorite music and personalities are just a click, tap, or voice command away. Never be without WFDU RetroRadio! 🎵😊

Good Morning Everyone!

Time to vote for this week’s “Family affair” Pick Hit! Here are your options:

1. I’m So Excited - The Pointer Sisters
2. One Bad Apple - The Osmonds
3. Rhythm Of The Night - DeBarge

Comment down below, email me at [email protected] or call (201)-692-2012 to cast your vote along with your request. The countdown begins at 9 AM EST.

May the best song win!

WFDU

Tomorrow’s show is a “family affair!”

While we may or may not get a little Sly & The Family Stone, tomorrow’s carefully curated top five features some of the best family bands in music history! Check back here tomorrow morning at 7 AM EST to vote for this week’s Pick Hit!

Listen LIVE from 7 AM to 10 AM EST on iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Audacy, 89.1 on your dial or streaming worldwide at wfdu.fm.

See you tomorrow!

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Happy from yours truly, Ryan Vincent! 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

Today, June 1st, begins a month-long celebration of LGBTQIA+ culture and history. For decades, q***r people have blazed their own trails and left their mark on music history. Many of whom created the Solid Gold classic hits you hear today.

To kick off the month, I want to share one of my favorite anthems from the Disco era. This song is called "I Was Born This Way" and it was brought to us by Carl Bean - an openly gay man who was a strong activist in AIDS awareness and support, especially for young black men. He released this song in 1977 through Motown Records where he loudly and proudly declares his homosexuality. As a proud gay man myself, I always smile whenever this comes on my playlist knowing that, every day, "I'm Happy, I'm Carefree, and I'm Gay" because "I Was Born This Way."

I Was Born This Way (12" Vocal) (2012 - Remaster) Provided to YouTube by West End RecordsI Was Born This Way (12" Vocal) (2012 - Remaster) · Carl BeanI Was Born This Way℗ 2012 BMG Rights Management (US) LLCR...