# Episode 169: Cousin Brucie & The Beatles **Source:** Pinball Profile **Type:** podcast_episode **Published:** 2018-12-23 **Duration:** 26m 55s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballprofile.com/episode-169-cousin-brucie-the-beatles/ --- ## Analysis Jeff Teolis interviews Cousin Brucie, legendary radio personality and voice of Stern Pinball's new Beatles machine. They discuss Brucie's radio career, the Beatles' cultural impact, his involvement with the pinball machine's audio design, and his reflections on pivotal historical moments he broadcast during. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] The Beatles pinball machine is a full entertainment center with video, music, Cousin Brucie's voice, and actual Beatles talking clips — _Cousin Brucie describes the machine's features in detail during gameplay discussion_ - [HIGH] Stern Pinball's audio engineer Jerry Thompson handled the sound design for the Beatles machine — _Brucie mentions Jerry Thompson by name as the audio engineer who contacted him for voice work_ - [HIGH] The Beatles machine has continuously updated content, with new liners being added after initial release — _Brucie describes recent recording session for additional liners: 'they called me, Jerry called me... they added a couple more Beatle tunes'_ - [HIGH] The pinball machine artwork was created by Christopher Franchi — _Teolis mentions 'the artwork is spectacular by Christopher Franchi'_ - [MEDIUM] The Beatles did not tour after 1967 due to focusing on studio work — _Brucie states 'They stopped playing by 67. They didn't tour anymore' in historical discussion_ - [HIGH] Cousin Brucie previously owned pinball machines, including a circus-themed machine with a clown on a high wire — _Brucie recalls owning specific pinball machines from earlier in his life_ ### Notable Quotes > "Pinball machines are not pinball machines any longer. They are truly entertainment centers." > — **Cousin Brucie**, mid-episode > _Reflects the modern evolution of pinball technology and suggests why audio/voice work is central to contemporary machines_ > "Talk to people, not at them. That's the big secret. And that's what I've done all my life." > — **Cousin Brucie**, mid-episode > _Core philosophy about radio and audience connection that underpins his approach to broadcasting and content_ > "The most important ingredient is not the music, not the technology, it is the audience." > — **Cousin Brucie**, late-episode > _Central philosophy applied to both radio and entertainment industries broadly_ > "I never thought I'd be introduced by the voice of a pinball machine. Isn't that amazing?" > — **Cousin Brucie**, opening > _Expresses genuine surprise and delight at his role in the modern pinball machine_ > "The Brits saved the Americans... they saved the American music industry." > — **Cousin Brucie**, mid-episode > _Historical claim about Beatles' cultural and commercial impact on U.S. music industry_ > "I had my right hand behind me with my fingers crossed... I was praying that it was going to be all right because I was more frightened than he [John Lennon] was." > — **Cousin Brucie**, mid-episode > _Personal account of the 1965 Shea Stadium concert's intensity and risk of audience chaos_ > "They were wonderful. They didn't want to hurt anybody... nobody really got hurt or damaged during that amazing thing that could have been a disaster." > — **Cousin Brucie**, mid-episode > _Recounts his role helping security manage the overwhelmingly excited crowd at Shea Stadium_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Cousin Brucie | person | Legendary radio personality, voice of Beatles pinball machine, SiriusXM radio host on '60s at 6, interviewed by Jeff Teolis | | Jeff Teolis | person | Host of Pinball Profile podcast, interviewer | | Jerry Thompson | person | Audio engineer at Stern Pinball, handled sound design and production for Beatles pinball machine | | Christopher Franchi | person | Artist/designer who created the artwork for Beatles pinball machine | | Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Beatles pinball machine, based in Chicago | | The Beatles | organization | Rock band central to both interview and pinball machine theme; historical focus on their 1960s impact and cultural influence | | Beatles Pinball Machine | product | New Stern Pinball release featuring Cousin Brucie as voice talent, with video, music, gameplay, and regularly updated content | | Ed Sullivan | person | Television host who introduced the Beatles at Shea Stadium 1965 concert | | John Lennon | person | Beatles member; Brucie states he was his favorite; spoke to Brucie at Shea Stadium about crowd safety concerns | | Paul McCartney | person | Beatles member; referenced throughout interview regarding cultural impact and early recordings | | Shea Stadium | event | 1965 Beatles concert location where Cousin Brucie served as co-host with Ed Sullivan; capacity 65,000-70,000 attendees, nearly resulted in crowd disaster | | Modern Pinball | company | Facility where Cousin Brucie played the Beatles machine during a streamed session | | Silver Ball Museum | organization | Museum in Delray Beach, Florida housing hundreds of archived pinball machines; Brucie did a radio broadcast from there | | SiriusXM | company | Satellite radio service; Cousin Brucie hosts '60s at 6 program | | Paul Anka | person | Music artist; mentioned as someone whose early hit 'Diana' Brucie played 15 times on air at artist's request | | Elvis Presley | person | Music legend; Brucie discusses having known and respected him personally | | Tony Orlando | person | Music performer and described as a very dear friend of Cousin Brucie | | Long Island Music Hall of Fame | organization | Recently inducted Cousin Brucie in recognition of his career contributions | ### Topics - **Primary:** Beatles Pinball Machine Production and Features, Cousin Brucie's Radio Career and Philosophy, Beatles' Cultural Impact on 1960s America, Voice Acting and Audio Design in Modern Pinball - **Secondary:** The 1965 Shea Stadium Beatles Concert, Radio as a Medium and 'Theater of the Mind', Radio Broadcasts During Historical Crises (9/11, JFK Assassination, John Lennon's Death), Pinball Machine Evolution from Mechanical to Entertainment Centers ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Enthusiastic, warm, celebratory tone throughout. Brucie expresses genuine delight and surprise at his involvement with the Beatles pinball machine. Both host and guest engage in respectful, appreciative discussion of cultural history. No criticism or negative sentiment detected. ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Stern Pinball conducting public playtesting and press events for Beatles machine, with professional players and media (confidence: high) — Brucie mentions 'press reception here in New York City' and references professional players at the event who were able to concentrate during gameplay - **[community_signal]** Christopher Franchi credited as artist/designer on Beatles pinball machine artwork (confidence: high) — Teolis states 'the artwork is spectacular by Christopher Franchi' during gameplay discussion - **[announcement]** Official confirmation of Stern Pinball's Beatles machine with Cousin Brucie as voice talent, featuring video, music, actual Beatles clips, and regular content updates (confidence: high) — Brucie and Teolis extensively discuss the machine's features, press reception in NYC, and recent recording session for additional liners - **[product_strategy]** Beatles pinball machine receiving post-release content updates including new audio liners recorded by Cousin Brucie (confidence: high) — Brucie states: 'they called me, Jerry called me... they added a couple more Beatle tunes' and describes ongoing recording sessions for new liners - **[technology_signal]** Modern pinball machines increasingly functioning as multimedia entertainment centers rather than traditional mechanical games (confidence: high) — Brucie reflects: 'pinball machines are not pinball machines any longer. They are truly entertainment centers' with 'video, there's music... and action' --- ## Transcript Hey, hi there! It's your cousin, Brucie, and welcome back! Let's play the game! Ladies and gentlemen, here are four of the nicest jump tips we've ever had on our stage. The Beasles! Bring them on! It's time now for another Pinball Profile. I'm your host, Jeff Teolis. You can find our group on Facebook. We're also on Twitter at Pinball Profile. Email us, pinballprofile, at gmail.com. And please subscribe on either iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. He is the keeper of the flame for rock music. He is the voice you hear on the new Beatles pinball machine from Stern Pinball. He is a radio icon, a legend. He is Cousin Brucie. Thank you very much for joining us today. Thank you, Cousin Big Red. You know, it's funny. When you were just doing that, I never thought I'd be introduced by the voice of a pinball machine. Isn't that amazing? They had a press reception here in New York City to introduce this Beatles pinball machine. No, I haven't touched a pinball machine in many years. I just own a regular one. I told them on the air, it's really an entertainment center, pinball machine. There's video, there's music, there's Cousin Brucey's voice, and there's action. And so I'm playing this thing, and I'm really screwing up, but I didn't care. I was more interested in watching this thing and listening to this thing than playing the game. It's quite an amazing event. We're going to talk a lot about that machine and your contributions to that, But I do want to talk a little bit about your radio career first. For me, I thought 25 years was an accomplishment. That is chump change for somebody like you. Well, it is quite amazing. I never thought at this time in my life I'd be flying on a satellite. You know, I never dreamed of reaching places that I reach now with people because of this new technology. So there's one thing that stays the same. On air, it says. And there's another thing that stays the same. I feel so good. I love what I'm doing. Well, we love what you're doing, and you can catch Cousin Brucie on the 60s at 6 on SiriusXM. Pinball players definitely know the game The Shadow, which was based on the Alec Baldwin movie. But you and I both know The Shadow was something more than a movie. It was a great radio serial that I imagine was a big influence for you. Oh, of course. All those serials were great. Remember, Lamont Clemson, The Shadow Knows, it was very real. In fact, it was much more real than when it went on television. You know, there's nothing more beautiful or more vivid than the stream of consciousness and the brain and the imaginations of the best motion picture you can ever get. So sitting there by the radio and listening to The Shadow and Superman and all the other serials that we used to listen to all the time, amazing. Then, of course, television took over, and it lost something. It lost the dimension that radio has and television will never have. You know what, Cousin, what I think of is when you read a book, you know you have your own vision of what that story tells. John Youssi it on the picture, and it's not quite the same as what you imagined it. So radio is, as you and I know, that theater of the mind. And a great example would be when Orson Welles did The War of the Worlds, which had people in a panic. That was an amazing, that was in the 30s. And I don't know how many people lived through it. The audience would not even know what we're talking about. He went on the air, and radio was so real. It was used to news. It was factual. People at that time were the only real source besides newspapers. But this was part of your lives that painted pictures. And like you said, that's beautiful, the funeral of mine. He went on, and the Martians were eating earth. And it was done as a drama. But the audience grabbed it, and I mean the whole audience, and took it for that it was so real that there were panics, and people got hurt in the streets. People started running out. They thought we were being invaded. That's how radio can affect people. And that's why it must be used very carefully with great responsibility. Well, that War of the Worlds, the police had to come into the studio and say, you have to let people know this is fake because of the panic on the streets. I hope you having Cousin Bruciard won't scare them and have them run into the streets. No way. Having Cousin Bruce on is a thrill for me personally because of your amazing career. And what it is is you've talked about it before, and we all get it once we're in it. It's that connection to the audience. It's really people go to bed with you. They wake up with you. They go in the shower with you. They go on long drives with you. It is so personal. And what you do and what we all try to do is you talk to people, not at people. Beautifully put. I learned early in my career how to talk directly to people, Like they were in my room. They were visiting me. Most radio people or people on electronic media will talk at. So talking to people is the big secret. And that's what I've done all my life. And I continue to do that. Because once you do that, the warmth is returned from an audience. They feel like they're very involved with you, that you belong to them. Cousin Bruce, as we talk about this new Stern pinball machine, the Beatles, I think people have to understand the significance if they didn't live in that time. In the early 60s, American music was pretty much getting stale. There's no other way to put it. You know, if it wasn't broke, they didn't fix it. And then the Brits came in with something a little bit different. And you were there when you saw it. It wasn't even a hit right away. In fact, a lot of management wouldn't even play the Beatles. No, because when the Brits started taking our American music idiom and started replaying it, But what they were doing is they were helping to save all of this industry, this recording industry. The music industry, as you just said, was getting very tired. There was no new energy. What they forgot, very important basic thing, not the technology, which was advancing, not their talent. They forgot the audience. Now, what was happening, very simply, the audience was maturing. The audience was growing. Their interests were changing because the world around them is changing. Now, music is the poetry of the streets, and that's what we must always remember. So it reflects what's happening in life. Well, along came these revolutionary characters, we call them mop tops, and they put a new energy into it. Their music was energetic. The crowd accepted them, because I never forget when I received the first Beatle records. We didn't get it. Well, thank goodness for them, because they saved the American music industry. The Brits saved the Americans. You remember that first Beatles album you had, and you remember management not wanting to play the Beatles. What made you say you know there something here Was it what you were seeing on the TV and what was happening over in Europe Because this was obviously before they came over to the States Well yeah we were watching the European markets and then our TV, very little was shown on TV. Well, suddenly things started changing. Records were being sold. Our music industry started looking at them, and something happened. Now, the record companies were getting a little hungry, a little scared, because nothing was happening, so they put money into it. There's an old song from a Broadway show. Money makes the world go round, the world go round, the world go round. Money was put into the Beatles and promotion and hype. There was a time you couldn't even walk down the street or go into a restroom without seeing a picture of either John or Paul. It was there everywhere we looked. And then something happened. We started playing their music. I started playing, I want to hold your hand. Please, please, please. and something happened. There was no energy. The audience was reborn. The Beatles did not only affect the music industry. This is an important part. They affected and infected our entire cultural existence. They affected our speech. They affected the way we wore our hair. They affected our clothing styles. And as I said, the way we spoke. May I give you a cute story about how they affected us? Sure. Well, here, Cousin Brucie's on the air, right? And it's about two or three weeks before the Beatles arrived. This guy Joey from the Bronx, and he says something like this. Hey, Cousin Brucie, how you doing, man? We did your show. You're a cool daddy-o. Would you please play a record for me and my girl, Susie? Play an Emily Brothers record, will you? Now, the same guy is on the phone two to three weeks later after the British invasion. But listen to this. Hello? Is this Sir Cousin Bruzy? This is His Majesty, Jody of the Bronx Shire on the Grand Concourse in the U.S. of A. You mean if I play a record for me bird? Lady Susan, Cousin Bruzy, God bless the Queen. Suddenly everybody was speaking and became Anglophiles. Everybody wanted to be British. Everybody. So they affected us very quickly. The music, well, it was there. and the cultural effect of the Beatles were equal partners to this day. Look at this. I'm a voice on a pinball machine. I mean, how American could you get with a pinball machine? I'm in a pinball machine. That's weird. I love your excitement about it, and that's a great story about Joey and some of the kings that came out of Queens, if you will, in New York. Very good. I like that. I'll use that. It's all yours. So when we think of huge, huge concerts in history, A lot of people will think of Woodstock and think of the Isle of Wight and Live Aid, but that Shea Stadium concert when the Beatles played, you couldn't really hear the Beatles playing, could you? Not only could we not hear it, and the audience couldn't hear it, but they couldn't hear it, which was probably more important. The sound of that audience, I'll give you an example. I hosted the Shea Stadium concert with Ed Sullivan, and we were in the dugout, and John and Paul came over to me, And John said to me, Cousin, they always called me Cousin, Cousin Brucey, is this going to be okay? Because there was so much noise that all hell could have broken loose. There could have been a riot. They were just, I don't know what was holding them back. It was like a dam getting ready to burst. He had 65, 70,000 young people, and most of them female, just ready to jump over the barbed wire. And I said to John, John, it's going to be okay. they're just here to share his face he says it's a safe cousin i said yes now when i told him yes picture this i had my right hand behind me with my fingers crossed you know what that means i mean i was praying that it was going to be all right because i was more frightened than he was i have never ever heard or felt the energy come from a cloud from an audience like that day but in fact to this day, I can conjure up that feeling in my body of the energy and the love and the admiration and the cultural phenomenon and the grabbing, everybody wanted to grab them, of this audience. Matter of fact, I'll take it a step further now. We get ready to introduce the Beatles. Ed Sullivan was going to introduce them. I'm introducing Ed Sullivan. So anyway, we're walking up the steps to the little announce stage. So Sullivan and I are walking. Ed Sullivan, it was a guy who was at Post of the Town, a really, really big shoe. And he introduced the Beatles, who, by the way, he really did not know, I repeat, did not know who the heck they were. Had no idea what was going to be happening when he introduced them. So he and I walk up the stairs, and he turns around with me. He's about a step and a half ahead of me. And he says, hey, this is dangerous. He felt it, too. Very scary. Very scary. What do we do? Now, I looked at him, and I knew that I had this guy. I always wanted to give him a kick in the behind for some reason. He always had me wanting to kick him a little bit. I knew he was, you know, phony, especially after Beatles. He didn't know who they were. And I looked at him, and I said, what's going to happen? I said, Ed, you better pray, with his big eyes wide open. And he said, pray? Pray? And he looked, and he turned around, and he walked up those stairs very, very slowly. And I knew I got him. But I also knew that there was a possibility of the flood dam breaking. It was that wild. Well, we introduced him. The postscript to all this, right, I was asked by the New York police and the security people at Chase Stadium to walk around with him. They got the kids' car because they'd listen to me. And they were wonderful. They didn't want to hurt anybody. By the way, nobody really got hurt or damaged during that amazing thing that could have been a disaster. And we walked around and I was talking to the kids. And it was a great, great concert, except nobody heard the concert. Yeah, no kidding. I just heard it for the first time about a year and a half ago. Somebody gave me a recording, and they gave it to me, and I listened to it for the first time. And I was thrilled. They were really good. You had mentioned they stopped playing by 67. They didn't tour anymore, and it's too bad because some great things were to come. Yeah, that's too bad. So what was it like for you working with Stern Pinball, Jerry Thompson, who's a master of sound? obviously contacted you and said we want you to be reliving that 1964 moment. What was that like for you in working with Jerry? You know I said to him Jerry I don understand this I don say does a machine need a pinball machine That not what I do Because I always thought well first of all pinball machines are going to sound like you talking in a barrel So I thought. But I was very wrong. The fidelity, the quality is excellent. The world has never seen anything like Beatlemania. Okay, now shoot for the stars, aim for the orbits, and drive my car. It has music in it, a lot of videos. The boys talk a little bit. They borrowed some clips of the actual Beatles talking. Also, remember, they have a game that you really have to learn how to play. I learned one expression, so now I feel I'm a professional. Flip it. Flip it, Red. Flip it. But it's quite amazing. But he asked me. I was really thrilled, and I was honored. After I disassembled his request, I didn't understand it. What am I doing in a pinball machine after all these years? Well, I didn't realize that, as I said, pinball machines are not pinball machines any longer. They are truly entertainment centers. Did you offer any suggestions to Jerry about maybe some things to say or some tweaks? Well, the only thing I can suggest is they put blinders on people. I don't know unless you're a pro like we had at that press conference. Now they were able to concentrate. To Jerry, I say to him, how do you make people concentrate playing this game? They can have too much fun watching it and listening to it. It was a lot of fun. I've played it a few times. I know you enjoyed it too. When you're playing a multiplayer game... Were you able to concentrate? Well, you know what's interesting is because I played in a four-player game. I think it was player four. So I got to watch the first three people play. And I was fixated like you were. And once I got to play, okay, I'm supposed to concentrate now. so I concentrated, but it was kind of fun to see where, you know, the artwork is spectacular by Christopher Franchi, the gameplay. The graphics, the machine itself, the body of the machine, besides the electronics, the audio and the video, it's beautiful. I've never seen any, and there's so much going on in there. But I know I played a three-person game a couple times. It didn't help me. I really screwed up. You said you had a pinball machine in the past. Do you remember which one? Yeah, I had one where a circus one where a clown would go on a barbed wire. I'm sorry, a high wire. And then I had another one where I think it was some cartoon character. And I remember we used to hit it all the time, and the darn thing would tilt. It would tilt for me all the time. And there were five balls in him, and there were no free plays. You know, now, I don't know if you remember, but there's only three balls. But you get so many free plays that it adds up to more. It's a lot of fun, and they've got a great facility there at Modern Pinball where you played, so we really enjoyed watching you on that stream. The company Stern Pinball comes out of Chicago, and obviously I did not know them. They've been producing these superhero games for a long time. Real nice people, real nice people, and I had a good time. By the way, I did one of my broadcasts out of Delray Beach, Florida. and in Delray Beach, Florida, there is the Silver Ball Museum. It has hundreds of these old, wonderful archive pinball machines. Nothing like the Beatle World yet, but I'm sure they will. So I did my broadcast from there, and we had guests come down, Connie Francis come down, because she lives in Florida, and we had a very nice audience. And I got my hands on a couple of the normal-type pinball machines. But this one, I'm telling you, I don't know how anybody can do it. Well, this isn't your first time you've kind of dipped into the Beatles world since those famed Shea Stadium days because you've been in a few movies, including Across the Universe and even a bigger role in Dirty Dancing. Yeah, fun. You know, doing radio today, you can't just sit behind the microphone. You're so involved with your audience. and the audience demands that you take more part in their culture. So I've done television shows like Babylon 5. I played a space commander where I told everybody we had to abandon the ship. The ship was going to crash. I did Dirty Dancing. Dirty Dancing was a great experience, really fun, and will be an annuity for my kids and their children's children in many years to come. And they have the movies across the universe. and I did Sgt. Pepper's. So my point is that doing radio, just like this pinball machine, it's no longer just a couple of silver balls hitting some bumpers and things. You get really involved with all aspects of our culture. The audience demands it. You talk about how our culture has changed from certain things like movies, but really even music has changed by you going to work every day. The Top 40 Radio, the influence and introduction to future stars, who grew up in the New York area. And listen, I know Joe Walsh has talked about you, J.J. French from Twisted Sister, and Paul Anka, of course, somebody dear to you. I think on his 15th birthday, you played Diana 15 times or something like that. Well, you know, he and his Uncle John, every time I talk to Paul, because these guys, you know, I feel like they've become my kids. I really love them. Paul, especially, with his Uncle John, they handed me this, what they call an acetate. And for the folks listening, That's like a pre-production disc. He handed me this acetate, and I played it, and we talked, and I got to really, I loved him. And we played it like, I think, 15 times that night. As I did, I want to hold your hand when we first had it. You've worked with a lot of music legends. I know you have a catalog of great pictures of you and some of these stars. And as time has passed on, we've lost some of these legends. Who are some of the ones that meant the most to you? Well, I loved Elvis. Elvis was, I think, a great guy. Before they got to him and he changed, I mean, he had problems towards the end. But Elvis was always a charming, giving, very altruistic man. And I really liked him very much. My favorite, of course, I'd have to say, if you pin me to a favorite, John Lennon. I like John. I like Paul. Tony Orlando is a very dear friend. I love Tony. I like the people who are real. How about a showbiz guy, as you know, right? I like people. And the big performers, the really true stars of our business are people. They don put on the airs and they there on the streets and they hug and they touch and they shake hands They don play stars like sometimes we see in the movies Cousin Brucey when people ask me about what radio means to me the one word that comes out is emotion, too, because, as we mentioned, people know you. They get to hear your stories. They've grown up with you. You're with them as much as even their family is at times. And we've all gone through some life-defining moments. Days we'll never forget. For me, being on a talk radio station, trying to make sense of 9-11 is something I'll never forget. And I can only imagine for you, by far, the most difficult day for anybody, anywhere. But to go on the radio the day of November 22, 1963, the day John F. Kennedy, the president, was assassinated, I cannot imagine how difficult that would have been for you and to be a voice, a comforting voice for those people mourning. You know, that's a very astute comment. the comfort, the voice of comfort that could be your voice any of us that reach people regularly and have a following and have the trust of the audience we are essential, especially in times of emergency because everybody likes to know that family is around them it is so comforting and I think the word, that was a good word I think comforting is a very important word and that day when JFK was assassinated on that day that I was on that nightmare, bombing here in New York City of the towers. I mean, John Lennon's assassination. I mean, there were certain days in our lives that we all remember where we were. Well, being a voice that is known to people, I know I realize the responsibility, bringing comfort. So when you go on the air during a tragedy, tragic time in our society, like any of these things that we mentioned, and more extreme care, patience, and calmness. They have to pursue what you're doing. You have to really think about what you're doing. I know I lost my temper when the 9-11 thing happened. And I used, well, today, you know, on the air you can use, you know, a certain language that we couldn't use in the 50s and 60s, although I never used the language like that. I don't need it to express myself. But that day, 9-11, I was on the air. I was up in my country home, and they asked me to be on the air. I was on the air by telephone because of just what you said, to comfort people. People needed comfort. We were so scared and so upset. I mean, it was a disaster. The end of the world. We didn't know what was happening. Well, I got so emotionally involved, and it's a good lesson that I hope I learned that I will never let that happen again. But I got so emotionally angry that I used a couple words that I normally would not use. And they weren't bad. It wasn't any of the really naughty words. But I had to let it out. And you know something? I was glad I did in a way. The audience did not react negatively. My anger and my expression evidently represented them enough that they accepted it. And in fact, they embraced it. But you've got to be so careful when you're in this kind of situation. Because we're regular people, and we have the same emotions as our audience. It mixes and matches. So it's a very good lesson to learn. We're professionals. But, Cousin Brucie, you probably expressed what a lot of people were thinking, and you showed that human side of you. Yes, you're a voice of comfort, but, you know, you have emotions too, like any other human. Absolutely. And that day was, again, something that we couldn't make sense of at the time, and maybe even still to this day. So I think that's quite understandable. And that voice of reason that you are is one of the reasons this has been a great banner year for you. We talked about the Beatles' pinball machine, but also congratulations on your induction into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. Thank you. That's nice. I've been very, very blessed with being inducted into several Hall of Fames. This was kind of nice because it's local New York, but I've been so involved in the National Radio Hall of Fame, the National Radio Association Hall of Fames. So I've been very lucky in my career, and like I always tell my audience, I owe it all to them. I know that. I know where I come from, I know where my street is, I know where the boulevard is, and I never, ever forget the audience. And that's why I tell young people when I lecture in college or schools, high schools, remember the most important ingredient is not the music, not the technology, it is the audience. As long as we remember that word, we're going to remain successful, and people are going to want to listen to us. Talk to people, not at them. You're right. Cousin, it's been an absolute honor for me. This really means a lot to me, and I didn't think 25 years ago when I started this I'd get to talk to you one day and really enjoy this conversation and you sharing so much that is just pop culture legend. And I can't thank you enough. We love the Beatles pinball machine. You've done a great job on that, and thank you very much. Every time you mention the Brimball machine, my eyes open and I laugh a little bit. It is still strange to me. It's wonderful. It's a big deal. In fact, you know what? The other day, Red, I did some more liners that are going to be put in the machine by probably Asmer speaking. Every day they added a couple more Beatle tunes. So they called me, Jerry called me, Jerry Thompson, who handles all the audio, which is amazing. And I did some new liners. And most of the time, they write them, but I have to live with it. I don't read cards. If you know what I do on the air, I'm not a card reader. I never did that. But I'll use that as a basis. So I just did some new ones. So this thing is constantly updating itself. They do a great job at Stern Pinball. The Beatles is a fantastic game, and you're a big part of that. Well, Frankie, and listen, Big Red, a pleasure talking to you and to the audience. I wish you all a very happy holiday and a happy new year. And just keep listening to radio because radio is where it's at. That's where the imagination runs free. Thank you, Red. This has been your Pinball Profile. You can find our group on Facebook. We're also on Twitter at pinballprofile. Email us pinballprofile at gmail.com. And please subscribe on either iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. I'm Cousin Jeff Teolas. Cousin Brucey here. Until next time, we love you, Beatles. Yes, we do. I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves. I hope we pass the audition. Help, I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody Help! You know I need someone Help! When I was young We're so much younger than today _(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: ad2cef28-bc61-4d38-bfa5-0fe626ef25d3*