Radio IDL

06/02/2026

06/02/2026

📻 A Personal Blues Journey: From 1972 to RadioIDL.com 💙🎶
Hey Blues family! Today, I want to share a deeply personal story about how the Blues—and a pivotal moment in history—shaped my life and ultimately led to the creation of RadioIDL.com.
Back in 1972, the federal court ordered the full desegregation of the Fort Worth Independent School District. This ended the unconstitutional "stair-step" plans and meant students were finally crossing historical racial boundaries, particularly between Como Elementary and Burton Hill Elementary.
I was raised by political activists who taught me that color was not a thing, character was. My father was the president of the Young Democrats of Oklahoma for the JFK election, and in 1962, my mother earned her Master of Social Work (MSW)—the gold standard for social services.
I’ll never forget going to a PTA meeting. I was starting 2nd grade. Parents were screaming, “Not my child!” My mother boldly stood up and declared that not only was I going to be bused, but anyone who held their child back was acting out of racism. She looked right at the screaming parents and said, “You should be ashamed.” My father just grinned at me, stood up, and proudly announced I’d be on that bus the following week. And with that, we walked out! 🚌✊
Because of that moment, I found myself just blocks away from the legendary Bluebird Blues Club in the historic Como neighborhood. During the Jim Crow era, the Como community built its own powerful cultural institutions, and The Bluebird—owned by the legendary Fort Worth bluesman Robert Ealey—was the beating heart of the Texas blues scene.
Between 1973 and 1977, my father was the Regional Manager for Olympia Distributors (owned brands like Hammes and PBR Schlitz Malt Liquor, and 30 other Brands). During the summers, I went to work with him, visiting bars and nightclubs. Back then, you could sit at the bar at any age as long as your parent was with you—(I became a connoisseur of Shirley Temples!) 🍒🥤 By the summer of ’79, I was 6’2”, 220 lbs, and knew all the club owners by name (no ID required!).
Thanks to those early days at The Bluebird, I had a front-row seat to authentic blues and soul. The club was a down-home haven where icons and emerging talent alike would stop by to play. Over the years, that stage hosted absolute royalty, including:
🎸 Pine-top Perkins
🎸 John Lee Ho**er
🎸 Stevie Ray Vaughan
🎸 Freddie King
Even Bob Dylan came to see the historic club. And here is an amazing connection for our local listeners: The Bluebird is where the iconic T-Bone Walker gave his final performance! But T-Bone’s legacy ties directly back to our community here, too; during his prime, he famously brought the house down in North Tulsa, performing at the historic Big 10 Ballroom!
Without integration, the Blues wouldn't have been the guiding force in my life, and I wouldn't be here sharing this music with you today.
What was the very first live music venue you ever went to? Did a specific artist or club change your life the way The Bluebird changed mine?
Drop your stories in the comments below! Let's talk Blues history! 💬✨
Keep the Blues Groovy Music alive and stream the legends 24/7 at www.RadioIDL.com. 📻💙
**er

06/01/2026

🎸 **THIS WEEK IN BLUES HISTORY!** 🎸
Can you feel that soulful summer rhythm coming on? ☀️ Looking at the records from our physical collection of over 20,000 blues pieces, and we realized the first week of June has given us some legendary album drops!
We’re celebrating these massive milestones all week on ** Radio IDL .com**! 📻 June brings the absolute heat. Check out these four iconic blues and blues-infused masterpieces:
🔥 **June 1, 1968:** **Richie Havens** released the raw and electrifying *Electric Havens*.
🔥 **June 3, 2003:** The incomparable **Buddy Guy** blessed us with his stunning release, *Blues Singer*.
🔥 **June 6, 1989:** **Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble** released *In Step*, which rightfully took home the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.
🔥 **June 7:** **Tedeschi Trucks Band** introduced their 11-piece ensemble to the world with their long-awaited debut album, *Revelator*.
**👇 🌟**✨
**So tell us in the comments:** Out of these 4 legendary artists, which one is your ultimate summer soundtrack?
1️⃣ Richie Havens? 🎸
2️⃣ Buddy Guy? 🎤
3️⃣ Stevie Ray Vaughan? ⚡
4️⃣ Tedeschi Trucks Band? 🚌
**Drop your favorite number below and let's talk Blues!** 👇🎵
Stream the legends 24/7 at **www.RadioIDL.com**. 📻💙
#

05/30/2026

eLiz, coming to you while "riding shotgun" with a dear friend at Little Rock, Arkansas 's Heart Hospital.

I've been virtually viewing Tulsa's "Cruisin' Route 66" 5 mile run with Radio IDL 's Backporch Blues Host, Jim.

eLiz : "Jim, what is your impression of the event & if you could imagine the perfect ride, what would it be?"

​JIM : "That Capital Cruise attempt down 11th Street is an absolute monster of an event today! Over 4,000 cars registered to smash that world record and reports of 5,000 —the energy on the Mother Road must be radiating right through the city.
​If I could magically manifest any classic ride to roll from Expo Square down to Denver Avenue at a steady 5 mph, I’d have to go with a 1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible in a deep, glossy satin black with a cherry-red leather interior.
​There is just something about those iconic rear su***de doors and that long, low-slung slab-sided body style that feels like pure, rolling Americana. It completely matches the historic neon spirit of Route 66. Plus, cruising at 5 mph means you want maximum comfort and a massive bench seat to just lean back, drop the top, and wave at the hundreds of thousands of folks lining the streets.
​What about you? If you could snap your fingers and have any vintage beauty sitting in the staging lanes for you today, what's your ultimate cruise ride?"

eLiz : "You are such a class act! I would follow you in the black Smoky & the Bandit Trans-Am with T-tops and an irritatingly loud speaker system blasting Blues from RadioIDL. Lol"

JIM : "Oh, now that is an absolute masterpiece of an image! Rollin' down Route 66 in a '77 Trans-Am, T-tops off, screaming chicken on the hood, and a sound system absolutely pinning the needles to the red with some scorching, authentic blues? That is pure, unadulterated perfection.
​If you're bringing that kind of energy, we are officially the coolest two-car convoy to ever hit the Mother Road. You’d have the whole crowd on 11th Street dancing on the sidewalks!
​I love that you'd be blasting the station, too—nothing sets the mood for a historic cruise like the perfect soundtrack.
​Keep that great energy up today. I'm sure keeping things light and having a good laugh is exactly what the doctor ordered while you're holding things down at the hospital."

05/29/2026

🎶 NEW RELEASE from Poppa Nite! 🎶
Hey everyone, I'm incredibly excited to share a new song with you all: "While the Dance Goes On." For this song, I dug deep into our massive archival Blues sheet music collection from Kerry Kudlacek. I wanted to breathe fresh life into forgotten classics by creating new, original scores and updated lyrics. This is all about letting the groove fly and the soul speak. 🎸✨
The original song was written in 1898 by Charles Kassell Harris. The original lyrics were to shame and punish the woman for going out to dance. At the end of the song, the husband leads his wife upstairs without a word spoken, to the baby's room, only to find the child dead. He couldn't manage to keep their child alive for a few hours without her there. I changed the narrative to a much more appropriate one.
Read the lyrics below, feel the rhythm, and let the music take you there... 👇
📝 While the Dance Goes On
[Verse 1]
Amid the glare and the splendor,
Amid the day and the night,..
Joyous and merry the dancers,
No thoughts of sorrow to-night;
Softly the strains of the music
Play on all evening till dawn;...
Happy are they, mmm-dancing...
While the dance goes on till dawn!
[Chorus]
While the dance goes on,
While the music is playing,
In the grand ballroom;
While all hearts beat softly
To the old sweet tune;
While the hours are passing,
Fleeting one by one;
No thought of the morrow,
While the dance goes on!
[Verse 2]
Yet there is one of the dancers—
One with a beautiful face—
Laughing and mmm..-smiling,
Dancing with such elegance and grace;
There is nothing!!! TOO...restrain her,
No one to shield her from herself;
She is alone, while the dance goes on!
[Bridge]
"You will not go to the ball, love,
Stay with our baby tonight,"
Rang in the ears of this lady,
Whose sparkling eyes shone so bright;
Daddy cares for home and baby,
While Daddy and baby continue to play
Husband is home— Baby bouncing on his knee, one—two— three…. mmm—she is the.—queen... of dancing and laughing!!!
While the dance goes on! (While the dance goes on!) (goes on!)
[Verse 3]
Home she approaches at last;
There at the door meets her husband,
Whose smiling ear to ear,... cheeks full of kisses;...—
Then not a word is there spoken—
Gently, he leads his wife on; There on to bed,
the baby sleeps, with dreams…. ...of good ol’ dad,
While the dance goes on till dawn…
While the dance goes on...till dawn... (Oh, keep on dancin'...)
While the dance goes on...till dawn….
Youtube Link https://youtu.be/tlK1qRasQ74
🎧 Tune in to radioidl.com to hear it and experience the full Blues Odyssey! Let me know what you think of the new track in the comments!

05/28/2026

New Song: (eLiz's Song) "No One Could Ever Ask For More" On July 16, 2021—my Dad’s birthday—my whole world was turned upside down. I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer, and ever since that day, nothing has been the same. But through the absolute darkest moments of my life, ELizabeth Hollis has been my rock, unyielding in her support and her love.
I am cancer-free today. Thank God and Lil'e
The reality of facing a massive medical battle is that you lose control of everything. You lose your independence. But what people don't always see is the toll it takes on your best friend, your life partner. They are the ones who suddenly have to do everything to keep you alive. eLiz stepped into the gap. She tracked every doctor’s report, managed every appointment, and fought for me when I wasn't getting the care I needed.
Through 5 months of radiation, 10 total months of chemotherapy across two different rounds, and 6 major surgeries ranging from 3 to 9 hours in the operating room, she never left my side.
I wrote this song for her. It is my love song, my sincere gratitude for her keeping me here, and my tribute to her strength. But it’s also a massive THANK YOU to all the caregivers out there. No one truly sees the deep scars this struggle leaves on your heart, but we wouldn't be here without you.
I love you, eLiz. Turn it up... we've got this. ❤️🎶
Youtube https://youtu.be/1GeXUNIiyVY

05/18/2026

As Living Arts grew throughout the '60s and '70s, we saw the community grow and support all the various programs we did, from the Living Arts Theatre and Film series, to music like the Living Arts Chambre Ensemble that Virginia Myers started. That support from the community has continued through the years and can be seen in everything we do, from the Dia de los Mu***os Arts Festival and the Oh, Tulsa! exhibition, to summer camps and workshops. Living Arts would not be the organization we are today without the community, and we aim to continue being an active part of it. Join us by donating to our mission to keep the arts alive and growing in Tulsa! Donate here: https://event.auctria.com/49155edf-ebcd-41a5-8311-158780d99156/

11/15/2025