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The first song ever played on WYEP was “If I Needed You,” by folk and bluegrass legends Doc and Merle Watson, a cover of a Townes Van Zandt song. The recording was released in 1973 on the father and son duo’s "Then and Now" album.
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Pittsburgh labor singer Anne Feeney was known for many things. Screaming obscenities at scabs. Prolific songwriting. Prolific song collecting. Mentoring young musicians. She was known for her anthem “Have You Been to Jail for Justice?”— and she was known for actually going to jail for justice.
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Two blocks west of the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg, a Pennsylvania Department of Health building occupies 233 West Otterman Street. Nearly 58 years ago, an earlier building at that location was the site of rock music history.
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WYEP officially began broadcasting on April 30th, 1974. We're looking back at the first on-air transmission from the station.
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Do you remember that crazy Winnebago guy from the old YouTube video? Merce Lemon remembers and took his line “Will You Do Me a Kindness?” and turned it into a gorgeous new song about the inescapable loneliness we often feel as human beings.
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Not to dwell on the past, but it’s been almost a decade since Meeting of Important People put out their last full record and their new release MOIPsgiving has been over 20 years in the making.
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Working at a radio station like WYEP can bring the staff in close contact with many musicians, often leading to indelible special moments—although these interactions can sometimes end up awkward, embarrassing, or worse.
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Welsh musician Karl Wallinger has died at age 66. He was the key creative force behind the band World Party, releasing six well-received albums of new material from 1987 through 2000. He was also a member of the band The Waterboys, before leaving to form World Party.
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Local band The Ghost Club are set to perform at SXSW in Austin, Texas this week.
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Music can change your life — just ask Pittsburgh musician Caleb Kopta. He found his path while listening to The Killers driving through the Mojave Desert.
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Anyone responsible for any public radio station is always looking for the next dollar to pay the bills. The pressure to raise money was, at times, particularly dire in WYEP’s first decade.
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Look back at early WYEP hosts: DJ 'Mad' Mike, 'Buck' Brice, 'Harry the Wire' Wagner & 'Big' Al SmithAs we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we look back at four early WYEP hosts and the shows they aired.