102.5 WDVE

1989 DiCesare-Engler congratulates 102.5 WDVE on playing 20 years of great rock and roll.. L to R: Rich, Program director Gene Romano, Promotion director Anthony Alfonsi. Also listed on the plaque were all of the WDVE employees and former station manager Bob Roof. I always kidded the people at WDVE that I was the first advertiser in 1969 and paid $5 for my radio spots and never expected the rate to go up!

Book Introduction

The last half of the 20th century was a time of great change in the United States. The Vietnam War, women’s liberation and the civil rights movement were part of this upheaval of American society. All of these things coincided with the birth of a cultural phenomenon, an art form the world had never seen, or heard before: rock and roll. My name is Rich Engler, and I was there. As a young kid in the 1950’s I was amazed at the music being made by Bill Haley and the Comets, Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. In the early 1960’s, I joined a band. I was a drummer and fancied myself as a hip young guy. Then the Beatles came along and redefined the essence of cool. Everything changed, especially my course in life. I loved rock and roll, but not only because of the music. It was of, for, and by my generation. It was ours, and with all my heart I believe this new form of expression was going to change the world. I wanted to be a part of it. Maybe I could have made it as a musician, maybe not. Instead I become a promoter in Pittsburgh, PA. Years after the Beatles were on The Ed Sullivan Show, I met one of those fabulous young men from Liverpool, Paul McCartney. We spent some time together, got to know each other a bit. He scared the daylights out of me one night in 1990 when just before a concert I was promoting, he told me he might not be able to perform.