From the Vault #1: Radio You Couldn’t Air Today | Wease Family Circus | Ep. 9

Clark Peshkin is the presenting sponsor of Wease Family Circus. Clark Peshkin hosts free estate planning workshops that explain what actually works for New York families, especially if you own a home and want to keep things private and simple for the people you love. Register at https://clarkpeshkin.com/wease In Episode 9 of Wease Family Circus, the family opens the vault and pulls out radio gold from the past, the kind of content that could never air today. This is raw, unfiltered, and absolutely hilarious, a time capsule of a different era in broadcasting when the rules were looser, the humor was edgier, and the guests were unforgettable. Wease admits he can't remember half of this stuff happening. After thousands of shows over 40 years, the memories blur together. But listening back now, decades later, brings it all flooding back, the chaos, the laughter, and the moments that made Rochester radio legendary. The episode features: Gussie, the beloved character who became a staple of the Wease show, calling in from home to talk lottery numbers, horror movies, and life in her unmistakable voice The legendary Jack Garner, Rochester's iconic movie critic, stopping by to review films and share his insights Lavern Baker, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer whose hits like Jim Dandy and I Cried a Tear defined an era, calling in to talk about her career, her time with Jackie Wilson, and the dirty song they recorded together that nobody knew existed until years later The story of Jerry Lynn Williams, the musician who worked with Little Richard, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eric Clapton, sharing stories about cheap wine, guitar lessons, and the song he wrote that became a Clapton classic Bob Rivers, the parody king and legendary Seattle broadcaster, calling in from his new gig to talk martinis, coffee culture, and the radio business The day Gussie collapsed on the studio floor, thrashing around while paramedics tried to hold her down, and how she showed up at the station the next day after taking the bus from the hospital because she refused to miss the Thousand Islands trip The Gussie hospital story is one for the ages. She passed out in the studio, hit the floor, and started convulsing while the crew panicked. Paramedics arrived, wrestled her onto a gurney, and rushed her to the emergency room. While she was out, she claimed she saw a black man in a green suit telling her it was time to go home. Cindy Pierce thought it was Gussie's father calling her to heaven. Wease wasn't buying it, pointing out that her father wanted nothing to do with her when he was alive, so why would he be welcoming her now? The Lavern Baker interview is pure magic. She talks about recording with Jackie Wilson, the dirty song they made that got taped without her knowing, and how she didn't find out about it until two years before this interview. She laughs about losing her legs, talks about seeing Whitney Houston in Waiting to Exhale, and admits she's mellowed out in her older years. The family plays clips of her legendary voice, from Saved to I Cried a Tear, and you can hear the soul pouring through every note. This episode is a celebration of the golden era of radio, when anything could happen, when guests like Lavern Baker and Jerry LaCroix could call in and share stories that would never make it past today's corporate filters. It's raw, it's real, and it's the kind of content that made the Wease show legendary. Whether you remember these moments from the original broadcasts or you're hearing them for the first time, Episode 9 delivers laughs, nostalgia, and a reminder of why Brother Wease's radio legacy continues to resonate with fans across generations. It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome and Sponsor Introduction: Clark Peskin 00:01:34 The Gluten Debate: What the Hell Is It Anyway? 00:07:40 Reality TV Talk: Traders Finale and Bill Burr's Freebird 00:09:42 Doreen's Fun Fact: The Flower Bar Wedding 00:19:30 From the Vault: Introducing the Radio Gold 00:21:33 Gussie's Lottery Report and Horror Movie Reviews 00:25:50 Jack Garner's Movie Reviews with Gussie 00:26:40 Arty the Party Guy Calls In 00:28:36 Jerry Lynn Williams: Working with Little Richard and Stevie Ray Vaughan 00:37:18 Lavern Baker: The Soul Legend Interview 00:38:16 The Jackie Wilson Duet You Couldn't Air 00:42:22 Lavern Baker Performs Her Classics 00:51:34 Gussie's Medical Emergency: The Studio Incident 00:52:51 Gussie Returns from the Hospital 01:02:54 Jake's Music Video 01:04:36 Wrap Up: Cannabis Corner and Final Thoughts