Lou Milano’s First Ever Radio Interview Was Chubby Checker

Way before I was the co-host of the I-95 Morning Show with Ethan and Lou, I got my shot on our sister station at the time B-105.5 FM (WAXB). B-105 was an oldies station and I was 19 or 20 years old. I was doing fill in shifts (I said shift) for both I-95 and B-105 and also did the afternoon news.

As most folks are, in the beginning of their career, I was in way over my head. I was doing the "fake until you make it thing." I happened to be filling in for Charlie Wilson (Matt Carey) or Chuck Johnson one week, I can't remember which. I was told by my Program Director Steve Skipp that I would be interviewing music legend Chubby Checker the next day.

This was either 1999 or 2000, it doesn't matter. It was a long time ago and I've probably conducted close to 1,000 interviews since. This was the first, for better or worse.

I had not listened back to this in almost 20 years and when I tried for the first time this morning, I had to shut it off. I was sick with how many times I interrupted him to say "right" or "yeah." Then you have the voice, what are you doing young man?

No one talks like this with that yucky, filthy, marble radio voice. I mean, people do but they are not any good. All that said, I'd prefer to have it on record that this happened rather than bury the audio although initially that was my plan

I worked my ass off back then, to overcome obvious natural talent issues.I had great teachers, colleagues and friends to push me. I am proud of this interview because it is so bad.

People say it takes 10,000 hours to become good at something, it took me more than 10,000 and I will never be happy with where I am with interviewing or any other aspect of my job.

Thank God it was Chubby for the first interview, he's a sweet guy, I've dealt with some seriously combative a-holes in my day.

Fun Fact - (WAXB) or B-105.5 flipped format from oldies to Y-105 (WDBY), a Hot AC station, they kept me on the promise that I would do better, be better and stop sucking. I kept that promise and hosted the night show as Milano. Today, (WDBY) is Kicks 105.5 and my buddy Bill Trotta does the morning show. He's the one I refer to as Michael McDonald on the air because he looks like him.

See? Yah Mo Be There