l Arts & Entertainment

From Sales Call To Radio Host

Ron Goldenberg opens a window on the R&B hits
and history of the late '50s, '60s and '70s.

Mike Wilson

Special to the Jewish News

routine sales call by Wallside
Windows' salesman Ron
Goldenberg at a condo owned
by the president and general manager of
WGPR radio led to a DJ job hosting R&B
music once a week.
During Goldenberg's sales call (his radio
name is Ronnie G), his knowledge of R&B
music from the late '50s, '60s and '70s so
impressed the media mogul that he asked
Goldenberg to script a one-hour R&B
radio show for possible airing. Goldenberg
prepared a script including songs from the
Spinners, Temptations, O'Jays, Marvelettes,
Stylistics, Martha and Vandellas and oth-
ers. Between the songs he outlined the
stories and trivia he would mention about
the various musicians, background singers
and producers.
WGPR management loved the script so
much they had him do a live demo in the
studio. Before Goldenberg could say,"Doo-
wop," he was on the air entertaining R&B
lovers throughout the Detroit area with
music they love interspersed with little
known stories about Diana Ross, Ben E.

King, Berry Gordy, Jr. and others.

developed an intimate knowledge
"For example,' says Goldenberg, a
matched by few others. He's
Huntington Woods resident and native and
quietly held onto this knowledge
a member of Adat Shalom Synagogue, "did
—until now
Currently, every Sunday from
you know that Mary Wells wrote her first
song at age 17 for Jackie Wilson? But when
9-10 p.m. on WGPR (107.5 FM),
she sang it for Berry Gordy Jr., he said, `No;
he shares that knowledge with
Ron Goldenberg, known on air as "Ronnie G," plays
an audience eager to hear inter-
Jackie Wilson is not going to sing that song,
the
Spinners, Temptations, O'Jays and others on
you are: That song, `Bye Bye Baby, rose to
esting tidbits about their favorite
his
Sunday
night R&B radio show on WGPR.
performers and music from a
No. 8 on the R&B chart in 1961."
Goldenberg continues: "Or, did you
unique era long gone.
know that the Marvelettes entered a talent
Goldenberg — married to Sharon, and
and growing listenership. In addition to
a father of three and grandfather of four
show when they attended Inkster High
Southeast Michigan, Goldenberg has dedi-
School? That performance led to an audi-
— often will focus a show on a particular
cated followers around the country who
musical sound. During one recent show,
listen to him on the Internet. "I get calls
tion at Motown. They sang a song that led
to a contract and a major hit, 'Please Mr.
for example, he played the music of the
from people as far away as San Francisco
"Philadelphia Sound," a sleek, soulful style
and Augusta, Ga. Advertisers continue to
Postman: It was the first Motown song to
reach the No. 1 position on the Billboard
_exemplified by the Delfonics. Another show
grow, too.
Hot 100 pop singles chart, and it hit No. 1
was dedicated to Curtis Mayfield, Jerry
For now it's a fun experiment for
Butler and other performers who created
Goldenberg, who doesn't plan on quitting
on the R&B chart as well."
the "Chicago Sound:' a "gospel-ized" rhythm his sales job of 25 years any time soon.
Goldenberg, 62, a graduate of Berkley
"I have a wonderful job working for a
High School and Wayne State University
and blues that was popular from the late
fantastic company during the day:' says
with a degree in special education, acquired '50s to mid-'70s. Most recently, he dedi-
Goldenberg, "and I wouldn't change that
his extensive knowledge and understand-
cated a show to artists who recorded at the
famed Brill Building in Manhattan, such
for anything. But when I can turn my
ing of the Motown era by hanging out in
hobby into a paying gig once a week and
his early teens at Hitsville, which is now the
as Little Anthony and the Imperials, the
Drifters and the Shirelles.
live out my dreams by sharing my passion
Motown Museum. He met, spoke with and
with other R&B music lovers, well, life
befriended many of the performers. He fol-
The format is working for Goldenberg
and WGPR. The show commands a strong
couldn't get much better?' ❑
lowed both careers and relationships and

Words & Music

Kafka diary excerpts featured in concert.

Suzanne Chessler

Special to the Jewish News

Ann Arbor

V

iolinist Movses Pogossian was
browsing an Ann Arbor store
when a Gyorgy Kurtag score
caught his eye. The work set music to
passages by Franz Kafka.
Pogossian became fascinated with the
piece — the combination of voice and
violin and its difficulty.
The instrumentalist later met soprano
Tony Arnold at a music festival and
learned that she, too, held a fascination
for the work and wanted to team up for
performances.
Pogossian, more than six years after
finding Kafka's Fragments and intro-
ducing it internationally with Arnold,
returns to Ann Arbor for a presenta-

50 March 11 • 2010

tion. The duo appears 4:30 p.m. Sunday,
March 14, at the Kerrytown Concert
House.
"We're going to be performing for
75 minutes and then have a conversa-
tion with the audience," says Pogossian,
violin professor at the University of
California at Los Angeles and artistic
director of the new Dilijan Chamber
Music Series in California. "We also will
show a documentary about our work
with the composer in Hungary?'
The vocalizations, sung in German
with translations provided, offer 40
excerpts from the diaries of the early
20th-century, Czech-born Jewish writer
known for his short stories ("The
Metamorphosis") and novels (The Trial,
The Castle).
"Kafka meant for his diaries to stay
private, but they were unearthed?' says
Pogossian, who has taught at Wayne

State University.
"Kafka put his most
intimate and absurd
thoughts on paper, and
the composer used the
genre of miniature for the
music. Some of the seg-
ments are as short as 30
or 40 seconds?'
The segment topics
Tony Arnold, Gyorgy Kurtaq and Movses Pogossian
range from taking a walk to
cert and documentary are available on
finding the path to salva-
the
Bridge label. "It's an amazing testa-
tion, but the text can have more than
ment
to artists living in different times
one or two layers. Much is thought of
but
being
almost spiritual twins?'
as allegory, and there are subtle Jewish
references.
Pogossian says both Kafka and Kurtag
Kafka's Fragments will be presented
suffered from mental illness and reli-
4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 14, at the
gious oppression.
Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N.
"The piece, written in 1985, is closely
Ave. $5-$25. (734) 769-2999;
intertwined between the two creators,"
www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com .
says Pogossian, whose collaborative con-

❑