Interview with Sybil McGuire
fmqb Progressive Director


[IMAGE of Peter]
photo credit: Ellen
Great American Music Hall
San Francisco, CA - July 2001

Interview by: Ellen

Favorite PH Song: you want me to pick one???
Favorite PH Album: this is only slightly easier: From Strength to Strength
Favorite PH Live moment: Either the time I enacted the birth of a baby seal in Philly (I think you got that one!), or the time I played the backwards emcee when Peter decided that he wanted to start a concert all over again and I pretended to "rewind" my intro (yes, I'm a ham) and reintroduced him... My first concert was definitely an eye-opener. I had never seen a performer call his wife onstage in the middle of a concert before. I was instantly enamored.

Bio:
Sybil McGuire has been working in the radio/record industry for more than twenty years and currently works for a Cherry Hill, NJ-based trade magazine called fmqb, where she directs the Progressive/Triple A radio department. Sybil first became aware of Peter's music when she worked in Madison, WI. While in Madison, Sybil worked at several radio stations. Her favorite was Progressive Triple M, which played quite a bit of Peter's music, and she became a big fan and his dedicated driver, emcee and interviewer whenever he was in town. Not too long ago, Sybil portrayed the birth of a baby seal at one of Peter's shows in Philly. To her knowledge, she's only ever missed one Himmelman show in her vicinity.

Sybil, can you tell me a little bit about your career in radio?
I was a deejay for 18 years before I started working for fmqb. At WMMM I was also Music Director and Assistant Program Director and have worked at twelve radio stations in the past twenty-three years. Also, I have been a producer (ad production) at almost all of them -- East Coast and Midwest mostly -- and you wouldn't know them - since they were all different formats including Country(!).

What kind of work do you do as fmqb’s Progressive Director?
Write and edit content for a weekly and a quarterly record/radio trade magazine (subscription only) Progressive section -- sell advertising to labels -- produce CDs and write news and features for all Rock formats. I have very little time for a real life.

I am not a music industry professional. Can you tell me about fmqb, what kind of distribution it gets, and about your target audience?
Radio programmers, jocks and label reps are our readers -- it's specifically about the business of broadcasting and recording as well as a place for labels to advertise their music. We also compile weekly music charts from data supplied by the stations about how many times they play music (specific songs) on a weekly basis. Monday and Tuesday we spend a lot of time doing data entry. About 1,000 Rock radio stations (Active, Modern, and Triple A) get our Rock mag and even more subscribe to our Pop/CHR sister publication. We also release over 30 CDs per year (with new music) exclusively to radio stations featuring new music (the labels buy space on the samplers) and airchecks or excerpts of programming from some of our key "reporters (radio stations)." I also am in touch with any number of programmers each week to find out station news and their opinions of new music...

How did you first meet Peter? Were you interviewing him at the time?
Backstage after my first concert -- I couldn't even talk to him -- I was so impressed. But, I'm not shy and got over that pretty quickly.

How many times have you interviewed Peter?
I guess I've interviewed Peter four times: three times were on-air and one time was for our pro.qb magazine interview, which is now on your site. (To check out Sybil’s interview, click on this link: FMQB Interview - 1999)

What do you think makes Peter so special?
He will do anything to entertain as long as it's honest and comes from his heart. He treats his listeners like family and shares almost everything with them (I assume). Only the best artists realize that that's the only way to make a lasting and significant impact with their work -- it must be real.

Sybil, do you have any good stories from interviewing Peter throughout the years?
I have lots of personal stories but I guess they'd be mostly silly. Although, there was the time that I told him (Live on the air) about how beautiful the version of "Raina" was, that was on the Columbia Records Radio Hour and he replied, "I haven't heard it. Why don't you play it?" I had to tell him to talk while I searched the studio for our copy -- mind you, this is live on the air! The jock (me) has walked away from a live mic and asked the interview subject basically to fill while she looks for a CD! How many artists can you trust with that kind of responsibility?!

There was also his reaction to me asking about the duck on the last album's art (Love Thinketh... not the second kid's CD -- which I DON'T HAVE YET). "I'm so glad you asked that!" (huh?) ... It led to a great story about how ducks excrete a great deal, aren't particularly bright and don't make the best pets.

Do you have any other memories that particularly make you smile?
Another time I interviewed Peter on-air, our morning man picked him up at the airport or hotel (I can't remember which) because I was already on the air, and drove him to the radio station. Now I'd known him for several years by then, but he'd never heard me on the air because he was always in the studio with me. He and John (the morning guy) walked in the studio and Peter said, "You sound great on the air!" And then went on to ask why I wasn't in a larger market? (Those bigger city jobs pay better, you know!) It's really special to have someone you admire let you know that they appreciate what you do, too!

Speaking of special -- I heard a great story about something that you once did on Peter’s behalf to help get him the recognition he deserves.
Well, there was the time that I was at a major Triple A radio convention (Triple A is a radio format -- Adult Alternative) and realized that Peter was playing at a small bar across from our big venue. I grabbed a bunch of flyers from the label reps and started handing them out to all the radio programmers across the street. I literally helped fill the club with professional radio fans that just minutes before had had no idea that Peter was there! He has a lot of fans among programmers.

Sybil, you’re not just a music industry professional; you are clearly a dedicated fan of Peter’s. So spill -- How could you have possibly missed a show in your vicinity?!
You know I'm still pissed I got stuck in a meeting at work. I'm such a big fan that if I ever married, I'd book him. I also really want a piece of original art and have to figure out a way to work up the nerve to ask! Some of my best friends have even used his songs on birth announcements and I've passed them on to him...

It’s nice to know that you can be knee deep in the music industry and still be a devout fan. Thanks, Sybil, for continuing to share your passion for Peter’s music, and thanks for taking the time to do this short interview for Himmelfans. : )

My pleasure! I think we all need to give credit to Ellen for the fine work she does on the site! Three cyber-cheers! (hip hip hoorah!)