The Delightful History of the Musical Innertube

nce upon a time,

in the magical 1970s, Don Rooney and John Timpane suddenly found themselves hosting a radio program on college radio's KUCI-FM at the University of California at Irvine. As legend has it, one of them turned on the microphone to introduce "a soothing musical interlude" - but his tongue got in front of his eyeteeth, and he couldn't see what he was saying, so it came out "soothing musical innertube." The name stuck.

Many people considered the radio show quite funny and charming. In fact, it was so funny and charming that, when college ended, Don and John went their separate ways and never again appeared together on any radio-type program.  

Don appeared as an air personality on radio stations in Maryland, New Hampshire, Kansas and Florida.

He later became a radio news reporter and anchor in Atlanta and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In Harrisburg, he moved to television, as a news reporter and weatherman.

    John became a college professor and the author of several books on poetry and other subjects.

He moved on to the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper, where he served as editorial page editor, features writer, book editor and theater critic.

Now, Don and John have revived the Musical Innertube as a cheap way of re-connecting with old friends and meeting fascinating new friends.  And the best part is, you get to listen in!  For free!