JonathanMosen's blog

It's Jonathan here, taking a break from my holiday to pay a special tribute to Gerry Marsden, founder and leader of Gerry and the Pacemakers, who has died of a heart infection in Liverpool aged 78.

Gerry and the Pacemakers, for a brief period, were a hugely successful band, riding in on the coat tails of the Beatles and playing a key role in the Mersey sound. They were also the first group in UK chart history to have their first three singles reach number one.

There may come a time when we’ll be sitting in our rocking chairs, boring our grandchildren senseless about the tough times of 2020 and how young people today don’t know what hard times are. But right now, 2020 is our reality and it’s been incredibly challenging for many. This year is also a special one because it heralds the end of a decade and the start of a new one with all its promise and uncertainty.

Christmas is a joyous time for many. We gather with friends and family, eat plenty, and value those we have in our lives. Even in regular years, Christmas can be a difficult time for some due to temporary or permanent separation from people who are special. And this is no ordinary year. In many parts of the world, Christmas will be a very different, quieter occasion.

First, we send our best wishes to those in areas where COVID-19 is causing this Christmas to be like no other in living memory. We are grateful that Mushroom FM is still able to play a role. A virtual get-together such as a Mushroom FM special event is ideal for times such as these.

If you didn't vote in our countdown but would like to join in the virtual party, it's not too late and you'd be very welcome. The fun guys will be able to register you during the event and assign you to a table.

There's not long left now. You have until midnight US Eastern time this Friday to cast your votes in Mushroom FM’s holiday countdown and receive an invitation to our Christmas party
where we play the top 100 on Sunday beginning at 9 AM Eastern, 2 PM UK. Have you voted? Have all your family and friends voted? If you answered no to either of those questions, then you have important work to do!

Every week day, we explode for you on Mushroom FM at 2 AM North American Eastern time, repeated all over again, because that's really the only way to repeat something right, at 2 PM North American Eastern time. That's 7 AM and PM in the UK.

It’s been a long, strange, very difficult year for many, and it also marks the end of this decade. So what an opportunity on the last Mosen At Large show on Mushroom FM for the decade to reflect on all that has happened during the last decade, particularly in the technology arena.

On Tuesday 8 December, it will be the 40th anniversary of John Lennon's assassination. Mushroom Fm will be devoting 24 hours of programming to commemorate one of the most important losses in music of the 20th century. And when we're talking John Lennon, we're talking about much more than an extraordinarily gifted singer/songwriter. Thought leader, political activist, trend setter, peace maker, poet, visual artist.

You've been asking about it, and we're delighted to confirm that it's back. At a time when we sure could use a bit of fun and stability in our lives, we're inviting you once again to compile our holiday chart. When you vote, you get an invitation to our famous virtual Christmas party too.

It's all explained on our voting page at http://MushroomFM.com/countdown2020.

Kia ora Mosen at Largers. I am moving forward with this week’s show in the hope that I will be able to present it, but at the moment, I have almost no voice. What’s that I hear? Cheering? Oh how rude! Rude I say! I hope to be well enough for the weekend but if not I will post via these channels and we’ll do a replay. But it does mean that if you have the means to send an audio contribution rather than written email, you’ll really be helping me out. Still, I’ll gladly take them in whatever form they come.