TJ Lubinsky is the executive producer/director of one of the highest-producing pledge drive specials in PBS history, Doo Wop 50, and many other programs devoted to doo wop, R&B, soul, and folk music. He discussed his love of oldies music and his work bringing it to local PBS stations across the country. "I always gravitated to the music of the fifties and sixties, and I grew up in the seventies and that was always around too," Lubinsky said. He identified the music of Motown as the genre he found most appealing, with Smokey Robinson & The Miracles ranking as his personal favorite. "Once I heard Motown that was me, that was my soul," he revealed. Lubinsky lamented the lack of melody, harmony, and positivity in contemporary music, noting he really stopped listening to music produced after 1980.
He recalled the moment at a library when he stumbled upon an old 2-inch videotape of "Ooo Baby Baby" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. The performance was part of a long-lost 1965 concert called It's What's Happening Baby, which was hosted by rock and roll impresario "Murray the K" Kaufman. The televised concert featured many Motown acts and was sponsored by the government as a means to appeal to urban youth to pursue education and summer jobs. According to Lubinsky, several US senators and representatives decided the special did not represent their idea of America and they had it locked away. A newly restored version of It's What's Happening Baby premieres on PBS stations on Saturday, March 6, 2021. Lubinsky also spoke about his work as one of the executive producers on The Very Best Of The Ed Sullivan Show also seen on public television. The show footage is a treasure trove of Motown artists who got their first mainstream exposure on the program, he explained.
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Open Lines followed in the latter half of the program. Keith in the Port of Los Angeles spoke about the reality of an organization called the Starfleet and its armada of Star Destroyers. He pointed those interested in the topic to the short film, Star Wars Origins. "It literally tells the truth of why we are here," he disclosed.
Nick phoned into the program from New Zealand where he is currently on COVID-19 lockdown at a managed isolation hotel. According to Nick, twelve days ago he landed at the airport in Auckland then was escorted by armed guards to a charter flight destined to Christchurch. "We're not allowed out in any way, shape, or form," he reported.
Burt in Daytona Beach, Florida, alleged his body had been inhabited by the "Hebrew God of the Bible" for two and a half hours while he was viewing a commercial movie. "It said with a very calm voice, 'Be careful how you move, you're vibrating at a higher frequency,'" Burt recalled. He also claimed to have a halo surrounding his head during this experience.
The final half hour featured a replay from 9/1/16 when professional tarot teacher Marcus Katz discussed magic and tarot.
News segment guests: Christian Wilde / Kevin Randle / Tim Binnall