Fred Migliore

Fred Migliore has been passionate about music his entire life. Growing up nurtured on New York City’s underground free form radio, Fred was inspired to create a program dedicated to his passion.

His radio career began in 1991 with Another Unconventional Sunday Morning (AUSM), a three-hour innovative show blending esoteric folk/rock with new and emerging singer/songwriters. The show still airs on WFIT – a public radio station in Melbourne, Florida – and was nationally syndicated in 1998 as FM Odyssey. The premier special “A Tribute to Laura Nyro” aired on 90 stations across the country. His audience has grown steadily ever since with further career retrospective interviews with legends such as Judy Collins, David Crosby, and Denny Doherty (Mama’s and Papa’s).

Compassion, knowledge, and a wry sense of humor, and have garnered Fred interviews with some of the greatest names in the music industry including Billy Joel, Jim Capaldi, Alvin Lee, Ian Anderson, Jeff Beck, Janis Ian, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, The Moody Blues, Tom Paxton, Gordon Lightfoot, Annie Haslam, Dan Fogelberg, Steely Dan, and many others. Fred’s passion and dedication to music are evident the moment he begins to speak. Perhaps it’s his honesty and respect that allows the artist to feel comfortable when talking with him. The resulting interviews prove to be insightful, informative, and compelling.

Fred also created Fast Forward Artist Promotions to help artists reach the next level in promoting their music. He works with Triple A, Non-commercial, Adult Contemporary, and top public radio stations, developing special marketing programs for the individual artist need. Fred also connects artists with specialty NPR shows and other nationally syndicated radio programs. By creating a product called a “CD Companion” (a condensed but highly informative sales tool combining artist interviews and music), Fred developed a very effective instrument to spark the interest of radio – for both artist air play and interviews.

Fred’s experience and talent make him a formidable spokesperson in the music industry, thus carving a niche for himself in a highly competitive and creative field. Fourteen years in radio have earned him the respect of his contemporaries and of the artists whose talents he so keenly observes.

Continually striving to create quality programming that conveys the inspiration and fulfillment that music has brought him all his life, Fred is a master at reaching into the soul of the artist’s music and bringing it into the light for the world to see. In the end, the true beauty of his craft is reflected in making his audience feel like they are at home with the artists who have enriched their lives.

What speaks in volumes to Fred’s skill at interviewing, format and production of radio specials – are the words of artists, program managers and other radio personalities. The following excerpts tell the story.

Artist's Thoughts on Fred

ANNIE HASLAM (RENAISSANCE) - “It was a memorable afternoon spent playing a wide variety of music from my career with Renaissance moving into my varied solo exploits. In between the songs Fred asked many fresh new questions which after being in the music business as long as I have is rare to come across. I found my time there very invigorating and because the interview was done so well, it was thrilling to hear the way the music had been pieced together. I can definitely say that I had a lot of fun and there was lots of laughter which to me is one of the purest joys in life next to music. This interview has gone down in my books as one of the best and I thank Fred so much for making me feel so welcome and relaxed. Congratulations on a great radio show and keep the music alive.”

JUDY COLLINS - “Fred Migliore and FM Odyssey have done a splendid job with getting my music to the listening public. The personal touch Fred brings to his show is a delight to a musician. It is inspiring to feel the heighten awareness of my music that public radio brings to its listeners. I am delighted to be a part of the FM Odyssey journey.”

PETER YARROW - “I want to add my voice..to congratulate FM Odyssey...not only as a program but kind of as a beacon in a world that really needs the kind of sensibility...energy...decency, and honesty that is reflected in the tradition of songwriting and singing. It is people like you that are ushering in the new renaissance. What it’s about is the intergenerational staying power and nature of a music that you are celebrating. Let us go on being believers... we’ve got a sense of our own continuity and our own value and worth and connection to one another that is afforded by your wonderful efforts. I sing with you and I urge you to go forward and I thank you for all you’ve done.”

TOM PAXTON - “Fourteen years is a long time to swim against the current...and I just want to congratulate FM Odyssey for not only surviving, but flourishing. When I look at the roster of artists being played, I am stunned by the breadth and depth. This is truly the golden age of acoustic American music and I’m proud to be a part of it. I’m grateful that programs like FM Odyssey are out there carrying it on. Keep it rolling!”

Paul Porzio

Retired Air Force officer... former NASA program manager... certified massage therapist... radio producer. Our crack (or is that quack) medical staff has assured us that this series of job titles is not an indication of multiple personality disorder, but just Paul's tendency to get bored easily.  While we'll withhold judgment of the multiple personality thing, this varied background definitely means that Paul brings a lot of talent to the FM Odyssey table.

Paul grew up in Brooklyn, New York. It's almost prophetic that as a kid, at the same time as he was being enthralled watching early space launches, the first record album he got his hands on was Peter, Paul & Mary's first album. Perhaps equally prophetic, he made his own make-believe radio studio with the help of a 3 inch Japanese reel to reel tape recorder which, ironically, he took to the 1965 World's fair to "get interviews" with visitors and exhibit staffers. (Sound familiar?)

While he was busy building model rockets, he and his best high school friend, the neighborhood electronics genius, also created a low power "pirate" AM station for his block in Brooklyn. (His friend will go unnamed, as he went to be chief engineer for a number of NYC and Long Island radio stations, and we have to protect at least some of the guilty!) It should be no surprise that while getting his engineering degree, he became music, program, and station manager at his college radio station.

However, that radio path was shifted back to the space path by a little project called the Space Shuttle. He'll never complain about this, as in the following years he managed experiments that flew on the Shuttle, and worked on a number of projects that allowed him to meet and work with a number of astronauts.  He even got a chance to wear a space suit a few times, finding out first hand how claustrophobic he really was. It's only fitting then, in that "dual career" track, that when he got to work at Cape Canaveral he met Fred. After a conversation comparing record collections, attitudes about the state of radio, and memories of listening to WNEW-FM, Fred decided Paul should co-produce the show, in its original form of "Another Unconventional Sunday Morning", on WFIT.

When it came time for Paul to move on to Washington DC, the "Friends on the Road" interview series was born, as living within 25 minutes from venues like the Birchmere and Wolf Trap made the concept all too convenient.  This gave Paul a chance to meet another group of his heroes, this time the likes of Leon Russell, Todd Rundgren, Jim Capaldi and many others.

If all this wasn't enough, he recently gained his national and state certification as a licensed massage therapist. But, regardless of whatever the next career choice is, Paul intends to continue bringing you interviews and shows you'll really want to hear!

Steve Matteo

Steve Matteo has written about music, books, film, the arts, and sports for over 25 years. He has written for such publications as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The Baltimore Sun, St. Petersburg Times, New York magazine, Time Out New York, Crawdaddy!, Harp, Tracks,
Blender, Rolling Stone, Spin, Details, Interview, Elle, Salon, North Atlantic Review, Gotham, Hamptons, Dan’s Papers, Pulse, Utne Reader, CMJ, Writers’ Journal, barnesandnoble.com, All Music Guide, Long Island Press, Sing Out!, Goldmine, Relix, Jazziz, City Pages, Listener, Good Times, and Jazz Improv. He is also Music Editor of Pulse magazine.

He has been the Music Editor of Update and Nightlife magazines. He has worked in radio as the writer of the “Something New” program for WLIR in New York and as the Program Director of WNYT, also in New York; he is currently the Music and Editorial Director of the nationally broadcast radio program FM Odyssey. Also, he worked in various capacities for Left Field Services, Pete Townshend’s U.S.-based company.

He is the author of “Dylan,” a biography of Bob Dylan published in 1998 by MetroBooks, an imprint of Friedman/Fairfax Publishing, which is owned by Barnes and Noble. In 2003 his writings on Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery appeared in the book “Jazziz Chronicles: The Guitarists,” published by Cherry
Lane. His second book, “Let It Be,” on the making of the Beatles’ album and film “Let It Be,” (33 1/3 series) was published in November of 2004 by Continuum (New York, London) and is in its third printing. In 2005 “Let It Be” was published in Italian and will soon be published in Greek.

Steve Matteo's E-Mail: Hi-FiSJM@ix.netcom.com 

Click Here To Read About Steve's book 'LET IT BE 33&1/3'