The Legends of WARMland were inducted in 2024.

Welcome, Max.

You took an interest in the music scene in the region early on.

You've written about it, you've interviewed musicians as a journalist.

When you see the names of these inductees and co-founder Joe Nardone, what can you tell us?

- Well, I'm just glad that it happened, you know?

You know, over the years, over the decades, a number of us have tried to put together, tried to construct a Northeastern Pennsylvania Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

And, you know, we never were able to get it completed for whatever reason, but, you know, two years ago with the latest incarnation, I mean, the guys got it done and it was just a wonderful effort of a creative effort that had the support, you know, and the energies of so many people.

So I'm just glad that, you know, finally our hometown heroes, our musical heroes are getting recognized.

And I'm particularly, you know, excited that The Buoys have finally got their due and certainly Joe Nardone and all the other ones.

So it's just great to go and talk about our, you know, the successes that we have here because, you know, Northeastern Pennsylvania has, you know, as much success and has as much a right to take the popular music and interpret it and, you know, and give our version of that.

So I was just glad to be a part of that.

During the pandemic of 2020, my pandemic project was to complete "Somebody Else's Dream."

And I had thought about this for years, I had been working on it for years, but then the pandemic gave me a real, motivated me to get it done.

So I completed "Somebody Else's Dream: Dakota, the Buoys, & 'Timothy'" in 2021, which was the 50 year anniversary of the song "Timothy."

And at the time, and again, I don't know what kind of algorithms, Billboard or Spotify or anybody else has now, but at the time, "Timothy" was the highest charting song of any rock act in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

It went to number 13.

And then of course, they had a follow up hit "Give Up Your Guns" that years later in 1979, the album was re-released and hit the top 10 in Holland.

So The Buoys were able to go and capitalize on that success.

And, you know, we're really just a phenomenal group with great vocals, you know, Bill Kelly's vocals.

And as early as 1968, they were probably the hottest rock act in the Valley.

So, you know, they were determined and hardworking, and they were a real example of what you can do, you know, if you put your mind to it and you just keep on staying the course.

So that's why I wrote the book.

I had a real affinity for, you know, Northeastern Pennsylvania and Northeastern Pennsylvania music.

And that's how the book, you know, was initiated.

- Well, Max, you were mentioning, and we have just a little bit of time, but you were mentioning some sort of Woodstock event in 1973 and Lex Romane.

- Yeah, it was actually 1971, and I think Joe Nardone was involved in that.

But what we did was we brought Sly and the Family Stone to Hunlock Creek, and they tried to do it at the racetrack at Pocono Downs but something like 10,000 people signed up, and the owners of Pocono Downs got really apprehensive, so they found another location in Hunlock Creek, and Sly came down there.

He was late, of course.

He was supposed to go on at seven o'clock.

I was there, but he was supposed to go on at seven o'clock, but he didn't get on until midnight.

But Lex Romane and Patty Lewis were there, and they helped to go and take up some time and entertain the fans, you know, as well as Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show and a Janis Joplin clone, Ruth Copeland, who was there.

- Well,