[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 64 (Wednesday, May 8, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S3248]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO JOEL NAJMAN

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, to many Vermonters, Joel Najman is part of 
rock-and-roll radio history. Taking the reins of the Vermont Public 
Radio show ``My Place'' 30 years ago this spring, he captivated rock-
and-roll enthusiasts from around the region and staked his claim in 
Vermont radio history.
  Marcelle and I have known Joel for many years and have followed his 
career with great interest. Starting in radio at Vermont's own 
Middlebury College, Joel went on to WJOY in South Burlington and 
continues to work WDEV in Waterbury, in addition to hosting ``My 
Place'' on Vermont Public Radio.
  Joel first joined ``My Place'' as a substitute host in 1982. After 
taking over full time in 1983, he took the show far beyond an ``oldies 
rock radio hour'' and made it his mission to apply cultural and 
historical context to rock music for his listeners. In each hour-long 
episode, he examines rock-and-roll history, providing his listeners 
with details that often take years to accumulate. He has even been 
known to spend his entire radio hour picking apart a single song.
  In 2004, he was inducted into the Vermont Broadcaster's Hall of Fame, 
and the Vermont State Legislature recently passed a resolution honoring 
him as a ``rock and roll impresario.'' Today, I would like to 
congratulate Joel for his 30 years as host of ``My Place.'' I ask 
unanimous consent an article from the Vermont publication, Seven Days, 
entitled, ``Vermont Legislature Honors `My Place' Host Joel Najman'' be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                    [From Seven Days, Apr. 26, 2013]

        Vermont Legislature Honors ``My Place'' Host Joel Najman

                            (By Dan Bolles)

       On Wednesday, April 24, the Vermont Legislature surprised 
     Joel Najman with a resolution congratulating the local DJ on 
     his 30th anniversary as the host of the Vermont Public Radio 
     show, and rock-and-roll time machine, ``My Place.''
       ``My Place'' was originally hosted by David Field and began 
     life as a wide-ranging, interactive retrospective of rock and 
     roll from the 1950s and '60s. But Najman dramatically 
     revamped the show's format when he took over in 1983, after 
     serving as a substitute host the year prior.
       Najman is as passionate a musicologist as he is a fan, 
     which is really saying something. In each hourlong episode, 
     he hones in on a specific theme or topic, sometimes 
     sharpening his focus to a single song, and examines its 
     historical context and cultural importance in painstaking 
     detail.
       He's said those details can take years--yes, years--of 
     sleuthing to fully unearth. Recent episodes of ``My Place'' 
     have explored the first and second waves of the British 
     Invasion, Berry Gordy's pre-Motown canon and ``Popular Songs 
     About Women.''
       ``There are a lot of oldies stations, and you can buy 
     oldies CDs, or go online and MP3 them or however you want to 
     get the music,'' said Najman in a 2007 interview with Seven 
     Days celebrating his 25th anniversary. ``But it's relating it 
     to the evolving culture of that time and the stories behind 
     the songs--how they came about, how they were made--which has 
     always been my hobby.''
       Some hobby.
       If you're into stiff, overly formal verbiage with lots of 
     ``Whereas''-es, you can read the full resolution here. 
     Whereas, if you'd like to hear from the man himself, Najman 
     will appear as a guest on VPR's ``Vermont Edition'' on 
     Monday, April 29.
       Whereas, you could also listen to ``My Place'' on VPR 
     Saturdays at 8 p.m.
       Congrats, Joel.

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