Bob Nolan

Bob Nolan was born in Monroe, Michigan on an August morning in 1966. It happened to be the very day that the Beatles traveled from a show in Detroit, heading for a show in Cleveland, on what would be their last ever tour. They traveled I-75 South, right past the hospital the morning he was born. The same week that saw the release of the Revolver album and the explosion of John Lennon’s “bigger than Jesus” controversy. The Beatles would set the tone for his life.

He grew up as an obsessive record collector and radio listener. CKLW, WKNR, WABX, WDET and WEMU all played a formative role in developing his musical taste and appreciation for the medium. As a high school student he worked at the student run WEJY, as well as Tower radio in Monroe. He graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in broadcast communications and worked on air and/or program director for three campus stations, including WCMU. Post graduation he obtained a master’s degree (in science!) and ran multiple movie theaters around metro Detroit, including the Maple and Main Art theaters.

No matter what he did to pay the rent, he always kept his hand in music. He worked hundreds of gigs as a sound man, music booker, band manager and disc jockey for clubs, parties, weddings and more. He worked for numerous retail record stores including Wherehouse Records, Repeat the Beat and Desirable Discs. Eventually he quit everything to open Rubber Soul Records in Ypsilanti with his late friend Will Stewart. They operated a retail record store, recording studio and live music space until they didn’t. It’s where he met a young, fresh-faced, pre-WEMU Jeremy Baldwin.

Since then he worked for Saline Area Schools and raised a family with his wife Stephanie, an AP English teacher for Dexter Schools. His recent musical endeavors have included occasional fill-in stints at WCBN, concert promotions and publicity, and spearheading a local guerilla turntable outfit called “The Ypsi Soul Cruds.”

Mostly he obsessively collects jazz, soul and roots music albums with a library that is completely out of control.

He is happy to finally get back to his first love, live radio and is happy to finally join the staff at WEMU.