Larry Groce, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Francis Fisher Week — Our Proclamation Honoring WVPB's Longtime Engineer

PROCLAMATION OF FRANCIS FISHER WEEK

Whereas he was born on April 22, 1942 in Atascadero, CA only because his father was stationed on an army base in the area.
Whereas he got back to his real home in Parkersburg, WV as fast as his chubby baby legs could carry him.
Whereas he knew, even as a child that he wanted to have a career in broadcast engineering.
Whereas he grew up across the street from the girl he would later meet again and marry.
Whereas after moving to Morgantown WV and graduating high school, he joined the Navy where he learned electronics and radio engineering.
Whereas in the mid-1960s, when his hitch was up and he had seen the world from the deck of a ship, he moved to New York City and took a position with the NBC radio network.

Pops Staples- "Why Am I Treated So Bad?" live on Mountain Stage

Mountain Stage broadcast mix by Francis Fisher

Whereas he first worked there as a sound engineer going out with reporters covering events such as the Ali-Liston weigh in and Brigitte Bardot’s first visit to America, and later worked with Long John Nebel, Don Imus and other national radio personalities.
Whereas he attended the legendary Beatles concert at Shea Stadium on August 15, 1965 and later complained about the quality of the sound system.
Whereas he ultimately rose to be head night engineer for the NBC radio network which is now part of Westwood One.
Whereas in The Big Apple he reconnected with his neighbor from Parkersburg, Sandra Appel, and fell in love.
Whereas they married and lived in Greenwich Village.
Whereas they wanted to raise their first-born child, Amanda, in the Mountain State, and moved “back to the land” in Elkins, West Virginia in 1972.

Alison Krauss- "Forget About It" Live on Mountain Stage

Alison Krauss performing "Forget About It," live on Mountain Stage

Whereas after his return he tried his hand at farming, candle making, photo developing, and owning his own small electronics repair business, but also worked as an engineer at WDNE radio in Elkins.
Whereas In 1978 he moved to Beckley, WV and began his career at WV Public Television.
Whereas In 1979 he helped engineer the move of the West Virginia Public Radio operation to Charleston and soon thereafter took on the role of Chief Engineer of WV Public Radio.
Whereas he led the design of the statewide microwave interconnect system for the expanding West Virginia Public Radio operation establishing new stations in Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg, Morgantown, Wheeling, and Martinsburg to go with the original two in Beckley and Buckhannon.
Whereas he was the WVPB team leader on the move to 600 Capitol Street and to future modernizations of the interconnection system to satellite links at headquarters and at all the transmitter sites.
Whereas in 1981 he and Andy Ridenour invited Larry Groce to join them to attempt a live music variety radio show they called Mountain Stage, even though they had no funding, no equipment, and no experience at doing such a show.

1 of 5 — Michael, Bob, and Francis

Mountain Stage Band members Michael Lipton and Bob Thompson, sit with Francis during a meal. Mountain Stage was on the road recording a show in Grand Marais, Minnesota, on the banks of Lake Superior.

Josh Saul

2 of 5 — Larry Groce and Francis Fisher

Larry Groce and Francis Fisher, along with Andy Ridenour founded Mountain Stage. The first episode aired in 1983 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. The show is now heard on nearly 300 public radio stations nationwide.

3 of 5 — Francis Fisher

Francis Fisher chats over dinner backstage.

Josh Saul

4 of 5 — Francis Fisher

Francis has been responsible for many of the technology upgrades and transitions at West Virginia Public Broadcasting over the years.

5 of 5 — Francis At His Console

See a minute, take a minute. Show days are very long and busy. Taking a moment to kick up your feet is important. Francis learned that a long time ago.

Whereas he engineered a pilot for that program in 1981 and then its first regular broadcast live on West Virginia Public Radio on December 3, 1983, mixing the sound with a pair of audio mixers duct taped together.
Whereas in 1983 he also welcomed a second daughter, Emma, born in Charleston, with no duct tape involved.
Whereas on June 1, 1985 he engineered the first NPR national live Mountain Stage broadcast from the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, and continued as an engineer when the show began regularly scheduled prerecorded weekly national broadcasts on NPR in June 1986.

Joan Osborne- "Tryin' to Get to Heaven" live on Mountain Stage

Broadcast mix from Mountain Stage engineered by Francis Fisher

Whereas over 37 years he engineered 961 Mountain Stage shows in 16 states and Glasgow, Scotland that included approximately 3,000 different artists such as REM, The Band, Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Randy Newman, Warren Zevon, Los Lobos, Doc Watson, Pops and Mavis Staples, Dr. John, Hazel Dickens, Joan Baez, Youssou N’Dour, Arlo Guthrie, John Hartford, Phish, The Indigo Girls, Odetta, Wilco, Allen Toussaint, Judy Collins, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Allen Ginsburg, Elvis Costello, Brownie McGee, Jean Ritchie, John Prine, Ali Farke Toure, Donavon, Alison Krauss, Townes Van Zandt, Jeff Daniels, Chris Stapleton, Ruth Brown, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Eric Church, Norah Jones, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Sarah McLachlan, Lucinda Williams, Kevin Bacon, Tyler Childers and many more.
Whereas In 2020, he was inducted into the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
Whereas as much as any one person he was responsible for creating the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Network that we know today.

Therefore, we declare May 17-21 to be “Francis Fisher Week” at West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Larry Groce Remembers Bill Withers

Bill Withers was not only an American pop music icon, he was a symbol of American music itself. His songs transcended styles and genres and bridged cultures and generations. “Lean On Me”, “Ain’t No Sunshine”, “Use Me”, “Grandma’s Hands” and many of his other classics can’t be easily labeled, but they can be and have been performed by soul, blues, jazz, rock, country, gospel and pop artists and even sampled hundreds of times in rap and hip hop. That’s the definition of a great song.

Bill was his own man from start to finish, fiercely independent and uncompromising. He received much deserved fame and recognition, but steadfastly refused to be packaged and sold in ways he didn’t believe in, probably sometimes to his financial detriment. I attended the ceremony when he was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame’s first class in 2007. His words of acceptance were profound and inspiring. He told of listening to soul, blues and gospel music at home in Slab Fork and then going across the tracks to friends’ homes where he heard country music from singers such as fellow inductee, Little Jimmy Dickens. It all became part of his unique and unmistakable sound.

Bill became an active inspiration and driving force in the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and more than once expressed his gratitude to its founder, Michael Lipton, for putting him back in touch with his home state. Michael invited me to join him as Bill’s guest when Bill was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. We sat beside some of Bill’s old friends from Slab Fork. The show was a marathon that lasted over six hours and Bill was second to last, right before Ringo Starr was inducted by Paul McCartney. Even in that company, Bill’s remarks were the highlight. He was the rare talent who knew his worth but retained true humility. He was inducted by Stevie Wonder. John Legend led his musical tribute. I’ll never forget Bill recognizing all the night’s other honorees and then slyly adding. “But I’m the only one being inducted by a Wonder and a Legend.”

As I said, to me Bill is a symbol of American music. More importantly, he’s a symbol of what America is at its best: A blend of strong flavors that, with the right cook, makes a masterpiece . He’s also a symbol of West Virginia. He grew up in tough times and overcame many obstacles, from poverty to stuttering. He joined the service and later got a factory job. He began writing songs later than most successful writers and although he believed strongly in himself, he never thought he would be the one to make them famous. Booker T. Jones told me that when Bill came into the recording session that became his first album, he thought someone else was going to be the artist. Unassuming but resolute, fame and fortune were not Bill’s gods. These are characteristics that I associate with West Virginians

After only eight years, Bill walked away from a performance career that most artists would kill for. He’d had enough of the indignities of a music business that he never really wanted to become a part of. He wasn’t driven by the unbridled ego, greed and ambition that seems ever present in today’s world, in and out of music. He quit performing, but his songs never retired and will be in demand as long as good taste survives.

I wish everyone, and especially every child in West Virginia could have met Bill Withers. In a few words, his pithy point of view could cut to the heart of what is important and put you in your place while never exalting himself. His main message to children was simple: “…take the limits off of yourself – and realize that there’s no magic that somebody else has in the world that you don’t.”

-Larry Groce

Larry Groce Remembers Guy Clark

Guy Clark was a big man and he cast a large shadow of influence over country folk music – what’s come to be called Americana. As a songwriter, he combined the two elements that are always present in a good song, real poetry and skilled craftsmanship. He took pride in his craft. Both his songs and the guitars he made attest to his great talent and attention to detail. He had solid commercial success over the years with many singers covering his songs, but he’ll always be most admired for his artistry.

I can immediately think of many phrases from his songs that struck me when I first heard them and stuck with me long afterwards: “Hands all full of watermelon” from “Sis Draper”, “I’m gonna get me some alligator shoes” from “Baton Rouge”, “she’s got a pistol in her purse” from “Dancin Days” – the list is long.

Guy first visited Mountain Stage in 1985 and was perhaps the first truly great songwriter to play the show. I vividly remember him singing “Desperados Waiting for a Train” during that first appearance. I still get a chill just thinking about when he got to the verse that goes:

One day I looked up, and he’s pushing 80
And there’s brown tobacco stains all down his chin
To me he’s one of the heroes of this country
So why is he all dressed up like them old men?
Drinkin’ beer and playing Moon and 42

Guy Clark, standing next to his good friend Townes Van Zandt, in the basement of the Capitol Theatre in Charleston, West Virginia. This was taken in May 1987 during Mountain Stage.

Maybe it’s because that was a perfect description of my grandfather who took his hard-won pleasures in beer joints and domino halls. Probably it’s because Guy had an uncanny songwriting ability. Many country songs are set in bars, but few have captured the poignancy of that scene like Guy could. His lyrics should be taught in schools.

Guy was a guest on Mountain Stage twelve times, twice touring with Townes Van Zandt. He and Townes and Billy Joe Shaver have set standards in songwriting that inspired and intimidated those who have followed. They’ve especially influenced those from the territory that lies between Austin and Nashville, but their marks have been made on the whole world of songwriters. Now two of them belong to the ages.

A whole lot of fine songwriters stand in the shadow of Guy Clark.