The award-winning Montana Public Radio program "Musician’s Spotlight" will celebrate 25 years on the air with a pledge week special broadcast scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 6.
During his weekly half-hour program, host John Floridis has featured hundreds of local and national musicians – everyone from B.B. King and Mary Chapin Carpenter to Derek Trucks, Lyle Lovett, the Emerson Quartet, Brandi Carlile, Wilco, Pat Metheny, Alison Krauss, John Oates, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Los Lonely Boys, Kathy Matea, Cowboy Junkies, Ravi Coltrane, Patty Griffin and Daryl Jones of the Rolling Stones.
"It’s been a fabulous experience to meet and talk with these outstanding artists about their music and their inspirations," said Floridis, a noted musician in his own right. "We’ve made it a priority to feature Montana musicians of all styles in amongst the multiple Grammy Award-winners, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and national touring artists."
The MTPR spring pledge week special will feature a variety of clips of Floridis' favorite guests. He and MTPR program director Michael Marsolek also will talk about the origins of the program.
Marsolek started "Musician’s Spotlight" in 1992 when he was a volunteer DJ at the station. In 1997, he handed the program off to Floridis and Brian Kopper. Floridis took over producing the program by himself in 2009.
"'Musician's Spotlight' has become a respected and signature program celebrating music and musicians in the region," Marsolek said. "We’re happy to be able to have the program as part of our Montana-made radio lineup."
"Musician’s Spotlight” received the 2015 and2016 E.B. Craney Award for Outstanding Non-commercial Radio Program from the Montana Broadcasters Association and the Greater Montana Foundation. More information is online at http://mtpr.org/programs/musicians-spotlight or http://www.musiciansspotlight.org
The program airs regularly at 7:30 p.m. Thursday on Montana Public Radio. It’s also available as a podcast.
Montana Public Radio is a service of the University of Montana in Missoula.
