Mayor of Lakewood Michael P. Summers talks with Cleveland rock and roll and radio legend John Gorman the markleting director of WMMS from 1972 on, and off and on again. John is a true legend who with Denny Sanders really built WMMS into what it was known to be.
John Gorman was born in Boston, and in 1971 got a call from Boston radio associate Denny Sanders about an opportunity with the newly-formed WMMS station on the rarely used FM band. So John packed up and headed to Cleveland, where Denny Sanders, and John, along with some other Lakewoodites like Tom Kelley (Tree), Steve Lausbaugh, and Jeff Kinzbach joined in the start-up. Over the course of the next 20 years WMMS not only became the top radio station in America, but was seen along with Cleveland as one of the most important markets in the world. Bands from England and Europe would often seek play-time on WMMS or reach out to get Jules and Mike Belkin to book them into the Cleveland market, where they could get a name and then be welcomed anywhere. This was true with U2, David Bowie, Mott The Hoople and literally hundreds of other bands of the era.
So we got to City Hall, and sure enough Mayor Michael P. Summers was there, and had time for us. So we sat down and started to reminisce about various things Lakewood, Cleveland and Rock and Roll. Many people are not aware that Mike was the drummer for the junior high band known as "The Darkside" that would play junior high dances, YMCA dances and other events. They were so crazy that Mike once set his cymbals and drums on fire during a rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" that classmates still talk about today.
So, at one point John, who is always good for a great conversation, said to Mike, "About Detroit Avenue..." Mike looked over at me with much apprehension, and a grimace and said, "Yeah?" and John said, "I really have to give you credit for the clean-up of Lakewood and Detroit Avenue." Mike quite frankly looked surprised, and I smiled. Mike replied, "It is not me, it is the work of those before me, and the residents and businesses of Lakewood that have made all of this possible."
It is a typical Mayor Summers answer, as a long-time Lakewoodite, and politician, he is well aware of the need for consensus-building, working together, and that his time in office is completely up to the residents and what he has done for them lately. We had a couple more laughs over music, his upcoming trip to LA to see one of his daughters get married, and his future in Lakewood and politics now that he has divested himself of his family business, (reported in Crain's Cleveland Business and known by his friends over a month ago.)
I laughed and said, "Lakewood's first 5 term mayor!" He laughed, held his hands across his chest and said, "The last couple years will probably see me looking like this, laying flat." We all had a good chuckle, then left with the idea of getting together again in the future to talk about some Spring/Summer/Fall projects for Lakewood and Cleveland which are all very hush hush right now.
It is nice hearing from an outsider. John lives in Bay with his wife Ravenna Micelli, but truly has always loved Lakewood, and the Cleveland area, and he said he sees Lakewood as one of the few communities holding their own and even getting better in these very tough times.
After Mike explained that he was the drummer in the junior high band the Darkside he formed a real bond with John.
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gorman_(radio)
John Gorman is a radio personality and author from Cleveland, Ohio. He has a long history in media, but most notable is his 13 years at WMMS in Cleveland. In the 1970s, his innovative marketing of WMMS turned a nearly defunct station into one of the most popular in the United States. The station became legendary in promoting local and upcoming talent to the national spotlight. It was his ability to recognize, develop, and motivate talent that made WMMS the legend it became. He also had an uncanny ability, as did the rest of the WMMS staff, to stay in touch with the listening public and his programming reflected this. He knew good music when he heard it, trusted his staff when they made music add recommendations and found a way to make almost any flavor of music fit the wide open WMMS format calling it all Rock and Roll. His efforts earned him various industry awards and acknowledgments.[1][2][3]
In 2007, Gorman published his first book, The Buzzard: Inside The Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio.
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although not here in Lakewood. 
