“Yeah, I know Whitey Noll. He owns that paper, the PA Musician, yeah I know him.”  As Whitey sits next to the guy at a local bar. Thousands of people “know of Whitey” but only a handful “know” Whitey. For 25 years he is the man responsible for enhancing a multitude of musicians careers and created a catalyst that provided jobs for musicians in  various fields. From music store owners, music instructors or both. Musicians who decided they could make more money being in production or inspired to open their own clubs or get into promotion. Writers that have gone onto more productive ways, but their experience with the PA Musician have inspired them to even do their own publications. We’ve given people opportunities that they may have never had.  Young graphic artist have created work that was published that could be added to their portfolios. Photographers photos were published that led to other jobs. Per chance they would have headed in that direction anyway but the Pennsylvania Musician gave them an opportunity to pursue and fulfill their own dreams and visions. How many have utilized the magazine over the years to meet other musicians, even if their project didn’t go far.  

    We have seen bands that used, and use the PA Musician the way it is meant to be used and had the talent and the dedication to back up their claims and have received world wide acclaim. Yes, it is mind boggling how one man’s idea and vision has effected so many lives and careers.

    “Let me introduce to you, “Whitey, the Mighty”, held over three weeks and getting raving reviews!”  That is how Whitey would introduce himself to me in the beginning of our relationship.

    People are born with gifts, and Whitey’s is performing and he is also gifted with vision. Both gifts have suited him well over the years.

   His earliest memory of performing and getting paid is when he was 3 or 4 years old and his father would have him sing on the bar and people would throw money into a hat. From that moment on he was always singing and performing  for whoever cared to listen and they did listen.

    He continued to perform with various bands through the late 50’s into the early 70’s and beyond. They all had day jobs but were kept busy with doing weddings, clubs, special events every weekend. One of the highlights in 1959 was singing for the soon to be President, John F. Kennedy at the Farm Show Arena. There have been many remarkable times and events too numerous to mention them all or to remember all the details.

    He has met and befriended many musicians through the years. He performed with the late Bill Fisher, The Starfires with his life long buds, Lani Halpin and John Osifat. The Invaders ( who actually formed to back him up at the Beach Front which is now Duke’s). Sammy Calabretti, The Capri’s plus a host of other musicians. In those days people went out every Friday and Saturday night and “live” entertainment was in demand and there were only so many musicians and so many bands.

   He started playing guitar at the age of 29 and after only a month began to perform  as an acoustic solo for many years. He met up with Steve Creter in the early 70’s when Steve was only 15 and they performed a duo at  what is now Gullifty’s. He then was in Bush for awhile but preferred doing his solo act.

    I came on the scene in 1972 and have never seen Whitey not playing  his guitar or singing or creating some new piece of art in the 35 years I have known him. Many musicians have come through our doors over the years and he has taught many people how to play guitar, harmonica and sing, and he in turn has learned from them.

   When we settled down Whitey came upon the idea of buying old silverware from flea markets and making spoon rings and various jewelry. The old silver was cheap in the beginning and it was easy to provide for our small family. In the mid 70’s oil prices and everything skyrocketed in price. The family was steadily growing. The silverware became too expensive plus the silverware company caught onto his ideas and you could buy spoon rings in the women’s magazines.  

   Then became the parade of various sales jobs with big promises that seemed to be going nowhere. Whitey met up with his friend, Mike Staub  who owned the “Apartment Guide” and ran a rental office. He offered Whitey a job selling advertising and managing one of his rental offices. In the rental office in Carlisle Whitey hired Barby Holder as his secretary because she came in carrying a guitar and when it was slow they would sit in the back and jam. They became fast friends.

   Whitey and Mike would discuss various business ventures and ways to improve Mike’s “Apartment Guide”.  Some of those ideas became very profitable for Mike. Mike finally told Whitey, “ Listen, if you want to provide for your family you’re going to have to start your own publication.”  Whitey, said right, with what money. It takes money to make money. Mike said  you sell the ads and that pays for the publication. The seed was planted.

   Whitey knew he could sell. He just had to come up with the perfect idea that he could sell with no problem. He was at a newsstand looking at various publications. Well there were enough “Fish Finders” in fact he had worked with “Fish Finder” and he liked that job. The sporting good stores would place ads and then he had to write up a regional report of who was catching what and funny fish stories. It was interesting and he liked that. Hmmm. There were quite a few Auto Locator type publications, Real Estate abounded. Hmmm. Then he saw the national magazine, “Musician” and he thought, wouldn’t it be a great idea to have a magazine just for Pennsylvania musicians to find one another and to list their information so people could easily contact them. (Remember this was about 1981, before everyone had computers.) Thus the seed began to grow.  He then went to the State Library and took out  a book on publishing. The first thing he read that struck a cord was that in publishing there are two kinds of publishers, “The haves and the have nots. We definitely fit in the category of the “have nots”.

   Whitey was at his latest job at a car dealer and was not having a very successful day, so he called his friend Mike. They talked awhile, I don’t know what was said in that conversation but he got off the phone and announced to his co-workers, “Well, I’m out of here, they just made me the President of the Pennsylvania Musician Magazine.” He walked out and never looked back.

   He came home, told me we were in business and that I would have to quit my jobs to answer the phone and be his secretary. He didn’t want to miss a call.  

   With the help of Mike Staub directing are initial  mailer to generate interest and going over the phone sales pitch and Whitey pounding the pavement we began to develop the Pennsylvania Musician Magazine.

   Whitey would go to  the Wall to Wall music stores (now known as FYE’s. Back then “The Wall” had bulletin boards where musicians would place their cards  and notices that they were looking for musicians. Whitey would gather the phone numbers and information and bring them home and we would compile list to make phone calls. Every Saturday between 12 noon and 3:00 I had to call the entire list and explain about the magazine. Whitey would be out cold calling on Fred’s Music, Don Randall, Campbell’s and anyone and everyone involved in music.

   He found John Harris and  told him of his idea. John’s initial response was, you’re going to do the whole state?  John proceeded to put The Kix on our first cover and advertised The Sharks and Metron. At the time country was more in vogue but it didn’t take long for the original musicians such as Kix, The Sharks, The Hooters, Silver City, Friction, Harpo, Hybrid Ice, Great Train Robbery, Tempest, and others to create a buzz and interest. They all were anxious to utilize the pages of the Pennsylvania Musician Magazine. Before they were playing  just in their immediate area but we were traveling all over the state giving them the exposure they needed to create new fans and have promoters and clubs call them because their phone numbers were readily available.

    Over the years many people have offered friendly advice such as: “You should sell each issue.” We looked into that and we would have had to have the magazine done 3 weeks in advance. The schedules were hard enough to get a week in advance. “We should cover national acts.” They all ready had enough coverage as far as we were concerned and Whitey’s idea and vision was to give Pennsylvania Musicians exposure. We did eventually sell the Maryland Musician to David Caruthers’. He sold it to Susie Mudd who is still publishing the Music Monthly (she changed the name). We sold The Virginia Musician too. We would piggy back the first issue of the mags on the back of ours. It was very confusing because Whitey would want them upside down from each other. It was crazy times.

    Whitey was the first one to come up with a lot of unique ideas for the paper. He wanted it quarter folded when we went to a tabloid size so it wouldn’t take up as much room on the counter.

    There was a definite need and desire for a publication such as the Pennsylvania Musician. Many people over the years had tried to publish music publications  but had never succeeded. The reason we succeeded was we let anyone who wanted to buy advertising  be in the magazine. We didn’t pick and choose who we covered. If a business or band wanted to market themselves in our pages we allowed them too.  We did monitor content of ads. We wanted to keep it clean and family friendly.

   It is hard to believe that the music industry has allowed us to survive for 25 years. We are very grateful. We have been up and down and all around.  We now have our baby Rachel writing for us and covering bands. She is doing a great job and she has added a new spark and is doing what has needed to be done for years and what her daddy did in the beginning, go out, get the pics and see the bands “live”. That is what it is all about. “Live” music and reporting on who and what is happening.

   Andrea our oldest daughter worked for us for 6 Ω years. She did a great job in helping me to learn time management and how better to do a lot of the administrative things. She also was my right hand women in collecting the information that is needed every month to make it all come together.  She went out when she had to but didn’t quite enjoy doing  that as much as Rachel does. Whitey and I both appreciated her contribution to the life of the PA Musician.  She still is delivering the York area for us.

   While she worked for us in the year 2000 Whitey wrote a number of songs and by putting an ad in the PA Musician he met Joe Agoglia who helped him accomplish a dream of producing his one and only Cd “Between the Curtains & The Clouds”.  After recording his CD he wondered what to do next and decided to start teaching guitar, harmonica and vocals. After all, he had been teaching various friends and family all these years he might as well pass on all he had learned. Currently he has several students and there is always someone who wants to learn to play guitar.

    We have had so much help getting each issue out. No one can survive in this business or in life without “Angels” that are always there lending support. Some of our “angels” over the years include: Mike Staub, Calvin Felty, Joseph Carroll, Mark Campbell, Ken Williams from Scranton, Metal Mike Davis, Debby and Mark Whitcomb, Sean and Mary Byndas,  Keith Hummel, Tammy Hummel, John Harris, T-Cobb, Jim Price,  The Boudreau’s,  Bob Campbell (Campbell’s Music), Fred, Fred’s Music, Gus from The Village, The Eisenhower’s of Gullifty’s, Dale and Gale Weis, Sterling Koch, Dave Blackledge, Shel Hoachlander, Mike Zinkan, Matt Creter, Dave from K&S Music, John from Holland Sound, Bob Krepich, Russ from Raintree, Bob Kutz, Karen Green, Charlie Hood. All our children and family who have helped us and continue to help us. I know there is a multitude of others and please don’t be mad at me about not naming you all.

   This is a very short version of what has transpired over the years and how the Pennsylvania Musician Magazine was started. There are numerous stories to tell and events that happened but time and space won’t allow me to continue. I just want YOU, the reader to know how much we do appreciate the opportunity to do what we do. It is a lot of hard work and hours that go into each issue but in the end, when it is all said and done it is very rewarding.

   We are looking forward to expanding and growing and even becoming better as the years go on. No matter how the world changes the music lives on and there is always a need to experience “Live” music and a need to let people know who, what and where it is all happening.

   In closing I would like to once again invite you to party with us at Gullifty’s in New Cumberland on Friday, November 9th.  It will be crazy but fun and we do want to meet you. I’m digging out old issues, CDs, tapes (remember tapes), photos, whatever I can find. You can take what you want.  Let’s party and keep it “Live”.

 

 

 

Whitey Noll - Musician, Visionary, Publisher, & How it All Began...

by Robin Noll