<p>Scott Mackay:<br />Boy, how I got started in radio? I was six when I asked for the microphone from the Sears catalog. So I got the little mic, it took two years for me to get that out of the Sears Wish catalog. But when I got it, I did my own little shows in the stereo room, and at 11 years old, JC... I grew up in New Hampshire. JC asked me if I wanted to go the station and see one and I said, "Yeah." So every Saturday, I would get up, as an 11-year-old, and go in at 4:00 AM in the morning and just hand him his little 45s.<br /><br />Scott Mackay:<br />So I got to high school, and we had a radio station in our high school, in the [inaudible 00:00:42] Center, and it was actually on the air. And cable had just come out, we had 12 channels. Can you imagine what you'd do now with 12 channels only? And we were Channel 6 on the cable, so the whole town of Keene, New Hampshire could hear us. So I'm in history class one day and the substitute history teacher said, "Can you stay after class and could I talk to you?" And I'm like, okay, I didn't say anything wise this time, because I was a wise-ass in school, but always for fun, never mean. And so he said, "Hey, I'm the 6:00 to midnight guy at the local radio station." He said, "I'm leaving in three months, I've heard your show on the cable, you should apply." So this is 1979, and I applied and I got the job, and was program director there at 18 years old, seven months later. So I bounced.<br /><br />Scott Mackay:<br />The most surprising turn was the first time I got fired which was probably my fifth job. There was a guy that didn't like me there that used to live with me in New Hampshire. Well, he started walking in with my clothes on, because we lived together. Well he moved to Buffalo, I ended up getting sent to Buffalo from the same company, and he started coming in with my Jordache coat, which was a fortune back then. And I said, "That's my coat," and he said, "It is," and he turned red. And so he kept coming in with my clothes, and I said, "How much did you steal from me when you moved?"<br /><br />Scott Mackay:<br />And so he started kind of bullying me, dumping ashtrays on my stuff and all this. And the boss said, "Well, he was here first. You were here second. We're going to have to let you go." I had just up and moved from New Hampshire to Buffalo, and now I'm without a job. Within two hours, the guy across, down in the city... Because I was up by Niagara Falls. The guy in Buffalo downtown said, "Hey, we got a six to nine job open at night. We'll pay you this," which was more than I was making there, and I was working three hours. So then I got into a club and that's where I met Rick James, started doing 10 to five in the morning, three nights a week after my show. So that, to me, was very cool that somebody else wanted me. I think that was the first time I realized, "Okay, maybe I do have enough talent to stay in this," because I was probably in year six or seven.<br /><br />Scott Mackay:<br />Started a family, I got married at 28. So I was in New York City and the girl I was dating was in Boston, and we were apart those two-two and a half years, and we had a son. We were married only five years. We moved to Denver together from New York. And I have a lovely son, Shane. So that was the first marriage. And then I had a son with my second wife, who is 18 years old, and his name is Hunter.<br /><br />Scott Mackay:<br />So my third wife, Suzy, has two kids. I was not the best at marriage, I really wasn't. I did it too young. I found the love of my life, and when they say third's a charm, you never believe it until it becomes one. We've been together eight years, and she's my lifer. And so she has two girls, one it 26 now. When I met Carly she was 14, so now she's 26 years old. And the other one's 22, Tori.<br /><br />Scott Mackay:<br />Obviously, I wasn't doing very well on my marriages. I'm a good person, I love people, but I just was dishonest. I was dishonest a lot. And in my business, you're running around, you're on stage, you're here, you're there, you're apart. And I just wasn't a good person and I needed to change. So when I met Suzy, finally, I went into counseling and really wanted to stop the bad side of Scott. I had to. I mean, I couldn't live with myself, let alone my other wives live with me. So it changed my life. But she kicked me out of the house for being that same person again. And I ended up, I had no money. I'd lost my house in Evanston, was making big money downtown, here I'm not making so much money, and my life fell apart. I had $100 in the bank, nowhere to go, and I just started at The River.<br /><br />Scott Mackay:<br />And a Vietnam vet friend that had been to a few of my appearances, "Oh, you come live with me and my wife." And the second Sunday I was there, I woke up at 8:10, walked downstairs, and I said, "Where are you guys going?" they said, "Church." I said, "Could I go?" He goes, "Yeah, you got 10 minutes." Me without a shower is not a happy person, but fixed my hair, went to church, and walked in. And I hadn't seen a 2500 seat church than the one in Naperville. And I walked in there, and just the music and the band, and it was welling me up inside, because I was broken and I needed something.<br /><br />Scott Mackay:<br />So the pastor comes out and he said, Pastor Ross, "This is the first of three weeks of second chances." I cried through the whole thing. 2500 people, and there was a guy that seats people, saw me, I needed a box of tissues. So I sat there and cried and joined a prayer group that day, men's group for nine years later. And yeah, faith made me a much better person, that's for sure.<br /><br />Scott Mackay:<br />The reason I've stayed in radio so long is, number one, I do love music. I mean, music to me is the most important part of being in radio. I never wanted to be anybody. I wanted to play really bad '70s songs. That's why I got into radio. And I did, I was very successful at playing very bad '70s songs. Yeah. Music attaches an emotion to your heart. I'll hear a Barbara Streisand song that my dad used to love, and I'll even tear up to it. But music takes to where you were when you heard the song.</p>
The River's Scott Mackay Talks Faith, Family and Bad 70s Music After 43 Years in the Business
Scott Mackay has been in radio for 43 years-ever since he held his first plastic microphone. Along the way he learned a lot about life and faith. Nothing will change his love for bad 70s music and he still believes in the nostalgic power of music to transport us back in time. Scott has entertained morning commuters for nearly 14 years on Aurora’s 95.9 The River.
The things you discover about old friends in public interviews is amazing. Don't know any I never knew Scott was from NH. Great editing. Love you, Scott!
Thanks Lysa. Born in Ct raised in NH.
Reply to LYSA GALLARDO GRANT
The choices of your past have helped shape the wonderful man, husband, father, and friend that we all love, Scott.
Reply to Matt
The choices of your past have helped shape the wonderful man, husband, father, and friend that we all love, Scott.
Reply to Matt
I loved this interview. listen to Scott on the River all the time, ( he’s great) but never knew how Scott came to Christ and how it changed his life around! Very touching story! I am a Christian myself and He has blessed me tenfold! God is so good! I also had the pleasure of meeting and talking to him and Susie several times… sweet, down to earth people! May God continue to bless your marriage and your success, Scott!
Reply to Nancy Fioramonti Mennella