I'll Have to Ask My Mom

A Radio Journey

By: Warren Garling

Narrated by: Warren Garling

This is the startling true story of a teenager’s struggle to enter the enticing world of top 40 radio in its heyday, not for fame or fortune, but for below-minimum wage. Follow the exploits of a boy who can’t even use his real name on the radio, but whose parents let him do it anyway. Enjoy actual audios from the author's various radio jobs.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and then you’ll laugh again when you try to understand why someone would want to work in a profession where a second job is necessary to afford food. And you’ll say to yourself, “Why am I listening to this? There must be a better use of my time and listening prowess.”

The Associated Press raves, “You won’t give a plugged record about the author, but you may crack a smile."

©2019 Warren E. Garling (P)2020 Warren E. Garling

Fun behind the scenes look at radio

Warren is a great story teller and has a way with words. His tail of the not so glamorous life of home town radio is a fun listen and the inclusion of actual audio from his past makes this extra fun to listen to.

If you enjoy radio, you will love this!

A perfectly wonderful true story of a young child’s dream to be on the radio to the dream’s fulfillment and beyond! Written and expertly narrated by the author Warren Garling, the story, filled with humor and actual recordings of some of his radio moments, traces his beginnings in radio as a child through adulthood! He read his story exactly as I envisioned hearing it. Don’t miss a chance to listen to this audiobook! You won’t be sorry!

by Bob Cudmore, host of The Historians podcast

Warren Garling knew what he wanted to do at an early age: entertain people as a radio disc jockey. And by golly he did that. He got his first paying radio job while still a high school student by being persistent, perhaps annoying.
Keep in mind Warren had his own unauthorized radio station in the basement of his suburban home broadcasting to the kitchen. He did the daily announcements at his high school along with the class clown who grew up to be a minister.
Warren also was an intern at Schenectady’s WSNY-AM and forged a phone friendship with a DJ there by calling the man every night. It paid off. When DJ Tom Jefferson (a fake radio name if I ever heard one) needed someone to fill in one weekend, he reached out to Warren.
Of course, Warren had to ask his Mom. And she said yes. Maybe she wanted him out of the basement.
And the rest is, well, a trip through a career not only as a DJ but as a news reporter, sports color announcer, college student, public TV pitchman and talk show host.
Warren even was told to do what many radio personalities find really difficult: get out there and sell radio advertising. When I tried to do that in radio they called me the account-less executive.
Warren found he was good at selling. So when the boom lowered on his radio career (it always does, ask me about it), Warren found work in marketing and ended up making more money. He also worked for a company that taught people to be voice actors.
Warren uses sound bytes from his radio career in the audiobook. So even if you own a print copy of his memoir, get the audiobook for some more laughs. I especially like his on the scene account of being arrested (for charity) while on the air in Tupelo, Mississippi. Yes he did work in Tupelo. Briefly. But around the Capital District he was best known as DJ Chris Warren on country music powerhouse WGNA.
At a few stations he hoodwinked the audience into thinking he was two people: DJ Chris Warren and newsman Warren Garling.
“I’ll Have to Ask my Mom” is a great read and an even better listen on Audible. The audio book narrator sounds like he could do a good job on the radio. Maybe he should go to that voice actor school.