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10 Questions with ... Joe Daddio
July 21, 2009
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NAME:Joe DaddioPOSITION:National Dir./Top 40 Promotion, East CoastLABEL:JIVE Label Group
Please outline your radio career so far:
I grew up in New Haven, CT and started out as an intern at WKCI (KC101) in March '92. I got my first on-air break at WQGN (Q105)/Groton, CT in June '93. While finishing up college at Eastern CT State, I landed nights at WILI/Willimantic (I-98) in the summer of '95. I spent most of the mid-'90s bouncing around all three stations, doing any shift I could get my hands on. One of my radio highlights is on the 4th of July in '95, I did an on-air shift on all 3 stations in the same day.
I landed an internship at Island Records in '96, which would eventually lead to an assistant position in the promotion department. After a brief stay doing local promotion for Island in Chicago and then Denver, for the newly formed Island/Def Jam Group, Jive Records came calling in April of '99. After close to 10 years as the Mid-Atlantic Regional, I was promoted to National Director Top 40, East Coast in October of last year.
1) What led to career in reckidz?
My PD at WQGN was Franco. In September of '95, he started telling me how much radio is about to change over the next 10 years. This new thing called "voicetracking" will be eliminating jobs, so I may want to think about other avenues in the music biz. He asked me if I ever thought about being a record rep because he felt there was more of a future in it and thought that I would be good at it. From that day on, I went with an "okay, I'll go be a record rep then" focus. Franco told me it would be a good idea to begin networking, so I attended the Gavin convention in Atlanta in '96. It was at this convention that I met Marthe Reynolds, who was doing Rhythm Crossover for Island. She helped me land an internship at Island for that summer, and I would become her assistant a few months later.
2) What's your favorite part of the job?
When you break this job down to its simplest form, I get to talk about music for a living. That's pretty cool. Plus I am a big chart-and-numbers guy, so I enjoy the analysis part of the gig.
3) What has been your most rewarding project?
For the first time in her career, Britney just had back-to-back #1 airplay records with "Womanizer" and "Circus." For everything she has gone through and how radio counted her out a few years back, that was pretty rewarding. However, I don't think anything will ever come close to P!NK and "U + Ur Hand." The biggest compliment about the job we did on that record is that other labels constantly use it as an example. If they lose their bullet on a record and they feel they can get it back, they will say "Please stay with us, we are gonna pull a P! NK."
4) ...and the most frustrating?
I guess I would say Three Days Grace "Never Too Late" not going Top 10. It stalled out at #12, but it was very misleading. There were so many stations that fought us on that record for so long, only to have it end up in power for them nine months later. That record was much bigger than its peak position.
5) What artist would we be surprised to find on your iPod?
It's not so much an artist surprise as it is a playlist surprise. I am currently in the process of putting together a playlist with every #1 pop record from Jan. 1st 1980 thru today.
6) What is the one thing that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I love reading books by John Feinstein. He is, in my opinion, the best sportswriter out there; his books are usually about a specific sport or event and following it through for one full year. "Next Man Up" is just a spectacular football book about following the Baltimore Ravens for one season.
7) What was your favorite station to listen to growing up?
Without a doubt, KC101 in New Haven. That station has had a huge influence on my career. I also remember my dad listening to Imus on WNBC. Once that became WFAN, I was hooked on Sports Talk. WALK/Long Island was also a fave.
8) Looking back, which years hold the best musical memories for you?
1984 was a big year for me. I was 10 and could not play the "Born In The USA" cassette enough. Prince, John Cougar, Madonna, Michael Jackson ... It was such a great time because now MTV had been around for a couple of years and artists started realizing the power of videos, which made it an exciting time in music. 1987 was the year when I really caught the radio bug. Something about that summer was where I started realizing, radio or the music industry, was where I wanted to be.
9) What music do you listen to when not working?
For the last couple of years, I have planned my weekend yard work around XM and when they run the old Casey Casem AT40s from the '80s and the Rick Dees from the '90s. I have always been fascinated with the music charts even as a young kid, so I really enjoy listening to those old countdowns. Plus it really makes doing yard work go by fast!
10) What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
Joe Riccitelli has been my boss. Joe was SVP/Promotion for Island Records when I began as an intern there one week after graduating from college in '96. With the exception of twp months when I lived in Denver right after Island, Def Jam and Mercury merged, Joe has been the only guy I have worked for in over 13 years on the record side. I feel pretty fortunate. It's been a great ride so far.
Bonus Questions
What's your ring tone?
"Womanizer" by Britney Spears. After all, she does say "Daddy-O you have the swagger of a champion" in it :)
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