Tom Lounges
Host of Midwest BeatTom Lounges has been a radio personality and music journalist since 1979. For the last 43 years, Tom has been reporting on entertainment as a weekly music columnist and feature writer for The Times newspaper.
He was also the owner, publisher and editor of the monthly tri-state entertainment magazine ("Midwest BEAT Magazine") for over two decades, and has written hundreds of celebrity features for numerous national glossy magazines over the decades, including "Scholastic Magazine," "Goldmine," "Relix," "Song Hits," "Word Up!" and others.
Tom wrote "Liner Notes" for over a dozen national albums released via Sony Special Products, including vinyl anthology collections by such iconic artists as Johnny Winter, Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Fevertree, The Dixie Cups, The Shirelles, and The Shangra-las.
Tom has hosted and produced his own shows on various commercial radio stations over the years, but switched to public radio in 2012, after being enticed by the creative freedom the NPR format offers to content providers. He had previously worked in public broadcasting as on-camera host and content creator for the early 1990s PBS-TV program, "In Your Mind's Eye," produced by Lakeshore Public Television (WYIN).
Today, Lounges currently hosts and produces two weekly programs on 89.1FM - LAKESHORE PUBLIC MEDIA. Those are the celebrity interview/music program “Midwest BEAT with Tom Lounges” (Tuesdays 7-8pm) and the all blues music program, “Midwest BEAT Blues” (Fridays 7-9pm). Listeners can contact Tom directly at: beatboss@aol.com
Tom has earned special recognition awards for his work in the entertainment field and has rubbed elbows with a virtual "Who's Who" of major entertainment figures and top stars over his nearly 50 years in the music and media industry.
He is the president and owner of Tom Lounges Entertainment, LLC which produces entertainment events, books musical talent, and does consultation. A veteran record retailer in Chicagoland since the 1970s, Tom currently is the owner of Tom Lounges Record Bin in downtown Hobart.
Tom has been a guest speaker on music, entertainment, and journalism at various schools and colleges in northwest Indiana and the Chicago areas.
Lounges currently sits on the boards of both the Lake County Public Library Foundation and The Spot Studio Music Foundation, along with heading up the fundraising projects for The Humane Society of Northwest Indiana.
More: http://www.tomlounges.com / https://www.facebook.com/tlounges
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This edition of "Midwest BEAT with Tom Lounges" has no guests, but instead features a countdown of the annual "Tom's Top 10 Regional Albums" list for the year 2024 as published in THE TIMES daily newspaper. -
Show host Tom Lounges welcomes CARY BAKER -- an old friend and a respected fellow journalist to the program. A first time book author, Baker has created an amazing book about the history of street performers, known as buskers. -
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This week's program includes new recordings by DEAN ZUCCHERO (with Johnny Burgin), TOM HAMBRIDGE (with Christone Kingfish Ingram), BENNY TURNER, VAL STARR & THE BLUES ROCKET, THE RESURRECTION BLUES BAND, and VANESSA COLLIER. -
This week's show features local blues musicians, including Planetary Blues Band, Ivy Ford, Jack Whittle, Mojo Morganfield, and more! -
This edition of the program features no guests. It finds show host Tom Lounges spotlighting original music selections from some of his favorite regional rock/pop/blues artists of both the past and present, from Northwest Indiana. -
This Special Holiday Edition of "Midwest BEAT Blues" finds show host and producer TOM LOUNGES spinning two solid hours of killer HOLIDAY BLUES SONGS! -
Live concert mash-ups with concert tracks by blues rockers like -- Robin Trower, The Yardbirds, Ronnie Wood & Mick Taylor, Gary Moore and Rare Earth; along with live tracks by the likes of Lonnie Brooks, Koko Taylor, James Cotton, B.B. King, Steepwater Band, Muddy Waters, and Eddie Clearwater. There's even a cool live jazz-blues take on the James Brown classic "Cold Sweat" by Mindi Abair & The Boneshakers.
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Hobart High School’s touring vocal group – WOLFFGANG -- is an ever-evolving group of teenage girl singers that for many years have been a popular attraction at regional fests, fairs, park events, retirement homes, car shows, charity fundraisers and corporate events. -
Ally Venable and famous blues duos headline this episode of "Midwest Beat Blues."
