At 9 p.m. tomorrow, Monday, Oct. 10, San Martian Jennifer Kabay will share her feature “The McCartney Diaries,” on “The Mop Tops and The King,” a music show heard worldwide. Host Steve Chelmsford shares his love and knowledge of “the greatest two artists in the history of rock and roll” on a weekly broadcast that plays on over 90 community radio stations worldwide, including dozens throughout the US and the UK, and other as far away as Australia, Belgium, the Philippines, and South Africa.
Along with the music, Chelmsford offers short recorded segments from guests: “I’m always looking for unique perspectives regarding Elvis and The Beatles. I think it makes for a more interesting and entertaining program.” “The McCartney Diaries” makes the newest addition. “Bringing Jennifer on to the show was an easy decision,” Chelmsford explains. “I love her passion for Paul McCartney and The Beatles.”
Jennifer has been a passionate Beatles fan ever since she watched “A Hard Day’s Night” in the fourth grade. “Moments after that magical mystery opening chord,” she writes, her “DNA was forever changed, re-stranded into four distinct parts!” Of those parts, Paul has always been the favorite—”a beautiful combination of talent, charisma, and a perfect face.”
A gifted and dedicated writer who has already authored “Minder,” a young adult novel, Jennifer recently published her Pandemic Diaries on Facebook. Her first post-pandemic visit to Liverpool and her habit of processing her experiences in writing made diaries a natural choice for her Beatles segment. “It’s basically little vignettes of thoughts, feelings, and Beatle-related experiences. They will be short and random in nature.”
Tomorrow’s segment will be a somewhat somber reflection on the role of music in our emotional lives. A recent fire did serious damage to Jennifer’s home and injured her husband, artist Christopher Barnett, who is recovering. “The trauma didn’t allow me to listen to music, which really, really scared me,” she admits. Eventually, an evening of singing with a friend brought her back to the power of music, especially the Beatles music, to heal and comfort. “Music is a powerful, guiding light for so many of us, and the Beatles tapped into something we all needed at exactly the right time. No one can pinpoint the magic but it’s fun to talk about. Just look at their lasting impact. Everyone has their stories, and “‘The McCartney Diaries’ are mine.”
