76: Larry Groce, "Junk Food Junkie"

By Wm. on February 22, 2026

I noted several years ago that the first time I can distinctly recall listening to American Top 40 from the beginning was for that of the 3/6/76 show, when Sweet's "Action" kicked off the festivities. I wish I could say for sure when I first learned of Casey Kasem's existence–it almost assuredly happened while Dad was driving us around on a Sunday evening that winter with the radio tuned to WSAI–but I've long assumed it was in February, meaning sometime this month it's been a half-century that AT40 has been a part of my life. Truly hard for me to fathom.

There are a few songs on this show that I do remember hearing Casey announce on one or more of those late winter/early spring shows (probably because they weren't on WSAI's playlist): Donny & Marie's "Deep Purple," Salsoul Orchestra's "Tangerine," and a couple of novelty tunes that are back-to-back on this show: the pretty obnoxious "The White Knight" by Kentucky native Jay Huguely, better known as Cledus Maggard, is at #24, with Larry Groce's poke at the healthy eating lifestyle, "Junk Food Junkie," one spot higher. (Note: The name-checked Euell Gibbons passed away at the very end of '75, between the song's recording and ascent up the charts, hence the present tense "I'm a friend of…".) I've noticed in listening to shows from this period over the past fifteen years that Casey commented favorably on "Junk Food Junkie" more than once. In four weeks, it would peak at #9.

—

"Junkie" would be Groce's only foray onto the pop charts, but it's far from his only contribution to the music world. He settled in West Virginia and founded the public radio program Mountain Stage, serving as its artistic director and host from 1983 to 2021. (He'll turn 78 in a couple of months.) It's exactly the sort of program I should have been seeking out all these years, given how well it aligns with my tastes, and yet… There's still time for me to make it a part of my regular routine.

What was a part of my family's routine for a while, at the beginning of this century, was listening to the four CDs of children's music that Groce recorded for the Disney Children's Favorites series between 1979 and 1989. The disks average twenty-five songs apiece, and include just about everything you'd expect to hear in such a venture, with a few Groce compositions tossed in for good measure. My recollection is we generally played them as background music, sometimes serving as inspiration for infant/toddler play, sometimes trying to help settle for an afternoon nap. Our little wonder was not one to go to sleep without a fight; frequently we'd have to sit and rock with her for thirty minutes or more. But that moment when she finally settled, with Groce and a few kids softly cooing, say, "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" from the CD player on the dresser, well, it was known to make tears well up as I slowly stood up and laid her in the crib. Maybe the memory still does.