Dude is a legend. Had I not heard his show as a teenager I would not be the man I am today. Seriously. Plus, he was just a really cool guy.
R. I. fucking METAL EARL ROOT!!!
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Dude is a legend. Had I not heard his show as a teenager I would not be the man I am today. Seriously. Plus, he was just a really cool guy.
11thDay
You said member...
I remember just getting into metal and thrash back in the 80's as a young teenager. It was very late one weekend night and I was scanning the radio stations with my trusty old boombox. I was living with my parents in Chippewa Falls, WI at the time. I came across this faint signal out of the Twin Cities and I was blown away at what I heard. It was "Pussywhipped" by SOD and it was on the "Root Of All Evil" radio show on KFAI. I sat up all night listening to the rest of that show, even though I had to deal with the bad reception most of the night. I remember the host of the show being really friggin' cool.
I remember seeing Earl's band, Disturbed, back in the 80's at First Avenue in Minneapolis. I was just starting to play guitar and those guys just seemed like huge rockstars to me at the time. I was fortunate to be able to see Disturbed many more times during those years. My first band, Contagion, played a huge Metalfest-type show at the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown by the U of M in the late 80's or early 90's. I think Disturbed played at that show, too. But what was really cool was that we got to hang out with Earl for the first time and he invited us down to the KFAI studios to be on his show that very night. I have video footage of that night at the KFAI studios, I'll have to dig that up to relive some memories. I remember Earl just being so cool behind that microphone. Tons of bands were just hanging out and partying at the KFAI studios while Earl did his thing, and every once in awhile he would call a band into the control room and interview them. When it was our turn, Earl was so friendly and was genuinely interested in us and our music. He briefly interviewed us, then played a couple of songs from our crappy 4-track demo. Let me tell you, as a young kid in a fledgling metal band, Earl made US feel like the rockstars. What a class act he was...
Many years went by since I was able to personally talk to Earl again. Even though we traveled in the same musical circles and I would sometimes see him at shows, I didn't take the time too often to say "hi" to him. Yeah, he was always surrounded by friends and fans, but I really regret not just stopping by to say how much I appreciated his radio show, his bands, and his music. Later on, I was fortunate to be able to catch Aesma Daeva a couple of times. I knew he was sick, but he would still give those shows his all and he was rocking like he was 20.
I was lucky enough to be able to talk to Earl about a year ago. I called him and we had a few phone conversations after that. I was able to stop by his home and hang out for a bit, meet his wife, and chat as we sat on the front steps of his home. I bought a piece of gear he was selling (a Rocktron Hush Super-C that he modded). I was looking forward to seeing Aesma Daeva again, but he mentioned he had some hospital visits and chemotherapy coming up...
When I heard the news about his death, I was pained just like everyone else.
If you listen to metal, regardless of where you are, who you are, or how old you are, you owe him a debt of gratitude.
He really was our Metal Father here in the midwest. Those of us that were able to see his bands, listen to his radio show, shop at his record store, and meet him personally will never forget him. We are blessed to be touched by him and his musical influence.
Rest in peace Earl Root. I will never forget you.
I remember seeing Earl's band, Disturbed, back in the 80's at First Avenue in Minneapolis. I was just starting to play guitar and those guys just seemed like huge rockstars to me at the time. I was fortunate to be able to see Disturbed many more times during those years. My first band, Contagion, played a huge Metalfest-type show at the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown by the U of M in the late 80's or early 90's. I think Disturbed played at that show, too. But what was really cool was that we got to hang out with Earl for the first time and he invited us down to the KFAI studios to be on his show that very night. I have video footage of that night at the KFAI studios, I'll have to dig that up to relive some memories. I remember Earl just being so cool behind that microphone. Tons of bands were just hanging out and partying at the KFAI studios while Earl did his thing, and every once in awhile he would call a band into the control room and interview them. When it was our turn, Earl was so friendly and was genuinely interested in us and our music. He briefly interviewed us, then played a couple of songs from our crappy 4-track demo. Let me tell you, as a young kid in a fledgling metal band, Earl made US feel like the rockstars. What a class act he was...
Many years went by since I was able to personally talk to Earl again. Even though we traveled in the same musical circles and I would sometimes see him at shows, I didn't take the time too often to say "hi" to him. Yeah, he was always surrounded by friends and fans, but I really regret not just stopping by to say how much I appreciated his radio show, his bands, and his music. Later on, I was fortunate to be able to catch Aesma Daeva a couple of times. I knew he was sick, but he would still give those shows his all and he was rocking like he was 20.
I was lucky enough to be able to talk to Earl about a year ago. I called him and we had a few phone conversations after that. I was able to stop by his home and hang out for a bit, meet his wife, and chat as we sat on the front steps of his home. I bought a piece of gear he was selling (a Rocktron Hush Super-C that he modded). I was looking forward to seeing Aesma Daeva again, but he mentioned he had some hospital visits and chemotherapy coming up...
When I heard the news about his death, I was pained just like everyone else.
If you listen to metal, regardless of where you are, who you are, or how old you are, you owe him a debt of gratitude.
He really was our Metal Father here in the midwest. Those of us that were able to see his bands, listen to his radio show, shop at his record store, and meet him personally will never forget him. We are blessed to be touched by him and his musical influence.
Rest in peace Earl Root. I will never forget you.
11thDay
You said member...
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