We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Randy Wheeless a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Randy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

Randy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?
I visually showcase my 7-inch vinyl records in my videos. I’ve had followers send me records to use on my channel. Although my collection is quite vast, I’m always surprised at some of the great records people send me. It’s quite touching that people will go to the bother of packing and paying for postage to send records.

I’ve also received some nice DMs from some of the artists I profile. Maybe with the passage of time, they think fans have forgotten about them. But my followers (and I) definitely feel otherwise. The music of the 70s and 80s is the soundtrack of my life. It deserves to be remembered and honored.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have quite a collection of 7-inch records and have always liked music trivia. A few years ago, I was thinking about selling all my records. Instead, I decided to start doing videos about the songs and artists – and post them on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

With my wife Anita as the videographer, we craft one-minute videos that share interesting tidbits viewers might not know. Who wrote the song? Was it done by someone else first? Did it chart in another country?

A typical week, I might profile a major star of the era, a one-hit wonder and an artist who was famous in another country – but unknown to America. I like to cover all genres, too. Rock, Synth Pop, Metal, Country, R&B – it’s all fair game for me.

A lot of my followers like the fact that I’m not judgy. I don’t dwell on whether a song or artist is good or bad. The music was popular for a reason. I’m not the expert on taste in music. If you like AC/DC or the Carpenters, my channel has a place for you.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

My videos are not fancy. But it took a few months before I came across programs that could add captions and control the brightness and clarity of the videos. Some of my early ones look pretty shabby.

I’m a big fan of captions. Many of my followers are in other countries. And reading English is probably easier than listening to my North Carolina accent.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My focus now is to create great content and build a following. I’m making a little bit of money. But that’s not my only goal. I want to share information with people that will spur a positive memory for them and make them want to come back. If I can accomplish that, everything else will fall into place.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/45_of_the_day
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/45OTD
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-wheeless-ccc-apr-8a2a904/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RandyW45OTD
• Other: TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@45otd

Image Credits
I have the rights to these photos.