Susan Masino has been a rock journalist for over thirty years, and has written six books, created and hosted the 94.1 JJO Local Stage radio show from 1997-2004, and produced 8 local music compilation CDs. Masino also appears in the Van Halen DVD, The Early Years, and Let There Be Rock-The Movie. Her book The Story of AC/DC-Let There Be Rock is now published in 11 languages.
Most of her life Masino has been interested in the paranormal, culminating in a self-published book entitled, The Secrets of the Universe. Over the past 10 years, she has investigated, reported on and experienced the paranormal, and is regularly interviewed by the paranormal media. Including appearances on Coast To Coast AM, Joel’s Sturgis’ After Hours AM and George Noory’s TV show, Beyond Belief.
Masino just released her latest book, AC/DC FAQ-All That’s Left to Know About the World’s True Rock ‘n’ Roll Band. All six of her books are available at-www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, and www.halleonard.com.
Masino has also taught a 6-week Continuing Education class, The History of Rock and Roll, and a 3-week Continuing Education class on Rock ‘n’ Roll Journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Hi! Was just listening to your interview on Truth Frequency which was very good! Your name sounded soooo familiar and it was driving me nuts all night,especially since I recognized your Wisco accent as that’s where I grew up. So I went to your site to see about your story,and I then see that you did that local music show on WJJO! Ahhh,that’s it! I used to listen to that station all the time when I lived in Madison in the late 90’s. (Shaun The Man Of Steel,haha!) I saw some great shows back then like Ozzy,Pantera with Type O Negative (met Dime before the show),Manson right after the Columbine issue,and even split my head open stage diving at Anthrax! Great memories for sure! Nice to hear your voice again!
Hey Tombstone! Sorry it took so long for me to see your message! Yes, I was on JJO for 7 years, and I miss those days. We had some great concerts come through the area, and the JJO crew was a blast to work with. That is awesome that you caught me on Truth Frequency radio. I will be on Coast To Coast AM with George Noory on June 25. Tune in, if you can! Cheers, Susan
Hi Susan, it’s Matt Manochio, from BEA. You were nice enough to sign a book for me when I stepped away from my own signing. I could talk AC/DC all day. I’ll be sure to leave a positive review on Amazon when I’m done reading. Take care, Matt
Hi Matt!
It was very nice to meet you, and I hope you enjoy my new book. Thanks for stopping by! Cheers, Susan
It is an honor to have you step away before your own signing to stop by mine. Thanks again!
Hello Susan,
First of all, Bon Scott was maybe the greatest front man of all time, and no disrespect to Brian Johnson, but he’s not even comparable to Bon (I’ve been a fan since 1977)!
The main reason I’m writing is that, I had heard through the “underground”, after Bon’s death, that the Back In Black album was actually his album, but after he died they (AC/DC) remade it with Brian Johnson because it hadn’t been released yet and they were about to go on tour; is that true?
P.S. You can’t “Touch Too Much”, even if it’s “High Voltage”!
Thanks, Gary 🙂
Hi Gary,
Through all my research, I know that Bon and the band had the song titles, (which they used), and Bon had tinkered on the opening to a couple of songs right before he died. The band denies that Bon wrote the lyrics, but it is a mystery. Brian is a great guy, but I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Bon. There will never be another like him. Thanks for listening! Cheers, Susan
hi Susan, I heard the coast to coast show last night. I love ac/cd, I saw them with Bon in 1979.
I wanted to point out a singer in California named Bart Davenport. I’ve known him since the 1980s, he comes from the mod r&b music scene. He is a splitting image to Bon Scott , check him out if you can. Cheers. Damon
Hi Damon, I will have to check him out. Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoyed it. Cheers, Susan
Enjoyed your interview on Coast to Coast last night on AC/DC. There is one thing you had wrong though. The song “Night Prowler” is not about a teenager sneaking into his girlfriends house. It’s about a killer. evidenced in the lines ” No one’s gonna warn you and no one’s gonna yell attack and you won’t feel the steel ’till it’s hanging out your back.” Unless the boyfriend is the killer, you are mistaken.
Hi Mark,
Those words certainly do sound like something other than sneaking into your girlfriends bedroom, but my information about that song came from Angus Young, himself. Thank you for the message, and thanks for listening! Cheers, Susan
Hey Susan,
Thanks for the reply!
When I first heard Back In Black, all I could think of was Bon, and then when I heard the album was actually completed before he died, I knew in my heart those lyrics were his! Seriously, song titles but no lyrics…I don’t believe that for a second!
Bon Scott will ALWAYS be the man!!!
And Cheers To You, Gary
Hi Gary,
You’re right about Bon being the best ever! Especially his lyrics, which were genius. Cheers, Susan
I always enjoy listening to you on C2C and also hearing AC/DC. I was a member of the IATSE for 23 years and have worked concerts all my life. Was fortunate enough to get to work backstage at the AC/DC concerts many times in Odessa, Midland, and Austin, TX. from the 70’s through the 90’s. When the band was ready to sing “For Those About to ROCK – We Salute You”, we were told to put our hands over our ears even having earplugs in them. I didn’t and could barely hear for 3 days after the show. Will follow instructions next time. Would love to chat with you sometime. I’m sure we met at one of the venues in the past.
Sorry for the delay in my reply, Curtis. I am in the process of moving, and was just in Chicago last week seeing AC/DC. I’ll bet you needed ear plugs! How cool is that that you got to work with them many times. They just killed it in Chicago, and I wish I was seeing them more than once. Hopefully we will hear about more dates next summer. Please do keep in touch, and let there be rock! Cheers, Susan
Hi Susan
Just fiinished your AC/DC FAQ book while on vacation. Great pool side reading! I saw AC/DC last month at ATT Park in SF. Great show…it seems their music goes so very well with a beer or 3! Ha!
Hey, I think you really should write a book on Cheap Trick. I know there is one book on them, but I think you would do a much better job. It does seem to me that you have an interest in CT as well and their history with AC/DC. Please consider it.
Thanks Susan. Have a Happy Halloween!
Sincerely,
Rob
San Rafael, Ca.
(PS I play bass in a Nor Cal band The Sorentinos. We have been together nearly 30 years…opened for Peter Frampton, Dylan, Jeff Beck, Huey Lewis, etc…but never AC/DC or CT!!) 🙂
Hello Rob,
Sorry I missed this. I moved from WI to Savannah in the middle of October of last year, and I am still catching up with things. I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed my book! I do have an interest in Cheap Trick and pitched it a while ago. Maybe I should pitch it again? I saw AC/DC in Chicago last September, and they were amazing! Sounds like you have had some wonderful opportunities, as well. Dylan and Beck? Wow! Keep on rockin’! Susan
Oh my god I finally saw you on a You Tube video for a biography of some rock group. Guys like Ian Scott were also speaking of this group . I am pretty sure it was AC DC of course. The Smashin pumkins singer was also in the documentary . Hey I love the news about your husbands company ETC and the new Led powered Source Four fixtures. I could not believe that 1.4 million of those fixtures were sold and now there is conversion kits for those fixtures.
Great to see you finally . Thanks Paul the lighting guy from ten years ago , I did cruiseships.
Hi Paul,
I apologize that I missed this and am just replying now. I was in that documentary which was a great honor, of course! It is very cool that ETC is so successful. Thank you so much for your email. I’m glad you got a kick out of seeing me. I much prefer radio over film because I never like my hair and/or make-up. 🙂 Cheers, Susan
I found a snippet from one of your books mentioning Cheap Trick with British Lions at Alpine. This was the first concert I ever attended and your mention is the only evidence I’ve been able to find on the web. This was July 1978? Just strange that it doesn’t seem to be recorded anywhere.
That is strange, but I do remember it. It might have been August of 1978, but I will see if I can come up with a date. All the best, Susan
How do you do Susan and Happy New Year. I really enjoyed last night’s show on
C2Cam. Are you on Facebook or Twitter. I want to know more about your work.
I have an interest in metaphysics and the paranormal.
Kind Regards,
Chris Bacos
Hi Chris! Happy New Year to you, too! I am on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Susan.Masino, and Twitter. I hope you enjoy what you discover, and please feel free to ask questions. I always love talking about the paranormal! All the best, Susan
Hey Susan…..Wishing you the best in 2019. Just heard your interview on C2C……..really enjoyed it. Buying the book on Amazon…..I am the lead vocalist / bass player for the paranormal and conspiracy rock band entitled “One World Government”. I would love to send you out a free CD of our new album. Let know if you have a PO Box or mailing address to send it to. Would be great to get your feedback. I will get with you on Facebook as well.
Thanks …..Paul Barrett http://oneworldgovernment.net
Hi Paul! I love the name of your band, and look forward to hearing it. Send me a message on FB, and I will email you my address. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the show, and I hope you enjoy my book, as well. Happy New Year! Susan
I missed some the Coast interview about Buddy Holly & looked you up hoping maybe there was a book, all of the info was just crazy. Then I saw you were the one I heard interviewed on AC/DC. Both great C2C shows! AC/DC sounded like real down-to-earth guys. Ride On was always my favorite of what I have by them, was it there only ballad? What exactly do you write about regarding the paranormal? Take care,
Matt
Hi Matt!
Yes, Ride On was the only ballad that Bon Scott recorded with the band. According to Angus, they don’t do ballads! 🙂 You can find my books on Amazon, and the one on the paranormal, The Secrets of the Universe-Universal Laws, Past Lives, Ghost Adventures and More, covers 7 subjects that fascinate me. I call it my “primer to the paranormal,” and hopefully willmake you more curious to explore the things that fascinate you! Thanks for listening! All the best, Susan
Hi Susan!
I am listening to your interview with George Noory as we speak – about Buddy Holly… I wanted you to know how intrigued I am with your life and interests ;I have wanted to be a music historian or musicologist for sometime…
In addition to this talent of yours, you are also a teacher in the ways of the unknown and lesser known paranormal studies as well as those of a metaphysical nature, which also has influenced, if not changed my perception of the Universe in this particular life time…
I thank you for you contribution to humanity… Both Spiritually and worldly…
My question for you is this :
Do you still teach the music history oriented classes? Or where do you recommend that I pursue an education in this genre that will enable me to earn a degree in musicology/rock and roll history? I can only participate in online courses, but I can think of no greater advice to follow then yours…
Thank you for taking them time to read this. I love your work. People like you are changing the world.
Agape,
Joshua.
Hello Joshua,
Thank you so much for the kind words! I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed the show and that you are curious to learn more. I currently don’t teach classes, but you might check online to see who offers a course you can take, although I also suggest researching if you can get a degree in musicology or rock and roll history. When I taught those classes it was for the Continuing Education program at the UW-Madison. Check out your local universities as well, to see if they offer something. It is an honor to connect with people who see the bigger picture and believe that we each have gifts to give to the world. I wish you all the best in pursuing your dreams. Cheers, Susan
Hi Susan,
I heard your interview on Buddy Holly and was blown away by this history…I had no idea. It sounds like you have researched this thoroughly. Will you be writing a book on the subject? I’d love to read more….or it might make an excellent documentary film. Thank you for doing all that work and bringing to light a huge piece of Rock and Roll history. Looking forward to checking out your other books as well.
In gratitude,
Mia
Hello Mia!
Thank you so much for the kind words. I currently have a book on the paranormal, called The Secrets of the Universe. I don’t have a book about Buddy Holly and the many curses of rock and roll, but I would like to recommend a late author, R. Gary Patterson, who wrote Walk on The Darkside, among several others, which are available on Amazon. There are also many websites pertaining to Buddy Holly, and the many others that left this world in the same way as Buddy. Unexpected, very talented and always too young. Thanks again for listening! Cheers, Susan
Hi Susan my name is james j Venardis and I was born in 1958 Adelaide south Australia home of ACDC, and many other greats. Angus and rob reily from rose tatoo, got me started in Rock music, and then i spent much time with Chris Tennant guitarist almost human before super Jesus, and have been friends with Susan Headly rock photographer from the late 70s till now. I just want to say thankyou for loving bon and RIP to the great eddy v halen. Looking forward to more correspondance when I Finnish my recording studio. Catch u soon lovely lady… Loved u in the photo with eddy….xx jjv
Hello James,
What a great history you have! I am still dreaming of the day that I can visit Australia and see some of the AC/DC sites including Bon’s grave. I am so happy for them that I have released their single from the new album. Thank you so much for the kind words, and how sad to lose Eddie Van Halen. He was definitely one of the greats! Wishing you the best with the new studio! Stay well, Susan xo
Hi Susan,
We messaged a while ago through Facebook, I think. I have been in Recovery for 2 & half years on the 29th November. Miracle!!!! Down to 2 American guys in 1939 who published a Big Book. Be nice to catch up. I am on Zoom meetings daily with the US… Hope you are well. STU from Cannock, Staffs, UK
Hey Stu!
I don’t know why I didn’t see this until now. Congratulations on your recovery and I hope you and your family are safe and staying well. Let’s catch up soon!