Jude Macrohon

Meet Jude Macrohon from Zamboanga City, Philippines.

Hi, I'm very happy to know that somebody is treasuring the web page of Gerry Beckely and Dewey Bunnel, I also have had my experiencing of the band, let me share them with you...

I got to know the band when I was still in the 5th grade, that was in 1983, my cousin bought the America History album and I stumbled upon the song "I Need You". Would you believe, a young boy just like me had the sense in understanding the song, it was more like earth science to me, you know, ..."like the flower needs the rain...", at that time, I was already in love with the band, didn't know their names yet though.

Anyway, View From the Ground came in next, and You can do magic was one of my early favorites, but of course there was Sometimes Lovers, I believe this came when I was already in High School, although at that time, inspector Mills was on top of the charts for countless of weeks, I enjoyed listening to the other songs as well. When I was in my senior year, I passed an audition for a radio station looking for a part time jock, ok, that was the beginning of my journey with the America.

The Radio station that I worked for at that time had a feature hour called "Star by Popular demand", which was aired at noon for an hour, anyway, just a couple of weeks ago, my cousin and I happened to caught up with an America tune, I believe it was Love's Worn Out Again and memories started coming, he remembered the time when he was in college, most of the students at the University brought with them their radio sets just to catch the featured artist for that day:THE AMERICA. After a while, that radio show was scratched and the popularity of the station also sank, some of my contemporaries moved to other radio stations or went to college in another place, I myself went to Manila and joined the Seminary, but even then, I was still attached with the band that carried me through all the apins, and happiness I have felt over the years.

I left the seminary after a year and went back home, hoping to find a more stable job, but it seems radio was following me every time, I was again invited for an audition for a new radio station that was to open in our place, so I took it passed and well, finding myself playing the America songs on the air every now and then. Not so surprising was the immense request I got for some fo their songs, I need You was on top of the list, Inspector Mills was another, All My Life was and still is probably the most sought after America song, I think a lot of couples got married after listening to that song, being a disc jockey and have worked with several radio stations for the past 9 years, have earned me the chance to collect my personal favorites of the America. Sad to say though, some of my friends who were on-hooked with the band borrowed some of my stuff and never returned them, I just hope they are still listening to them at this very moment.

During my last year in Radio, I was kinda hoping that America would have a new release, the closest I got was Gerry Beckley's remake of "I Need You", great, it had a new twist, but in the back of my mind, I was wondering, how the heck did these sons of Army officers split up? well, thanks to the net, I finally got the experience of my life, learning more and more about the trio who became a duo, and later on became a solo artist, then a duo...

Now, after calling it quits from Radio, the memories of the America are still being heard in some of the radio stations here, one time, a friend of mine said to me, "it seems like somebody just placed your playlist on his show." I just smiled and went on my way. But it was not all on radio that I got to know the band, during my 3rd year high school, I managed to learn how to play the guitar, and the first song I played was... you're right... A Horse with no name. After that, I took the whole America history album and bought a song magazine that featured their songs with chords and I just played them one quiet afternoon. Until today, whnever I get the chance to hang out with the guitar playing circuit here in my home town, the songs from that album are usually being played, by demand, local bands almost always have an america tune in their playlist, I don't know if it's the colonial thing or what, Ha! just kidding.

Hey before I forget, last week, I was in this club and a group there was having a going away party for some one, and they requested for an america song, deep within I thought, "Don't Cry Baby" would be very appropriate, but I guess I don't run the show the anymore, the band played "Honey", "how come I didn't think of that," I said to myself, and the lead part pierced my heart like a wounded soul reaching for it's body that went somewhere else.

Thanks to the wonder of the internet, the web page of America is being bookmarked everywhere, and when friends come up to me ask me, "Where can we find the Ventura "Electrified" Highway?" I go, it's in THE AMERICA FANS PAGE, where else.

You're probably wondering who I am, or where I can be found, or maybe not. Just the same, I'm Jude Macrohon, 25 years old, serving as the Youth Coordinator of our Archdiocese here in Zamboanga City, Philippines. I love basketball and surfing the net.

Feel free to send your comments or questions to Jude.