GRAD CHECK
Rick Younger Year: 1972 Hometown: Kansas City, Kan. Degrees: Journalism and English
Back in the day: Younger played in a rock n' roll band and worked at the Rock Chalk, a bar and grill that once stood where the Crossing is today. He took part in Strike Day on April 8, 1970 to protest the Vietnam War and 12 days later witnessed the chaos of the Kansas Union burning.
When he wasn't working or playing music, Younger was going to concerts. He met his future wife during his sophomore year in college. Back in 1970, men had to bring dates to get into some concerts, so he and a buddy called the dorms ahead of time and said they'd take the first two girls down the stairs to the show. He claimed the taller of the girls before they even walked out; her name was Debbie.
The grad life: After graduation, Younger lived in St. Louis and toured with his band until his now late ex-wife, Debbie, was finished with her education degree. After touring for a few years, he went back to school to study accounting and later worked for the state government in Topeka.
MUSIC THAT MOVES YOU
In 1988, at a wedding in Topeka, the owner of Bogart's bar on Vermont Street in Lawrence asked Younger to bartend and he accepted immediately. Later, the owner sold the bar to Younger, who renamed it Rick's Place to avoid legal battles over naming rights. Although the bar is now in its third location — 846 Illinois St. — Younger is still doing the same thing.
Today: Younger says he only gets four hours of sleep a night, so he has plenty of time to focus on his bar. Sometimes he's in there all day, he says, and other times only for a few hours. If he's not in the bar, he's working at home or staying active in the Lawrence Beverage Association fighting the city's smoking ban. Younger says he was frustrated that after collecting so many signatures to request that a citywide vote be held on the ban, the LBA's petition was denied by the city government.
He says: "I'm still the prettiest man in Lawrence. That's about the only thing I've got going for me."
Listener: Tyler McKee, Holton sophomore
Tune: "Light in the Window" by Sailor Sequence
While pumpin' the jams, he was: Studying for Spanish 216 in Watson
He says: "It's very chill. It's nice to think to."
Listener: Megan Fowler, Fredonia freshman
Tune:"Long Slow Beautiful Dance"by Rascal Flatts
While pumpin' the jams, she was: Checking her e-mail in Anschutz
She says:"It's good background study music."
Listener: Sonja Combest,
Baldwin City junior
Tune:"Fly Me to the
Moon" by Frank Sinatra
While pumpin' the
jams, she was: Going to
her professor's office in
Bailey
She says:"New music all sounds the same to me. I like to sing along, but most of the new music has stuff I wouldn't want to sing."
Listener: Megan Sextro,
Horton sophomore
Tune: "Time and
Confusion" by Amberlin
While pumpin' the
jams, she was: On her
way to Anschutz to write
a lab report
She says: "The music is
fun and energetic."
Jennifer Denny
06➤ JAYPLAY 04.19.2007
06-04-2007 10:00:00 AM