Oh you did not know I have a few dark chapters. When Talk is just for Shock

Jan 17 2010. - Its funny if people knew nothing about me and only read my blogs I would be thought of as a pretty messed up guy. Ive learned a lot of lessons in life. Ive had it and lost it and I would not change a thing.For 7 years I would be on stage for Chevrolet in front of hundreds of kids. I had 6 year olds listening to me and I loved it Working with NASCAR I have worked with all ages and it makes no difference to me. Treat someone with respect and you will get the same. I have had many dark times in my life and I have been told that it is best to leave that in the past because it could hurt my chances working with certain networks. It was my past and I learn from my past and ........I'll stop back peddling now. Ya see kids many years back I was part of a very successful radio show called LOVELINE. It was Dr Drew and I.Taking phone calls giving advice for years. I have nothing but good memories when it comes to that show. At one point I felt like I needed to broaden my horizons and I left the highly rated show to create RIKI RACHTMAN RADIO on a newly formed talk station in Los Angeles.

The station was getting huge ratings 99% due to Howard Stern. I'll give you a watered down version.............. The Triple R began getting great ratings. It was my show and I had every guest you could imagine from Quentin Tarentino to Joe Frazier, any band, any actor, anybody with a story to tell. The station pretty much gave me the freedom to do what I wanted and I appreciated that.

True I did cause a lot of trouble. This was about 15 years ago First day on air we performed a live genital piercing. A few months later I stole the stations van that was used for live remotes and started broadcasting driving down the Sunset Strip. We created a hoax regarding a small reptile found on Mars that was so popular and believable that I once again got in trouble.

. Although I had been sober for over 10 years at the time I was having a hard time. It was not the  staying clean part  but dealing with the stress I had put on myself. I was never satisfied . .I was also in a relationship that at times was..........not  good.I was a wreck inside at home and work. Even with the ratings of my radio show on the increase I slowly started sinking into a grey state. I was (cop out coming) suffering from depression big time.

There were a couple of guys on the station that made it their mission to try to rip me to shreds when ever they were on the mic.They would attack me and my listeners because as we all know the bad stuff goes much further in the media.
The talk radio hosts who shall remain anonymous even though their names are Conway and Steckler went on and on. The final straw was
a line about the girl I was dating( did I leave out the part she had worked in porn) and how I should die and be damned to hell . It actually was much more evil than that.

Even though I have been working in the " media" for most of my life I have never thought of myself as a tv, radio guy. I never thought of myself as a celebrity truly Im just me with a rather unique job. When someone makes threats to me, threats that insinuate violence I take it seriously. I do not come from a place that teaches that radio threats are all parts of a bit. Its shock jockery. Anything I have ever said on the radio would be the same thing I would say in person. I am me on tv on the radio in the streets whether you like it or not.....

Everything had built up inside with the depression at home, the stress etc. I was feeling at an all time low. The  dj's continued to verbally assault me until I could not take anymore. I went to the station and beat the shit out of them.. I went to jail and was fired from KLSX.When I was released from jail  later that evening every news media was there and it was the lead story on the TV news. Today that would probably lead to my own reality show.......I have no ill will towards the Conway and Steckler team. They acted wrong and so did I. I saw them a few years ago and everything was cool. I wish them both nothing but the best..... KLSX fired me and I even understood that.

They did let me come back about 6 years ago and do my own radio show late Saturday night called "The Ball". It was great I played any kind of music I wanted. I had guests from Rob Halford to Dio to Scott Ian. I would play Black Flag, Slipknot, MC5,Supersuckers, Ramones,Faster Pussycat.Slayer,Pantera, Cramps Misfits damn it was fun .. I could play anything and I did..The pay was crap but I really wanted to do the show....The bummer was they had this idiot board op that would threaten me every night. A total clown. Being much smarter I knew violence was NOT the solution. I told the stations program director about the situation and he did nothing. This guy told me he wanted to clobber me, choke me out bla bla bla while he was sitting 5 feet from me right in front of my face while I was on the air. He was such a joke but had a plan he wanted me to hit him so I would get fired again...I didnt. The station would not switch him even though he made threats it went on for weeks. Lesson learned I walked away.  I quit and the station really didnt care anyways......... KLSX is off the air....I am not happy about it. I'm not sad....I feel bad for anybody that is out of work...Ive been there I know what its like. I love talk radio and wish there was a place on the dial for it........
 
During that time my finances began to dwindle so instead of waiting for the next big tv or radio job. I decided to go out and get a job..I started selling cars..I didn’t know what else to do. It was tough let me tell you.. Wearing a tie and having someone come up and ask if I was the guy from Headbangers Ball and my reply was “Yes can I show you this Jetta” Not only was the job very humbling but I was terrible. I ws not making any money but I kept trying….. I get frustrated with people that refuse to work. Do something hey even Starbucks has a health plan. It was so hard for me to come off a tv and radio show with a nice 6 figure income to start filling out job applications while I filed for bankruptcy.There used to be a pathetic radio host called  Tom Leykis and he heard that I was no longer on the radio so he began to attack and insult me on the air…Telling his audience what a loser I was because I was a car salesman after leaving radio and how I had to get a job. HEY PORKY most people have real jobs. Are they losers??? Is a loser a guy that had a huge show then had to get a normal job…I think a loser is a man that doesn’t work or at least does not TRY to get work.
 

Funny side note not long after I was at an LA KINGS exhibition game in Las Vegas… What were the odds. His seats were right in front of me 1 row down… It was pretty funny you could tell that he was really scared. Of me a 5’9 not so big guy…Gayle knew what my gut told me to do but I learned my lesson…I could not pay attention to the game because my blood was boiling…
Finally I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around smiling “Oh hi”
I looked him dead in the eye not 3 feet from that enourmous head and said. “Tom do you have a problem with me something you wanted to say” He started squirming then answered. “ Oh no no no it was just radio I didn’t mean anything” He couldn’t even look me in the eye. “I thought so” I said not smiling… He then got up to leave…..He couldn’t even say it to my face…Couldn’t cop to it…..People it was really kinda sad……

 I was and am not ashamed. I am never too big to go get a normal job. I’m just not so good at it… Years passed and I never gave up. Obviously the past few years have been the best of my career and in this economy I am truly blessed to have lots of toys, a big house and a little more knowledge.

Yes I should have given you more detail but if I ever do write a book thats another dark chapter