It’s with a heavy heart that WCBN shares the news of Jim “Tex” Manheim’s passing with our community. Tex was an integral part of the station for decades, and although he has been off the air for a few years now while in retirement, his presence will be deeply missed. To exemplify his profound effect on the WCBN community, individual DJs have shared their stories about Tex below.
– WCBN Management
Saramin:
Tex was one of the true embodiments of the WCBN ethos. In addition to his more earthier creations, he was also the progenitor of the Drive Time Polka Party, a show that has preceded my own for many years. I met Tex on a Saturday during my first semester as a DJ. I might have been catching some zz’s at the station afterwards or I subbed for Marvin’s 6-9a freeform, I’m not sure which. Jim’s smile was like a cup of coffee. He was always so gracious, and a very engaging conversationalist. I learned HEAPS about Americana music from him—he seemed to always have suggestions at the ready! We used to talk about planning a special polka-bezoar mashup show, bridging the genres that we both played. During fundraisers I watched him carefully, as he creatively and joyously shook down our listeners–it came to him so easily whereas I always felt awkward about it. He’d probably say I was thinking about it too much but he was so dang good at it! Another thing about him is that he didn’t let geography get in his way when he wanted a good meal. He could go on about food much like he could about music (I will miss our email conversations about these!). He had been planning to move to Indonesia for a while and I was very happy he made it a reality. I last saw him enjoying a Zingerman’s sandwich outside in the sun. I will miss our email conversations about food, music and travel; and will think of him whenever I hear a polka or a twangy old time heart-on-sleeve country song.
Manos:
Tex Manheim defied easy categorization. He was in the studio one day when I was back-announcing a classical piece by Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, and I wondered aloud if the correct pronunciation of the composer’s name was BEE-bur like the pop star, or BYE-bur. I was hoping it was the latter. Tex walked over, leaned into the mic, and said in a firm, authoritative tone, “BEE-bur.” I later learned that he wrote numerous early music album reviews for AllMusic.com. The legacy of his spoken and written work continues to guide me in exploring music of all kinds. Thank you, Tex.
DJ anja:
I knew Tex for a year or so before he left for Indonesia, but he mentored me during my very first stint in a rotational show here at the station (the Drive-Time Polka Party). He was such a friendly and helpful presence while I was getting started at the station. Tex never failed to forward funny memes about polka from Facebook or send articles about women in STEM my way (I’m a PhD student in robotics). His importance to both the station and my personal growth as a DJ cannot be overstated, and he will be greatly missed.
sashay delmonico:
I am grateful to Tex for bringing his love of music and community to WCBN. He clearly had vintage country and bluegrass in his blood . . . he knew both genres so well with his deep-dives into the Down Home Show and Bill Monroe for Breakfast shows that resulted in listeners to those shows worldwide. What I didn’t already know, I learned even more from him. When he left the station, oh that was so hard for all of us and for his listeners.
GiuGiu:
I met Tex a few months before he left for Indonesia. I shadowed his show during my training—and despite literally any lack of knowledge of country music whatsoever, I felt so welcomed and engaged. He had me try out every media format, including changing the needle, so I could get real experience. His passion for public radio and music sharing was felt by everyone he crossed paths with. I am so thankful for that experience and he will be so missed!
Sidekick/Calamity Jane:
We have been lifelong WCBN listeners and fans of Tex and the Saturday roots music lineup. We were involved with CBN in the 80’s as students. We re-connected with Tex in 2020 through our daughter Erin, who was mentored by Tex while she was a student DJ at WCBN. We assisted in recording shows during the pandemic shutdown, wanting to help host content during that tough time. Tex encouraged us and reacquainted us with the ways of WCBN and the studio when it reopened. Tex’s influence on us and so many other DJs cannot be overstated. His influence on the listening public is part of his legacy.
arwulf arwulf:
Everybody knew him as Tex, but I called him Jim. Locally famous for his longstanding involvement with WCBN’s country, bluegrass, polka and vintage good life/easy listening programs, Jim was also an exceptionally knowledgeable connoisseur of European classical music. Early 19th century keyboard repertoire, he once told me, was his specialty. Multilingual (he spoke German fluently) Jim was a shrewdly brilliant son of a gun, with a mischievous sense of humor, very fond of punning, especially on the names of classical musicians. We both wrote for the AllMusic website, and for the Ann Arbor Observer, where he helped me to clamber aboard as a freelance writer. It’s my understanding that Jim’s involvement with Indonesian culture actually began at WCBN many moons ago when he served as engineer for a weekly Indonesian program. Friendships formed, he had the pleasure of learning yet another language, and ultimately moved to a land where he clearly intended to continue learning, exploring, savoring every moment of a life lived to its fullest.
Tom Bray:
Everyone has already expressed what a great guy Jim was. The coolest memory I have of Tex is that he was the only person I actually knew that got on the air for Car Talk, the now defunct NPR call in show. I was amazed when I heard “Now we have Jim from Ann Arbor” and it turned out to be Tex! And of course he was calling in about his truck–the same one that was mentioned by someone about why he was never worried it might get stolen in Detroit: because thieves don’t know how to drive a stick…
DJ -ish
Before joining the station, I’d been a long-time listener to WCBN–taking particular delight every Wednesday evening at 6:30 when the Drive Time Polka Party was on and Tex was at the helm. His quirky personality and encyclopedic knowledge of music was infectious and made excellent radio every time! After being on air for a spell, I was fortunate enough to land a spot on the Down Home Show (not easy to do), and the Drive Time Polka Party (mainly because there weren’t many DJs crazy enough to tackle polka), which Tex eventually asked me to take over when he moved overseas… very flattering indeed. I won’t say Tex was hard to please, but he was particular whenever another DJ was hosting either of “his” shows–if you missed something, he’d let you know! But then, he’d also let you know when you were doing it RIGHT. Over the years, Tex sent me all sorts of feedback, links to music, polka events and just funny notes–even after moving overseas, he’d always let us know he was listening and enjoying our shows. I will miss those notes and all the snippets of knowledge flying around in his head. I was fortunate enough to meet Tex in person only one time–but to get that smile in person was magical.
Mike Perini:
Jim was so full of life, and the way he lived his life of curiosity was an inspiration to me. He was a lover of stories in song, and he taught me to appreciate country artists like Bill Anderson and Stompin’ Tom Connors. He was my introduction to the latter Canadian fellow, and every time I’m in Windsor I try to pick up another Stompin’ Tom CD, cos you can’t get ‘em here. One of my fondest experiences with him was introducing him to Nebraska polka, of which he had none. In the musty upstairs of Kanesville Collectibles in Council Bluffs, Iowa, I found about 20 Nebraska polka albums and UPS’d them to him. He posted on Facebook in response “It doesn’t get much better than this!” It was pretty terrific to share joy with him after he’d shared so much with us.
sean westergaard:
I first met Tex when I started working for the All Music Guide–he worked in the classical dept. and I worked in the pop (non-classical) side. We had both been DJ’s for a while, but had never really talked much prior to working at AMG. After trying for a while, Tex finally relented and allowed me to be the occasional sub on the Down Home Show. It was almost like an audition. I “passed” and became part of the rotation for a number of years. He was very firm about what he expected from a Down Home Show host. At some point, I started buying huge lots of country 45’s to play on DHS. That was when the real education/mentoring started. He listened every week and almost always emailed little nuggets of knowledge about producers, writers, artists, etc. Peggy Sue is Loretta Lynn’s sister! I had no idea. He always got excited about songs he hadn’t heard and loved it when I played things that weren’t on Discogs. He dropped so many bits of country music knowledge on me that I started calling him Baba Tex. Seriously. I’m such a better DJ for it. His presence will be felt forever at WCBN, on both the longtime listeners and the DJ’s to whom he may have given something lasting. He wrote more than 30,000 pieces for the All Music Guide. On top of all that, he was a kind, generous human being. That’s quite a legacy. I also heard he petitioned the University of Michigan to pursue a Phd in Country music and was turned down. He earned it all the same. Call him Dr. Tex Manheim. We’ll miss him.