Gary Michael Hudson, age 68, passed away after a brutal and valiant fight against ALS/Lou Gehring’s disease. The cruelest part of this disease was the fact that he had the variant of ALS that took away his voice, throat and facial muscles first … and as we all know of Mr. Gary Michaels … laughing and talking with people was his true delight in life!
He said it was only fitting that he, a true & loyal New York Yankees fan, would be afflicted with Lou Gehrig’s disease … he found the humor even in this tragic affliction!
His passion and love of music …. that he wanted to share on his pride & joy – the Fusion Pocket – on a daily basis … was his true delight in life!
Gary Michael Hudson was born in Peekskill NY on October 29, 1953 to Raymond & Dorothy (O’Brien) Hudson. He was joined by his “baby” sister , Dawn (Hudson) Dickson in 1959.
In the summer of 1964, the Hudson family moved to California … where Gary grew up with not only his love of music but surfing and living the good life in southern California.
He graduated from Sylmar High School in 1971 … and attended California State @ Northridge where he graduated with a Bachelor degree in accounting. He moved through a variety of accounting/finance positions with various corporations in California … and landed his position of Cost Accounting Manager/Assistant Controller at a startup company, Teradata Corporation – which he helped to take public in 1987. It was there that he met Vicki Spitzack, who would later become his wife!
They married on November 18, 1994 on a small island in the Caribbean. Petit St Vincent … and moved from California to Phoenix AZ in 1995 …. to Omaha NE in 2001 (for Vicki’s career opportunity with Pepsi Bottling); back to California in 2004 … ultimately in beautiful northern California Wine Country in Santa Rosa in 2005! What a most fitting place for the Gary, the wine maven to nest! It was here he expanded his baseball love to include the San Francisco Giants.
Gary achieved continual success in his career, working in Director and Vice President levels with Allied Signal/Honeywell, Sun Microsystems, First Data Corporation to name a few. During this time, he became a Master Black Belt in Six Sigma as well as other process improvement methodologies which led to a multitude of lucrative consulting positions with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, US Air Force, Kraft and both Blue Cross and Kaiser Medical Systems.
Throughout these years, he & Vicki pursued their dreams of traveling the world … whether with their good friends or on their own. Gary & Vicki made the decision in 2000 that they would ultimately retire & live outside the USA … first with properties in Nicaragua but ultimately n 2006, they found Ecuador … and knew this was the place for them to permanently call home!
In 2015, they took the plunge and jettisoned to Ecuador permanently where they had already invested in several real estate properties. It was in 2015 that Gary’s next venture, the Fusion Pocket took root! Gary always wanted to be a disk jockey … and with retirement to Ecuador, he initiated and gave birth to sharing his talent for music exploration and pursuit of up & coming, sometimes obscure artists! Gary’s innate sense of great music and artists, especially the Blues , took flight!
Life was going great in his home of Cuenca, Ecuador when Gary started experiencing some vocal issues in late 2020. In 2021, he & Vicki received the devastating news that Gary had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (“ALS”) But even then, Gary was a warrior for music … he found voice software application; developed his “robot” synthesized voice and continued with the Fusion Pocket up to 6 weeks (last show was May 26, 2022) before he passed away due to respiratory failure/pneumonia due to ALS on July 5th!
Gary wanted to be remembered for his love of life, passion for music; his travels and home in Ecuador! He kept that exuberant love of life & laughter to the very end! Gary will be deeply missed by his friends, family, Fusion Pocket followers and especially his wife, Vicki, and Engineer Nico!
You’re in the zone!
Latest Broadcasts!
26
May
2022
Have ALS? --- you need to adapt to the ever changing new normal... / How many wives do you need? Is eight enough? / Hey! There is always hope!
1. Mississippi Heat - Silent Too Long
2. Django Blackheart - On Your Mind
3. Lush Honey - Uppercut
4. Gary Cain - Gatekeeper
5. Neville Marten's Blues Collective - Couldn't Be A Happier Guy
6. Albert Cummings - Too Old To Grow Up
7. Ghost Hounds - Baby We're Through
8. National Radio Station - I Wanna Rock
9. Lyle Lovett - Cookin' At The Continental
10. Keith Glass Band - Something To Nothing
11. Edgar Winter - Memory Pain
12. Mike Morgan & The Crawl - Funkafacation
13. Bonnie Raitt - Waitin' For You To Blow
14. John Haydock - Pale Rider
15. Roland Nipp - Minstrel Road
16. Brian Setzer - The Cat With 9 Wives
17. Jack Jones - Wives And Lovers
18. A Band Called Sam - Next In Line
19. Matt Minglewood - Eight Good Reasons
20. Eight O'Five Jive - Watch Out For Their Wives
21. Chappell - All That We Shared
22. Dennis Bovell & African Stone - Choose Me
23. Mighty Mike Schermer - Lover's Hall Of Fame (Ft. Dennis Dove)
24. Lee Pons - Betty Lou's Little Sister Is Back
25. Emma Wilson - Nuthin I Won't Do
26. Brian May - Slow Down
27. Chicago Dime & Pete Hachel - Don't Let The Devil Take Me (Guitar Mix)
28. Bo Ramsey & Mark Knopfler - Wounded Dog
29. Early Times & The High Rollers - Tips For The Crew
30. Albert Frost Blues Trio - Going Down
31. Ian Siegal - I'm The Shit
32. Delbert McClinton - One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer
33. Marc G Belanger - Dystopian Times
34. Jo Dog & Paul Black's Sonic Boom - Tree For Shade
35. John Angus Blues Band - Running On Empty
36. Holzscheit - All Along The Watchtower
37. John Michael Zov - I Got Caught
38. John Scofield - Not Fade Away
39. Jacob Munk Nielsen - Gonzo Gadgets
40. Kathy Lyon - Let's Do It
41. Kevin Galway - Big Bag Of Shake
42. Let's Drive! - Soundman
43. Irv Lyons Jr - My Baby
44. Thornbird - Big Girl Pants
45. Saugeye - One Leg At A Time
46. The Duke Robillard Band - Swingin' For Four Bills
47. The Black River Gypsies - Decent Man
05
May
2022
Cinco de Drinko Show!!!
1. Loz - Loza
2. Houston Marchman - Free Mexican Air Force
3. Parker James - Hot Tamale Baby
4. John Swanson - Mi Llamo Tequila
5. Sammy Hagar - Mas Tequila
6. Jim Allchin - The Mexican End
7. The Delgado Brothers - Live For Today
8. War - Cinco De Mayo (Extended Version)
9. Coco Montoya - Hey Senorita
10. Kenny Norton - Flyin' That Weed
11. Nancy Ames - Eso Beso
12. Los Lobos - Los Chucos Suaves
13. Evelyn Rubio - What A Way To Go
14. ZZ Top - Heard It On The X
15. Brazada - El Mexicano
16. Taj Mahal - Senor Blues
17. Santana - Veracruz
18. Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat - Tijuana Bible
19. Los Lonely Boys - Oye Mamacita
20. Robert Earl Keen - Border Tragedy
21. Raphael Wressnig - Chicken Burrito
22. Calexico - Flores Y Tamales
23. Delbert McClinton & Self-Made Men - Gone To Mexico
24. Carlos Meza's Overdrive - Control
25. Los Cenzontles With David Hidalgo - Cien Años
26. Thirstee Mid - Whittier Blvd
27. ZZ Top - Mexican Blackbird
28. Jackie Greene - Mexican Girl
29. Tortured Soul - We Like Tequila
30. Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Cumbé
31. Urban Pioneers - Hungover Texans
32. Malo - Suavacito [Amped]
33. Jimmy Buffet - Cinco De Mayo In Memphis
34. Diana Paris - Pas La Téquila
35. Wille Bobo - Fried Neckbones & Some Fries [Amped]
36. The Grateful Dead - Mexicali Blues
37. Weird Al Yankovic - Taco Grande
38. Los Cuates De Sinaloa - Negro Y Azul (From 'Breaking Bad' TV Series)
39. Montefiori Cocktail - Tequila Bum Bum
40. Ry Cooder - Women Will Rule The World [Amped]
41. RNR Blues Co. - The Mexican Lottery
42. Eydie Gormé - Piel Canela
43. Phantom Blues Band - Tequila Con Yerba
44. Durand Jones & The Indications - Too Many Tears
45. Derailers - Leave A Message Juanita
46. Stretch And Bobbito + The M19s Band - The Mexican (Ft. Mireya Ramos)
47. Luca Rovini & Compañeros - Honky Tonk Señorita
48. The Uppertones - Down In Mexico
49. Firefall - Mexico
50. Paco De Lucia - Señorita
51. Linda Ronstadt - La Charreada
28
April
2022
"Hey! I can still stumble" / Let 'er rip babe / "I want to meet a girl named Coco"
1. The BB King Blues Band - Regal Blues (A Tribute To The King)
2. Copenhagen Blues Band - Spirit
3. Wayne Madder - Gimme Gimme
4. Stephane Missri - Organic Lush
5. Phil Buckle - Mark Against Your Name
6. Blaa Trikaa - Cry'n Beg
7. Rodger Stanley - Messa Macaroni
8. Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - Get Da Steppin'
9. Los Amigos Invisibles - Qué Rico
10. Andrew Thabah - Free As Love Can Be
11. Horojo Trio - Set The Record Straight
12. Fabio Melis - Runaway Train
13. Dirty Hips - Rock 'N Roll Times
14. Juli And John Finn - Dig Deep
15. Cosy Cotton Band - Thrill~S Gone Fusion Time
16. Terry Hanck - Hold It Right There
17. Marcia Ball - The Squeeze Is On
18. Mitch Laddie - Two Years
19. Susan Angeletti - All Gassed Up
20. The Whiskey Prophets - Worth The Squeeze
21. Shannon Rae - Rip It To Shreds
22. Peter Karp - Let It On Out
23. Warrick & Lowell - Viral Love
24. BC And The Blues Crew - Call My Job
25. Fran McGillivray Band - Dressed To Kill
26. Valenzuela - Every Part Of Me
27. Eliane Correa, La Evolución - Signo De Fuego
28. Doug MacLeod - Grease The Wheel
29. Joe Satriani - Pumpin'
30. John D. Vancil - Long Gone
31. The Crowsroads - Seaweed
32. Delta 88 - Barberella
33. George Hotte Miller - Getting Mad
34. Aayushi Karnik - Open Your Eyes
35. Bluesbury - So Damn Cool
36. The Nighthawks - Gas Station Chicken
37. The Sully Band - If I Could Only Be Sure
38. Joey Landreth - Two Trains
39. Edgardo Contizanetti & Blues Project - Ruta 9
40. The Wildroots & Dyer Davis - The Bad Seed
41. Last Train To Juarez - Warmer Weather
42. Doc Shredd - I Can't Smell A Thing
43. Ethan Askey - Exuberance
44. Nik Clovsky - Runnin' Down In Dixie
45. Bobby Gentilo - Troublin'
46. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Shape Of You
47. Eric Assmar - Ainda Existe Sol
48. Santiago Lara - Question And Answer
14
April
2022
Engineer Nico is in the Doghouse / Dinner at Red Robin? - -- You might want to pass on the salad / Use your imagination man!
1. Crystal Shawanda - Church House Blues
2. Griff Hamlin And The Single Barrel Blues Band - Got To End
3. Misty Blues - This Life We Live
4. Will Smokey Logg - El Madrid
5. Mike Guldin & Mikey Junior - Twisted Tail
6. Eric's Maine Connection - Call Sam
7. Pierce Dipner - Memphis In The Rain
8. The British Bluescasting Corporation - Some Other Guy
9. The Rolling Stones - Prodigal Son (50th Anniversary Edition/Remastered 2018)
10. Leo Maier - Partying With The Band
11. B.B. Leon & Triple Treat - Sooner Or Later
12. Gov't Mule - Wake Up Dead
13. Jimmy Johnson - Forbidden Funk
14. Big Al And The Heavyweights - Wild Tchoupitoulas
15. David Lumsden - I Wouldn't Lay My Guitar Down
16. Àlex Thomas - No Me Acuerdo De Nada
17. Adam Leaver - Chicago Bound
18. Rosie Flores - Red Red Robin
19. Tom Gardner - My Sperm Is Healthy
20. London Afrobeat Collective - Prejudice
21. Vienna Blues Company - Come On In My Kitchen
22. Duke Robillard and His Dames of Rhythm - Was That The Human Thing To Do?
23. Albert Cummings - Separately
24. Dave Widow And The Line Up - Leave A Piece Of Me
25. The Blues Band - New Skin Game Blues
26. Steven Troch Band - Bad Taste
27. Federico Luiu - She's Gone (Ft. Matt Schofield)
28. Slide - Love On Fire
29. BJ Ryan - Persuading
30. Yonder Grove - Headed For You
31. 8 Ball Aitken - Never Giving Up On You
32. The R&B Bombers - White Boys Don't Dance
33. Kayla Medlen - Leftovers
34. Victor Puertas - Boppin' At The Hop
35. Grace Kuch - Somebody's Always Trying
36. Terry Davidson & The Gears - That's Not It
37. The Eminent Stars - Bar Shift (Ft. Bruce James)
38. Mojo Mafia - Judgement Day
39. Jamie McLean Band - Give My Life To Rock And Roll
40. The Bwanas - Two Face
41. Pablo Pohlmann - Just A Blues
42. Tim Gartland - The Thing About The Truth
43. Tom Guerra - A Song For Mark Easton
44. J-Rad Cooley & Tim Langford - Running From My Hometown
45. Mark Margolies - Don't Drive Me Baby
46. Trudy Lynn - Tell Me
47. The Joanna Connor Band - White Lines
48. The Blues Against Youth - Slanted Path
49. Angela Easley - Runnin Out Of Time
50. Bluez Bugs - Janda Blues
51. Angel Forrest - Gypsy Heart
52. The Twangtown Paramours - Double Down On A Bad Thing
53. Jim McMullen - Never Be The Same
54. The Dead South - Flint Hill Special