Michigan Music History Podcast -- MMHP989 · Scott Baker, Gary Johnson, Fred Reif, Mike Beattie

Michigan Music History Podcast--Bobby Balderrama: Smooth Jazz Charts and Mysterians Doc Part 2 of 2

·1 hr 10 min·4 clips

Question Mark told a Dallas DJ he was “from Mars,” and Bobby says that line became part of the Mysterians movie idea.

The show returns with part two of two with Bobby Balderrama, also known as Robert Lee Balderrama. The hosts give Bobby room to follow his memories as he talks about the new documentary and says the band has been taken advantage of. He also says the point of the project is to leave a legacy. The conversation keeps returning to Question Mark and the Mysterians and the history attached to that name. Bobby looks ahead to the smooth jazz road in 2026 and keeps that future work in the frame. He brings his guitar and plays a little during the visit, which adds an in the room feel to the episode. The talk then shifts back to how the record traveled. They go over the Tri-Cities, Detroit, Cameo, and the route through CKLW in Windsor. Bobby explains that the record was given to someone who took it to CKLW. He says the station was not going to play it at first, but Bob Dell was already playing it. Bobby and the group went to Bob Dell to ask for more money because they were only getting $50 a night at the club. Bob Dell did not raise the pay, but he agreed to play the record a lot. Bobby says that worked, and the record started getting heard in Detroit after that. He remembers people starting to request it at CKLW. The story also touches on Mount Holly and the way the name Question Mark and Mysterians got used around the shows. Bobby says he thought the name was cool and went with it. He also remembers that some people thought Question Mark and Mysterians were two different bands. The episode closes on money, fairness, and the aftereffects of success. Bobby says that after '96 Years' went number one, he expected people to be treated fairly. He says that did not happen. He does not want to name names, but he says he forgives people and is leaving the past where it belongs. He explains that playing music matters more to him than getting tied up in legal problems. The result is a long, detailed talk about a Michigan band, the radio path that helped carry it, and the practical realities underneath the story.

As heard by us

A loose, first-hand Michigan music talk about a scene, a record, and the people who carried it.

It keeps Bobby Balderrama at the center while moving between the new documentary, more Question Mark and the Mysterians history, and where his smooth jazz path is heading in 2026.

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Why you'd press play

If you want Michigan music history with the receipts, start here.

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