Prayers for ApX Alum Drummer Bill Rieger |
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J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here.
I have something serious to report. On Monday morning, ApologetiX alum drummer Bill “Moose” Rieger texted and asked me to call him. Something told me it wasn’t going to be good news.
Here’s the gist: Bill recently suffered a concussion, followed by a couple seizures. After being taken to the hospital in an ambulance last week, he was checked out by doctors, who informed him that has a brain tumor.
When I last spoke to Bill, they still had to do tests to find out whether the tumor was malignant or benign. He asked me to let others know, including our fan base.
Bill played drums for us from 2001-05 (with a few fill-in spots before, in 1998-99), and later played guitar in the studio and on stage with us at various times from 2014-17. Back in the early days, he used to say that no Rieger male had ever made it past the age of 40.
Thankfully, both he and his older brother have long since shattered that barrier. Even now, he has an incredible attitude about things. He’s taking it seriously but is not overly anxious.
“Honestly,” he told me, “I don’t think I go out like this.” He also informed me that one of his daughters is expecting his second grandchild, another boy, in February.
I’ve told Bill (and others) many times that he reminds me of Bruce Willis — a courageous-but-tender-hearted tough guy who is the kind of person you want by your side if you’re ever in trouble. Now he is asking us to come alongside him in prayer.
Bill works a commission-based job and is currently not able to drive or work because of the seizures. Consequently, he is behind in his bills as well. I think he’s more concerned about that than his health. Please pray for God’s healing, provision, and protection.
If you’d like to communicate with Bill, you can email him HERE. He gave me permission to share that, too. Thank you! |
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New Single: Sweet & Rainbow Parodies |
Last Sunday night, we released our second single of 2025. It spoofs a pair of rockers from 1978 and ‘79. |
Nothing’s by Accident - Love Is Like Oxygen - Sweet Sin Should Be Gone - Since You Been Gone - Rainbow |
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The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single |
J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.
Here are the stories behind the songs on our second single of 2025:
NOTHING’S BY ACCIDENT
I've always had a soft spot for Sweet. Does that make it a Sweet spot? We've considered spoofing each of their four U.S. Top 10 hits at one time or another. Two down, two to go.
I got the title "Nothing's by Accident" on December 3, 2024. It's meant to imply a few things: First, human beings and all living things, Earth and the entire universe, are the product of intelligent design, not random chance.
Considering the incredible complexity, exquisite detail, wondrous beauty, and delicate interdependence of everything around us, I feel that's the most natural conclusion to reach, whether it be through casual observation or detailed investigation, provided the observer/investigator is open-minded and doesn't bring preconceived notions or biases into it.
Second, God is omniscient and therefore does not make mistakes or employ a process of trial and error. Third, He specifically guides human lives and "causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28 NASB).
Certain lines in the lyrics allude to deism ("There's a rumor God went out of town"), evolution ("He don't monkey around"), and nihilism ("life has no meaning if no one's there"). The line "go check your eyes" is saying to look more closely at things but also to study the structure of the human eye, which wouldn't work unless all its parts were in place from the start and therefore can't be explained by random mutation.
"Nothing's by Accident" features J. Jackson on lead vocals, Tom Tincha on guitars, Rich Mannion on keyboards and backing vocals, Keith Haynie on bass, and Jimmy "Vegas" Tanner on drums and percussion.
SIN SHOULD BE GONE
I really liked the movie Terminator when I saw it in college, but Terminator II: Judgment Day took everything to a new level and became one of my all-time favorites. However, it's difficult to fully appreciate the sequel without experiencing the original first.
I feel the same way about the seventh and eighth chapters of Romans. I love Romans 8 so much that I once memorized it. But it makes more sense and has more impact if you've already read Romans 7. And it's even more powerful if you've lived Romans 7.
In the many years since I came to Christ in 1988, countless people have come to me and talked about their struggles to overcome certain besetting sins. These folks are serious about their sin; they wouldn't confess embarrassing stuff like that to me if they weren't desperate to be rid of it. One of the passages I urge them to read is Romans 7, particularly verses 14-25.
It's shocking to see the great Apostle Paul himself saying things like this: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do ... For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing ... What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”
Of course, God doesn't leave us stuck there, so I also recommend they read Romans 8 and I encourage them from my own personal experiences. God is both forgiving and faithful.
"Sin Should Be Gone" features J. Jackson on lead vocals, Tom Tincha on guitars, Rich Mannion on keyboards and backing vocals, Keith Haynie on bass, and Jimmy "Vegas" Tanner on drums and percussion. |
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Prayer Request from Fan in Maryland |
On Wednesday, we received this prayer request from a long-time fan, friend, and faithful supporter of the band. He asked if we could share it you. |
I am not usually a person who needs or asks for help (apart from God), but I have a current medical situation that I hoped you could share with your fans to widen my prayer support as I have seen happen with some of your other fans.
Back in December, I had some odd back/side pain I have never experienced before. All indications made us think kidney stones or appendicitis, but the pain was bad enough to take a trip to the ER. After an initial CT scan, nothing was found that would cause my pain; however, the ER doc said they found numerous lesions on my liver and lymph nodes.
She said it would be better if they admitted me and got the proper scans and biopsies in the hospital than for me to go home and follow the appropriate steps through my primary care doctor, esp. with holiday office closures. By the time I was discharged Wednesday night, I had a full MRI scan and a second CT scan with contrast that allowed the doctors to do a biopsy of one of the lesions on my liver.
Every doctor I spoke to at the time, including the one doing the biopsy, stated I likely had a type of lymphoma and the initial biopsy pathology report by the hospital supported that diagnosis. The biopsy was then forwarded to another lab in DC and was then sent to Johns Hopkins for a second opinion. The results have all come in and I met with an oncologist last week and learned that I have Large B-cell Lymphoma.
Even though it is an aggressive form of Lymphoma, the doctor says it has a good cure rate. I have been through a PET Scan, had a chest port installed and filled many prescriptions in preparation for my first treatment (chemotherapy and immunotherapy) that will begin Monday, February 3. I will have six treatments three weeks apart which should conclude sometime in May.
I truly believe God has a hand in this discovery because of the unknown pain I have never had before that caused me to go to the ER; an ER doctor who found the lesions and admitted me to speed up the process and then to have the pain disappear after being admitted. I also know that He will be with me through whatever happens, good or bad.
I would be very grateful for prayers for my situation, not necessarily for healing, though you can, but prayer for my wife, Laurie, and my son's family to help them be able to handle everything I will be going through. We usually do a lot to help them with our two grandkids and this will cause some changes to our current schedule and time spent together.
I have shared this with family and friends, who are very supportive, and then thought it would not hurt to have more people around the globe praying too.
Mike Doane Mechanicsville MD |
Please join us in praying for Mike and his family. |
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Bible-Reading for the Month |
We began our latest trip through the Bible on Wednesday, April 3. Note: If you don't have a Bible handy, you can look up these passages for free on Bible Gateway. They have about 60 different English translations/versions there to choose from, plus translations in many other languages, many of which also have multiple translations/versions. |
CLICK HERE to see the reading plan for the whole year. |
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Get ApX Complete Library, USBs, Songbook |
To get the complete ApologetiX library, ApX USB thumb drives, and/or the new ApX digital songbook — or to get more info about them — just click on the item(s) you want below. |
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Influential Albums #1724–1730 |
J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.
Here are the latest entries in the "albums that influenced me" series I started writing in May 2020.
Note: Just because an album appears on this list doesn't mean I give it a blanket endorsement. Many of the secular albums on this list are mainly there because they wound up being spoofed by ApologetiX.
1724. Play It Again, Samson - ApologetiX Samson's life was like a soap opera ... romance, secrets, betrayal ... The Strong and the Reckless, if you will. But his personality was very rock and roll. And not just the dangerous lifestyle, long hair, and promiscuity ... like many famous rockers, he was raised in a religious home but strayed from his roots. Therefore it seemed fitting to blend the rock and roll and soap opera into a rock opera, which we chose to call Play It Again, Samson. Unfortunately, his famous Bible story didn't have a happy ending ... at least not when he literally brought the house down in Judges 16:23-31 ... but it does have a hopeful expectation ... if you note his inclusion in the Hall of Faith and great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11:1-12:2 (specifically 11:32). So without further ado, let us reintroduce to you ... the riddle-writing, Philistine-fighting, mighty man from Dan ... Samson, son of Manoah. And by his side (but not actually on his side), a femme fatale for the ages ... his leading lady ... deadly, double-dealing Delilah, the villainous lily of the Valley of Sorek. And remember: The show doesn't end when Delilah yells "Cut!" As a matter of fact, there are still five songs yet to be sung at that point. This opera isn't over until long after the bad lady sings. Released in mid-December 2023, Play It Again, Samson was the 72nd ApologetiX LP and featured parodies of Berlin, Deep Purple, Devo, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Elton John, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Metallica, Olivia Newton-John, Pink, Plain White T's, David Lee Roth, Starland Vocal Band, and ZZ Top. It also came with a 36-page, 5½" x 8½" program book to enhance the experience. The program book contained lyrics, a plot synopsis for each song, photos of all the singers and musicians, and numerous illustrations of Samson's life. It was printed in color on glossy paper and saddle-stitched just like the program booklets you'd get at a Broadway musical. 1725. Rhino Hi-Five: Winger - Winger Although metal band Winger came from New York City, their lead guitarist, Reb Beach, was born and raised in Pittsburgh and went to high school 10 miles from where I live now. This compilation from Rhino's Hi-Five series featured the group's five highest-charting pop singles: "Miles Away" (#12 pop, #14 mainstream), "Headed for a Heartbreak" (#19 pop, #8 mainstream rock), "Seventeen" (#26 pop, #19 mainstream), "Easy Come Easy Go" (#41 pop, #17 mainstream), and "Can't Get Enough" (#42 pop, #6 mainstream). Winger's other chart entries were "Hungry" (#85 pop, #34 mainstream). "Madalaine" (#27 mainstream only), and "Down Incognito" (#15 mainstream only). The 2001 compilation The Very Best of Winger has all eight of the tunes I mentioned plus eight more. In addition, lead singer/bassist Kip Winger had a hit duet with rock singer Fiona, "Everything You Do (You're Sexing Me)" (#52 pop, #22 mainstream). Beach, who still plays for Winger, been doing double duty since 2002 as guitarist for Whitesnake. He has also played with Alice Cooper and Dokken. ApologetiX lead guitarist Wayne Bartley has met him a couple of times. "I was in a band and they ask me to go to a bar after practice one night," he told me. "I was reluctant, but they said I was gonna want to go. So I went. We were hanging out at a table, and Reb and his wife joined us. I later took a lesson off of Reb. The band had some members in it that played with Reb. The drummer played in Reb's early band when he was around 16. The singer sang for Reb on occasion locally. I'm not sure if the bass player had ever worked with Reb. I began playing guitar on cruise ships around that time and never got to play out with that band or take any more lessons off of Reb. He may not remember me." Although the rise of Nirvana and the grunge movement in 1991 did significant damage to the careers to most metal bands, Winger also had to contend with Beavis and Butt-Head from 1993-97 (and when the show was rebooted in 2011 and 2022). The MTV cartoon mocked them repeatedly and included a wimpy character named Stewart who consistently wore a Winger shirt, whereas the titular characters wore shirts with AC/DC and Metallica on them. 1726. #1's - Mariah Carey Long before she became the subject of countless Christmas memes, five-octave pop diva Mariah Carey made history in 1990-91 when her first five singles hit #1. She was the first — and remains thus far the only — artist to start her career with such success. The hits kept coming after that, and even though they all didn't reach the pinnacle, she'd accumulated 13 songs that did by the time this album came out on November 17, 1998. They were all included on #1's: "Vision Of Love," "Love Takes Time," "Someday," "I Don't Wanna Cry," "Emotions," "I'll Be There" (Featuring Trey Lorenz), "Dreamlover," "Hero," "Fantasy" (Featuring ODB), "One Sweet Day" (With Boyz II Men), "Always Be My Baby," "Honey," and "My All." Four new tracks made their debut on the album but, ironically, none of the reached #1, and only one came remotely close, "I Still Believe" (#4 pop). The others were "When You Believe" (With Whitney Houston) (#15 pop), "Sweetheart" (#125 pop), and "Whenever You Call" (With Brian McKnight) (did not chart). The industry must have been shocked that the duet with Houston didn't even reach the Top 10. Don't worry about Mimi, though ... she still had more #1 hits to come. In 2015, Sony Music released an updated edition, #1 to Infinity, which replaced the four previous bonus tracks with her five subsequent #1 singles: "Heartbreaker" (Featuring Jay-Z), "Thank God I Found You" (Featuring Joe and 98 Degrees), "We Belong Together," "Don't Forget About Us," and "Touch My Body." Ironically, the one new bonus track, "Infinity," stalled at #82. In 2019, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" became her 19th chart topper ... 24 years after its original release, thanks to a rule change on the Billboard Hot 100. It has since gone #1 during Christmas season every year from 2020-2024. Even though it only counts as one on her all-time list, no matter how many times it charts, Carey still has more #1 hits (19) than any other solo artist (Elvis Presley had 18). No wonder Guinness World Records has referred to her as the "Songbird Supreme." It is kind of funny, though, that she's classified as a solo artist when five of her #1 hits feature prominent guest vocalists. By the way, in case you didn't know, those super-high notes she sings are in what is called the "whistle register," the highest place the human voice can go, even above falsetto. It's also called the flute register and the flageolet register. Years before Mariah used it on hits like "Emotions," Minnie Ripperton showcased her whistle register on the #1 hit "Lovin' You" in 1975. My favorite Mariah #1 is probably her first, "Vision of Love." I also like how in the song "Emotions," she seems to do a call back to another #1 song from 1977, "Best of My Love," by The Emotions. Get it? 1727. Annie Get Your Gun - The New Broadway Cast Recording In February 2022, my youngest daughter, Natalie, discovered the song "Anything You Can Do" from the 1999 revival of Irving Berlin's 1946 musical Annie Get Your Gun. I liked that song as a kid but hadn't known where it came from. Moreover, I'd heard of the show but had never seen it, so we bought the '99 New Broadway Cast Recording, which featured Bernadette Peters as Ohio born-and-bred sharpshooter Annie Oakley, the role originally played by Ethel Merman. Peters' singing was marvelous, and her speaking parts on the album just radiated personality. I remembered her as Steve Martin's former girlfriend and his co-star in his 1979 cinematic debut, The Jerk, and from her supporting role in the 1982 movie Annie, plus her numerous television appearances in the late '70s and early '80s. Speaking of which, Tom Wopat, who first attained widespread fame as Luke Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard, played marksman Frank Butler, Annie's mentor/rival/boyfriend and eventual real-life husband. Wopat was impressive as well. Ray Middleton played Butler in the 1946 production. The 1999 show won a Tony award for Best Revival. Natalie and I enjoyed the album so much that we played it for the rest of the family and rented the 1950 film starring Betty Hutton and Howard Keel, although Peters and Wopat had spoiled us for other versions. The most famous song in Annie Get Your Gun is actually "There's No Business Like Show Business," which occurs three times. My favorites numbers are "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly," "You Can't Get a Man With a Gun," "An Old Fashioned Wedding," "I Got the Sun in the Morning," "Who Do You Love, I Hope," "My Defenses Are Down," and the aforementioned "Anything You Can Do" and "There's No Business Like Show Business." 1728. Harmony - Three Dog Night Released on September 30, 1971, Harmony was Three Dog Night's fifth studio LP and contained some of their hardest-rocking and funkiest moments. It produced three smash singles: "An Old Fashioned Love Song" (#4 Billboard, #4 Cash Box, #4 Record World, #1 Billboard adult contemporary), "Never Been to Spain" (#5 Billboard, #5 Cash Box, #3 Record World), and "The Family of Man" (#12 Billboard, #10 Cash Box, #8 Record World). "Never Been to Spain" was written by Hoyt Axton, who also wrote Three Dog Night's biggest hit, "Joy to the World." ApologetiX has spoofed both of those tunes. Paul Williams, who always seemed to be making guest appearances on TV shows when I was growing up, wrote "An Old Fashioned Love Song" and co-wrote "The Family of Man." He'd also co-written a previous Three Dog Night hit, "Out in the Country," plus a pair of #2 Carpenters singles, "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays." Williams would go on to co-write another Carpenters hit, "I Won't Last a Day Without You," Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World," and Kermit the Frog's only Top 40 hit, "The Rainbow Connection." He even played an orangutan named Virgil in the 1973 movie Battle for the Planet of the Apes! If you're a '70s survivor, I highly recommend the 2011 documentary Paul Williams: Still Alive. But I digress. Harmony also included covers of songs by Stevie Wonder ("Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer), Moby Grape ("Murder in My Heart for the Judge"), Joni Mitchell ("Night in the City), and Marvin Gaye ("You"), although the latter wasn't actually written by Gaye. "Night in the City" and "The Family of Man" are two of my all-time favorite TDN tracks. Of course, I like "An Old Fashioned Love Song" and "Never Been to Spain," too. My other favorites on this album are "Murder in My Heart for the Judge," "My Impersonal Life," and a song written by the group themselves, "Jam." Harmony reached #8 on the Billboard 200 and sold half a million copies. 1729. Bobby Sherman's Greatest Hits Volume I - Bobby Sherman The title of this 1972 collection turned out to be a tad optimistic. As far as I know, there never was a Volume II... nor was there a need for such a thing. But let's not lose sight of the fact that Bobby Sherman's Greatest Hits Volume I was chock full of legit hits. Teen idol Sherman never reached #1 on the Billboard chart, but two of his singles topped rival charts: "Little Woman" (#1 Cash Box, #2 Record World, #3 Billboard) and "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" (#1 Record World, #3 Cash Box, #5 Billboard). They're both on this album, as is everything else of his that hit the Top 50 on any of the Big Three: "Easy Come, Easy Go" (#5 Record World, #7 Cash Box, #9 Billboard), "La La La (If I Had You)" (#8 Record World, #9 Billboard, #11 Cash Box), "Cried Like A Baby" (#10Cash Box, #13 Record World, #16 Billboard), "The Drum" (#16 Record World, #22 Cash Box, #29 Billboard), "Hey, Mister Sun" (#22 Record World, #23 Cash Box, #24 Billboard), "Jennifer" (#25 Record World, #38 Cash Box, #60 Billboard), and "Waiting At The Bus Stop" (#44 Record World, #45 Cash Box, #54 Billboard). All those songs came out in a three-year span from 1969-71. Sherman was already an established television star beforehand, first on the 1964-66 music variety show Shindig! and then on the 1968-70 comedy western Here Come the Brides. His version of that program's theme song, "Seattle," is included on Bobby Sherman's Greatest Hits Volume I. It was never released as a single, but Perry Como's version was (#38 pop, #2 adult contemporary). I absolutely loved that tune as a kid and still do. The same goes for the aforementioned "Easy Come, Easy Go." I learned about Sherman's other hits when I was in college. Many would dismiss them as "bubblegum," but I still enjoy having some bubblegum every once in a while, and I find these pop confections pretty irresistible. Maybe it's because the overall sound reminds of my childhood. The flip side of the "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" single, "Spend Some Time Lovin' Me," also made it onto this album and is a worthy addition. The digital version of Bobby Sherman's Greatest Hits (they wisely dropped the Volume I) has a bonus track, a holiday single called "Goin' Home (Sing a Song of Christmas Cheer)" (#70 Cash Box). It's actually quite good. Sherman only had one more single that reached the Hot 100, "Together Again" (#53 Cash Box, #66 Record World, #91 Billboard). Ironically, it peaked on the chart a month before Bobby Sherman's Greatest Hits Volume I hit the stores. Once his hit-making days were behind him, Sherman guest-starred on a number of TV series. After appearing on Emergency! in '74, he was inspired to become a real-life paramedic, eventually leaving show biz. However, he briefly returned in the late '90s with Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits and Davy Jones (and later Micky Dolenz) of The Monkees on "The Teen Idol Tour." He also became a technical reserve police officer with the LAPD and a reserve deputy sheriff with the San Bernadino County Sheriff’s Department. Whether you dig his music or not, you have to admit that the dude has a pretty impressive resume. 1730. Rhino Hi-Five: Ambrosia - Ambrosia They called themselves Ambrosia, but it might as well have been Amnesia. What do I mean by that? Well, the talented Los Angeles-based act had five Top 40 hits — four of which reached the Top 20, with two making it all the way to #3 — but the average '70s (and early '80s) music fan forgets about Ambrosia until one of these songs comes on the radio: "How Much I Feel" (#3), "Biggest Part of Me" (#3), "You're the Only Woman (You & I)" (#13), or "Holdin' on to Yesterday" (#17). Nevertheless, you can find them all on this five-song collection. The group had one other Top 40 hit, a remake of The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" (#39), but Rhino replaced it with Ambrosia's next-highest-charting single, "Nice, Nice, Very Nice" (#63). In 1994, the a cappella Gospel group Take 6 had a minor hit (#36 R&B) with a remake of "Biggest Part of Me." And how exactly do you classify Ambrosia anyway? Pop? Soft rock? Prog rock? Soul? Yacht rock? All of the above? Is that even possible? Apparently, it is. |
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If you'd like to donate to the ministry of ApologetiX, there are a couple ways you can do it. |
If you prefer to mail a check or money order, please make it out to "ApologetiX" and send it to:
ApologetiX
208 Charlemma Drive
Pittsburgh PA 15214-1414
Although the donations are not tax-deductible, they will be received very gratefully and used immediately. Thank you! |
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Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 |
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P.O. Box 101705
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
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