This song is dedicated to…retro radio

Remember radio. Fond memories are associated with listening to a small transistor radio stuffed under your pillow at night…tuned to the strongest signal. Waiting, waiting patiently to hear a teenager’s request to the local DJ to have a love song dedicated to a special someone.

Who called in first…and to what radio station…are pieces of trivia that may be darn-well, dagnabbit unretrievable. Nonetheless, an important chapter in radio legend and lore was written that day.

The song “Dedicated to the One I Love” was first recorded in 1957 by the “5” Royales, a rhythm and blues group from Winston-Salem, N.C. America noticed when the song was redone and performed by The Shirelles in 1961. It was promoted vigorously on the “American Bandstand” television show.

Host Dick Clark said: “Legions of female singing groups in the early 1960s were all inspired by The Shirelles.” A softer and gentler version of the song was recorded by The Mamas and the Papas in 1967.

The song is actually about a prayer that is directed to the stars above, but “Dedicated to the One I Love” became an anthem for lovers to express their feelings in the rock’n’roll era.

What’s the favorite, most-requested love song ever? It depends on your generation. Within the “oldies” category, you could go with “Unchained Melody,” sung in 1965 as a solo by Bobby Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers and the 1972 rendition by Roberta Flack of “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”

Moving forward through the years, some of the top contenders have been the 1976 Stevie Wonder song “Isn’t She Lovely” and “Saving All My Love for You” released in 1985 by Whitney Houston. From the record collection of artist Shania Twain, two of her songs from 1997 rank high on the request list, “You’re Still the One” and “From This Moment On.”

For a more recent catalog, we need to call in an expert on the subject. She is Delilah, the mononymous musicologist and late-night radio show host, whose program is also simply known as “Delilah.”

Delilah has more than 8 million listeners. She possesses a magical gift of finding and playing songs that address each and every situation – “sending out love songs and loving stories to help you connect heart to heart with the special people who’ve been blessed to be a part of your life.”

Her radio show has been airing since 1984. Being the self-proclaimed “Queen of Sappy Love Songs,” Delilah says she has great fun “prying into people’s business and minding their business. It’s what I do best.”

She said the one song she would choose to dedicate to herself is Edwin McCain’s “I Could Not Ask for More,” recorded in 1999.

“Music is the language of the angels. You can hear just one or two chords, one or two notes of a song, and bam – you’re right back there, you’re right back in that moment. Songs say what our emotions can’t. I love that about music.”

Three love songs that Delilah keys on (from the past two decades) are “Make You Feel My Love” (2008) by Adele, “He Heals Me” (2009) by India.Arie and “All of Me” by John Legend (2013). But she has loads more to draw from to share with her listeners.

Nick Murray of BuzzFeed News, asks: “How does Delilah…make these choices, pick the songs – not as a technician but a dedication maestro?” “When I hear a song that lyrically speaks to me,” she said, “it goes into a vault in my mind. If you tell me a story or use a certain phrase that sticks in my heart, I’ll dial in a song that goes with it.”

Murray reported that Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings” (1988) is Delilah’s most-requested song of all time, even though she hasn’t played it in years. “I love Bette,” Delilah said. “I’ve seen the movie The Rose 25 times. It’s just a burnout.”

Another song on the shelf in Delilah’s studio is “My Heart Will Go On” (1997) by Celine Dion. “If I heard (that song) one more time I might have jumped off the Titanic myself,” she joked to Murray.

One tune that never grows old is “You’ve Got a Friend” (1971) written and sung by Carole King. Sometimes sung by James Taylor or by both artists as a duet. Play it again, Delilah.