of CHORDS COMMUNITY

ike any city of its size, Omaha has its ambassadors; world-class athletes like Terrence “Bud”Crawford, breakthrough musicians in Bright Eyes and 311, and of course, the auger of fortune himself, Warren Buffett. And just like other cities, there exists a strata of celebrity familiar to residents alone a layer occupied by figures less bound to histor y, but lore.

From the “Orange Lady” (Lucile Schaaf) of Lucile’s Old Market, the ubiquitous “Rose Guy”(Dean Battiato) of the Benson bar scene, to the beloved “Broom Man” (Rev. Livingston Wills) soon to be memorialized in bronze by sculptor John Lajba such personalities are unique to, and thus help define our community. Through them, oral tradition is revived their meremention spring-loaded with anecdotes; shared, singularly Omaha experiences that trail these unique, at times inscrutable, personalities.

Though he doesn’t have a descriptive epithet (yet), for many Omahans, 42-year-old JD Mossberg fulfills this unifying role. Precocious and kind, his regular on-foot pilgrimages along Dodge Street as far east as Saddle Creek, to westward of Beverly Hills Plaza have earned him many friends and patrons in the area.

“I have friends at various and a lot of places,” JD beamed. “And they are l ike family.”

As somebody with William’s Syndrome a rare genetic condition not only characterized by cognitive difficulties, but heightened levels of empathy and friendliness JD delights in establishing and maintaining relationships. His innate charm aside, there’s another, perhaps lesser known gift conferred by his condition: extraordinary musical ability.

“A lot of those kids with William’s Syndrome are very musical that part of their brain is really highly developed,” said JD’s mother, Ann Mossberg. “The place where he went for daycare, he sat down and was playing the piano, and that was the first that I knew that he was musically inclined.”

In pre-pandemic years, JD’s public performances were more commonplace frequently spotted at the bench of Von Maur’s grand piano, fingers gliding over pearly keys. As if under a trance, his expressive, congenial features would soften, and he’d begin to play. Ethereal chords fanned across the marble floors, in places sonorous and stormy, in others purling and gentle. Listeners could be forgiven for thinking that the sweet, intricate notes had been written by a classical master; obscure Bach or Chopin stanzas, memorized and sequenced. However, the truth is even more remarkable: despite sounding like carefully at times ingeniously arranged musical notation, JD’s performances are improvised.

On what inspires his playing, JD explained, “In outer space, there’s this music that is so inspiring that it makes me learn [...] In several miles up from here, in outer space, there’s music I would like to write about the shiny lights up there. The earth that’s moving in outer space, the stars glowing lik e an angel.”

“It sounds classical,” Ann added, “but he makes up stuff. When he was younger and he first started doing that, we thought ‘oh my gosh, that’s really pretty w hat is it?’”

Divinely inspired or otherwise, faith is important to JD. He’s grown to become an integral member of the parish at Saint Margaret Mary Catholic Church, where his personality andtalents are widely celebrated.

“A lot of chords, a lot of pedal action crescendos...he kind of loses himself in it...like, he goes to a different place.” noted Mary Kelly, the parish’s front desk manager and Mossberg fa mily friend.

“I don’t want to say he’s zoned out, because he’s not. It just sort of takes over and comes out of his hands, which is really fascinating.

“I don’t want to say he has any deficits, because he doesn’t he’s just JD,” Kelly continued, “but the fact that there are people who study and take music classes and have above-average IQs and can’t do what JD can do...it’s definitely a huge gift.”

Beyond his musical talents, JD is valued for his volunteerism and his protective, caring nature. He’s known to patrol the church parking lot during large events, and has even warded off attempted ca r break-ins.

In years past, JD brushed against entities of an altogether more sinister quality; in July 2018 he discovered Neo-Nazi literature in one of Omaha’s Little Free Libraries near Saint Margaret Mary’s, and promptly sounde d the alarm.

“Whoever [is] doing this better know that our neighborhood doesn’t stand for the Swastika or Nazis or evil,” he told WOWT News at the time.

“He looked in our library and there was some Nazi propaganda, [and] he started yelling, ‘Mrs. Kelly call the police!’” recalled Kelly. “So now he rides his bike around and checks all the Little Libraries in the neighborhood, just to make sure there’s nothing bad in there. He has a strong sense of justice...and he just cares about everybody.

“He’s just a great guy, you know? There’s not much not to love about JD.”

Outside of church, JD keeps busy in the greater community participating in the Nebraska Special Olympics, volunteering for the fire department (his favorite), and working at Outback Steakhouse.

Musically, his public performances have taken a back seat to recording and producing though he does still occasionally play with the band Minor Detail at Jam’s Midtown. He’s already completed a multi-track album centered around traversing the high seas, wherein JD supplies keys, percussion, and vocals. He’s presently working on his sophomore album, this time with themes of space exploration.

“People better be ready for a big shocker. Well, it is history in the making,” JD said of being profiled for Omaha Magazine. “That’s right, I made history. I want [the readers] to know I just want them to show support for Omaha I want them to know about Omaha.”

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A Master Of Radio Entertainment

JASON SPICOLI SPEAKS LIFE INTO 98.5 AND THE METRO

Jason Spicoli knew that he wanted to be a radio host since he was 15 years old. The determination and passion required to reach the sound booth had been sown much earlier, however. Spicoli spent his early childhood listening to his favorite radio station, Sweet 98.5, while he “built character” doing odd jobs for his father, an honest and hardworking tradesman. Spicoli received tried-and-true advice from his dad; a lesson that many blue-collar parents impart to their children: “If you don’t want to do what I do when you grow up, fi nd a passion, get educated, and work as hard as you can for that goal.”

Taking his father’s wisdom to heart, Spicoli’s career began with a program at Central High School. He signed up for a radio and television class, which was held in the old tech building across from t he school.

“I dipped my feet in the water with that program. They taught me the essential basics of radio, and considering it was a jazz station…technically I was a jazz radio host during my career.” picoli and his classmates were slotted for two times, each week, to run and host an hour-long session on 89.7 The River, Iowa Western’s radio station—the metro’s “cutting edge of rock” since 1996. A typical broke college student, he would ask his mother for five or 10 bucks a week to buy more time on the air.

After securing his diploma, Spicoli attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha—but quickly found the program unsuitable for his ambitions. It was during his third semester at UNO that a friend suggested the radio program at Iowa Western Community College. “Iowa Western in Council Bluff s?” he’d balked.

Typical of those residing west of the Missouri, Spicoli had been steeped in negative stereotypes about Council Bluff s. However, after surveying the campus for himself, Spicoli came to realize the program at Iowa Western was ideal for a person looking to make waves in local airspace. Spicoli reveled in the beauty of the campus, the kindness of the professors, and the state-of-the-art equipment sequestered away in humble Fort Dodge, Iowa.

“I would pay other students to take their shifts. You weren't supposed to do that, but I didn’t care. Whatever it takes to be on the radio, I’m going to be better than everyone here,” Spicoli recalled. “I just want to get better at this so I can be on the radio forever.”

His drive and mentality were reflected in his performance at Iowa Western. Spicoli explained that C’s and D’s were enough for him while enrolled in the generalized, mandatory curriculum. After his arrival at the radio program, Spicoli received straight A’s for the duration of his undergraduate education. Upon graduation, Spicoli landed an internship with KEZO’s Todd N Tyler, a legendary Omaha radio duo syndicated throughout the region. After two months under their tutelage, an afternoon slot opened at The River, which he applied for and was awarded. Spicoli remained at The River for 18 years, until his transfer to Sweet 98.5 in the fall of 2022.

“You know, it’s hard. You want to stay loyal to your company and the friends that you developed, but also you want to grow,” he reflected wistfully. “I grew up listening to Sweet 98—this was the moment. Th is is why

I got into radio, because of this station. I needed to come over here and see what I could do. Ultimately, it was the right move.”

Sweet 98.5 was facing a period of decline when Spicoli was brought on. Eluding specifics, Spicoli said, “It was bad.” He and his co-host, Nikki Oswald, infused Sweet 98.5 with fresh enthusiasm and vivacity, hauling the station to #2 on the charts in less than a year—a herculean feat rarely accomplished in radio.

Neil Nelkin, a Nebraska Radio Hall of Fame member, offered insight into how Spicoli and his co-host were able to turn around the station in record time:

“He relates to the audience in a very intimate, personal way. He understands them and he fulfi lls their needs,” Nelkin said.

Th is style of hosting—engaging with listeners in a real, multi-faceted way—is what Spicoli strives to achieve. To him, the audience is the most important person. He plans and prepares each segment while envisioning a single person driving down the freeway on their way to work.

“I just want to help them start the day on the right foot. Whether it’s through humor, the music, or something that the listener can relate to, I simply aim to make their day better, that’s the whole point for me,” Spicoli said.

“Connecting with the listeners is the absolute best part of my job.”

Visit sweet985.com, 1019thekeg.com, and Jason Spicoli’s social media pages for more information.