Charlene--I've Never Been To Me (1982)

     Remember tonight at 9pm central US, The Rock and Roll Omnibus will be on the air. Just go to www.radiofreenashville.org, and for two hours hear the best music and the stories behind them.....

     There is no doubt of the connection between radio and records, and how one fuels the other. There are more than a few occasions where a radio station will spark a company into releasing a song nationwide based on it popularity in a certain area.
     This is what happened in the case of Charlene Marilynn D'Angelo who was signed by Motown in 1973, and for marketing purposes, was known as Charlene. Her first chart action was in 1977, but on three releases, which included, "I've Never Been to Me", she never went above #96.
     She moved to England after Motown released her from her contract. She remarried and was working at a sweetshop in London in the early 80's, when her career was resurrected in a most unusual way.
     In 1982, Tampa disc jockey Scott Shannon who at the time was working at WRBQ, was persuaded by his girl friend, to play the "I've Never Been To Me" as a part of his show. The song caught fire in Tampa, and it's popularity convinced Motown to re-release the song. It reached number 3 in the US and number 1 in the UK.
     She did a duet with Stevie Wonder later in 1982, which went to #47, she never was seen on the charts again. She still continues to record, and lives in California with her family.