July 07, 2025

Episode 131 – A Eulogy for Tom Hailey

38 minutes

This was an unplanned conversation about an unplanned, unexpected, shocking event in our lives. It’s just Hunter and I talking about a dear friend that recently passed, one of our own leaving earthly bonds. And in our reveries and remembrances we left out so much: Tom Hailey was the beer/wine buyer at the Raleigh Whole Foods and held that position for many years there, beloved by the entire staff. He had a college radio metal show where he adopted the persona of The Unholy One and spoke to (no, COMMANDED!) his audience in a John Tardy-like roar. We also failed to mention the time Hunter and I, in 2019, listened to Voivod’s Nothingface with Tom, all of us air drumming, air guitaring, air bassing and singing every bit of it, all the way through……these and many more memories only scratch the surface of our friend Tom and why we’re going to miss him so damn much.

Note I:

CLOVER CAT RESCUE donation link: https://tinyurl.com/donate-CCR Please note "In Memory of Tom Hailey" when you give

or VENMO @clovercatrescue

Note II:

We think Tom would be amused by the gaff of a gaff Hunter makes when talking about post-Confessor bands. He said he called Fly Wheel Fly Leaf, when that band was actually named Fly Machine. Hunter knows a lot, and we can’t fault him for not knowing the specifics of post-Confessor tree branches.

Note III:

The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast

Note IV:

All past Radical Research episodes can be found here, where you can also find Jeff’s Peter Steele and Fates Warning books, Hunter’s Deserts of Hex Volume 2…and more to come soon! Radicalresearch.org

Music cited in order of appearance:

Die Kreuzen, “Elizabeth” (Century Days, 1988)

Forbidden, “Forbidden Evil” (Forbidden Evil, 1988)

Confessor, “Condemned” (Condemned, 1991)

Carcass, “Feast on Dismembered Carnage” (Reek of Putrefaction, 1988)

The Champs, “Andres Segovia Interests Me” (III, 1997)

The Chameleons, “A Person Isn’t Safe Anywhere These Days” (Script of the Bridge, 1983)

Everything Everything, “Pizza Boy” (Raw Data Feel, 2022)

Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.

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