GenX Journeys Episode 5: Mark Weiss and The Decade That Rocked
On this special episode of GenX Journeys, we revisit a fascinating conversation originally recorded for Return to the '80s on January 28, 2021. Paul and Del had the privilege of interviewing legendary rock photographer Mark "Weissguy" Weiss. Mark’s story is not just a nostalgic trip through the 80s rock scene; it’s an inspiring journey of passion, persistence, and seizing opportunities.
Mark is the creative genius behind some of the most iconic album covers of the 80s, including Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry and Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet. His photographs have graced the pages of rock magazines like Circus, cementing his place as a cornerstone of 80s rock culture.
But Mark’s career wasn’t handed to him—it started with a daring hustle. He was arrested for selling photos outside a Kiss concert, and that unlikely setback led to an opportunity with Circus magazine. In this episode, Mark shares unforgettable stories, including earning the nickname “Weissguy” from Mötley Crüe, hitting the road with Ozzy Osbourne, and the wild moments behind the scenes of rock’s golden era.
Mark also shares details about his incredible coffee table book, The Decade That Rocked: The Photography of Mark "Weissguy" Weiss. This stunning collection of photos takes you on a journey through the 80s rock scene and is an absolute must-have for any fan of the era.
Additionally, at the time of this interview, Mark was collaborating with Missy Whitney on a book called Keep On Rollin' - My Fan Club Years with Kevin DuBrow & Quiet Riot. That book is now complete and available, making this a perfect moment to revisit this conversation.
Links to Connect with Mark Weiss
Website: TheDecadeThatRocked.com
Book: The Decade That Rocked and other merchandise available on his website.
Social Media:
Twitter: @markweissguy
Instagram: @markweissguy
Why This Episode Fits GenX Journeys
Mark’s journey is not just about capturing iconic moments in rock history—it’s a testament to resilience, creativity, and the ability to turn challenges into triumphs. His inspiring path aligns perfectly with the spirit of Inspiring Journeys and our focus on celebrating the human spirit through stories of perseverance and growth.
🎸 Sit back and enjoy this trip back to the 80s and the remarkable career of Mark Weiss, a true "Weissguy" in every sense of the word.
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We’d love to hear from you! What’s your favorite 80s rock memory or album cover? Share it with us on social media and tag us—we might even share your story in a future episode!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review, sharing it with your fellow 80s fans, and subscribing to Inspiring Journeys so you don’t miss future episodes.
Del can be found on the show 80s at 8 on 91.1 WEDM FM as well the 80s at 8 Facebook page where he posts 80s news.
And you can still follow Return to the 80s at:
https://returntothe80s.wordpress.com/
Find Return to the ’80s on Facebook
Twitter: @returntothe80s
Email: returntothe80s@gmail.com
You can find Paul - The Rhode Runner in the following places:
Twitter: @TheRhodeRunner
Instagram: @TheRhodeRunner
Inspiring Journeys can be found on:
Instagram: @InspiringJourneysPod
Email: paul@inspiringjourneys.net
You can also download and subscribe to the Inspiring Journeys Podcast at:
GenX Journeys - Episode 4: Planes, Trains and Automobiles
I’m thrilled to share a very special episode from the GenX Journeys branch of our feed. As part of bringing over some of the best moments from my former Return to the '80s podcast, I couldn’t think of a better one to kick off the holiday season than this Thanksgiving classic!
Originally released on November 23, 2021, this episode is all about the hilarious and heartwarming Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, directed by John Hughes and starring two legends—Steve Martin and John Candy. Joining me for this fun-filled discussion are my cohost, Del Roehling, and our fantastic regular guests, Claire Young and Caroline Connelly. The four of us have incredible chemistry and some laugh-out-loud moments in this episode as we dive into this classic film, share our Thanksgiving traditions, and even talk about a real-life Planes, Trains, and Automobiles adventure from Claire and Caroline.
Del can be found on the show 80s at 8 on 91.1 WEDM FM as well the 80s at 8 Facebook page where he posts 80s news.
And you can still follow Return to the 80s at:
https://returntothe80s.wordpress.com/
Find Return to the ’80s on Facebook
Twitter: @returntothe80s
Email: returntothe80s@gmail.com
You can find Paul - The Rhode Runner in the following places:
Twitter: @TheRhodeRunner
Instagram: @TheRhodeRunner
Inspiring Journeys can be found on:
Instagram: @InspiringJourneysPod
Email: paul@inspiringjourneys.net
You can also download and subscribe to the Inspiring Journeys Podcast at:
GenX Journeys - Episode 3: Retro Halloween
Originally Released: October 27, 2021
Caroline and Claire join Del and I to talk all about Halloween. This is a huge range of topics, including music, movies, and candy, as well as Halloween memories. This was a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoy!
What are some of your favorite Halloween memories? Do you have any favorite Halloween themes music, movies, or television shows/specials? Is there any candy you loved or hated? We'd love to hear from you! Feel free to comment below, or contact us on any of the social media outlets listed towards the end of the post.
- Music
- Thriller
- Spotify playlist
- Costumes
- Claire's Halloween birthday
- Movie talk - Just don't mention R-A-T-S
- The Shining
- Psych - Heeeeere's Lassie!
- Halloween Kills
- Friday the 13th franchise
- Paul vs. Freddy
- Vampire genre
- St. Louis trick-or-treaters earn candy with jokes
- Candy
- Trick-or-Treating
- Television - "I got a rock"
- More movie talk
Del can be found on the show 80s at 8 on 91.1 WEDM FM as well the 80s at 8 Facebook page where he posts 80s news.
And you can follow Return to the 80s at:
https://returntothe80s.wordpress.com/
Find Return to the ’80s on Facebook
Twitter: @returntothe80s
Email: returntothe80s@gmail.com
GenX Journeys: Episode 2 - Poltergeist
On this episode of Inspiring journeys, I present to you Episode 2 of the GenX Journeys series. This is a very special episode to me. My heart has been heavy as it was my late cousin Cecelia's birthday this week.
Cecelia and her husband John were Paranormal Investigators, and were pretty well known in that community. They had a YouTube channel, which is still up, called Crazy Cat Paranormal. It features episodes of some of their investigations as well as podcast interviews with some big names among the Paranormal Community, including stars from the show Ghost Hunters.
We tried for a very long time to have a crossover podcast episode, and we finally made it happen! We had been shooting for Halloween season in 2021, but our schedules wouldn't allow it until December. This episode was originally posted on December 10, 2021.
This was such a blast! I was just listening back to this and I busted out laughing several times! Cecelia had such a great sense of humor. My Return to the '80s cohost, Del Roehling and I joined Cecelia, John, and Cecelia's friend since childhood, Patty. And when Del showed signs of fear, Cecelia was all over it!
Cecelia needed to have heart surgery. After one of the surgical procedures, Cecelia never woke up again. She passed away on April 23, 2022 at the age of 55.
She really lived life to the fullest and I love her and miss her so much.
Life is so short, so get out there and enjoy the journey. And please enjoy this episode. You will fall in love with Cecelia. She brought so much joy to so many people, so I would like you to get a feel of it.
Music used from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com
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And now for something completely different! A horror movie podcast during Christmas season! Return to the '80s teamed up with Crazy Cat Paranormal for a very special crossover episode. Throw in a couple of cousins and long time buddies, add a good helping of Poltergeist discussion, stir it up with a little bit of Freddie Kruger and you get whatever the heck this episode devolved into!
We had so much fun, and this is entertaining. So come check it out and enjoy!
Let us know what you think about the Poltergeist movie and/or franchise. Have you had any paranormal experiences?
Do you have any other favorite horror/paranormal movies you'd like to hear us cover? Contact us below.
You can find Crazy Cat Paranormal at the following places:
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Website
Del can be found on the show 80s at 8 on 91.1 WEDM FM as well the 80s at 8 Facebook page where he posts 80s news.
And you can follow Return to the 80s at:
https://returntothe80s.wordpress.com/
Find Return to the ’80s on Facebook
Twitter: @returntothe80s
Email: returntothe80s@gmail.com
You can find Paul - The Rhode Runner in the following places:
Twitter: @TheRhodeRunner
Instagram: @TheRhodeRunner
Inspiring Journeys can be found on:
Instagram: @InspiringJourneysPod
You can also download and subscribe to the Inspiring Journeys Podcast at:
GenX Journeys: Return to the '80s: Episode 1 - Journey
Welcome, everyone, to a very special episode of Inspiring Journeys! We've been on a little summer hiatus as I am working on some backend work for the show. One of the projects I'm working on is moving my original podcast Return to the '80s into the Inspiring Journeys feed, and branding this branch to GenX Journeys. I'll eventually move all the return to the '80s episodes that you will enjoy, and we will also include our monthly GenX Book Club. If there is interest, I will continue to record new GenX Journeys episodes.
And we will return to our flagship Inspiring Journeys episodes next month as we have some awesome guests lined up!
On this episode, we're taking a nostalgic detour under our new branch, GenX Journeys. To kick off this exciting transition, we're reintroducing my very first podcast episode, originally recorded on Apr 22, 2016, where I had the pleasure of co-hosting with Robert Mishou. Together, we take a deep dive into the legendary band, Journey.
My co-host Robert and I give some background on ourselves, then we get into some segments: Not Necessarily the '80s News, Shall We Play a Game?, then we get into the main topic of Journey. We go through the entire history of the band, from it's beginnings up the the point of this recording in 2016. Then Robert and I each share our top 5 Journey songs and discuss why these tracks stand out to us.
I hope you enjoy this blast from the past as much as we enjoyed creating it. So, grab your headphones, get comfy, and let's travel back together with GenX Journeys!
Also, if you want to participate by sharing your thoughts or answers to our trivia and Remember That Song segments, remember to email me at my new address: paul@inspiringjourneys.net. I would love to hear from you!
You can follow Return to the '80s on:
Instagram (@returntothe80s)
X (@returntothe80s)
And the GenX Book Club is on Facebook.