I lived the Nightfly existence. The glow of the console meters, the steaming mug of coffee, the smoldering cigarette, the stack of albums, and the solo shift talking into the dark...

I learned a great lesson, though: in trying to recreate a special moment, I flew too close to the sun —literally. That night taught me you can’t replay perfection — only remember it.

It’s really hard to hang on to collectibles that you love. Sometimes you just have to let things go.

And here I am, 36 years after seeing that on-air light glow for the first time — still getting the same buzz from cueing up a record.