“It’s Not A Memoir, It’s A Tribute!” Tony Wade’s New Book About Growing Up In Vacaville
I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing my friend and media colleague Tony Wade recently; he visited the KUIC studios to chat up his latest book, “Growing Up In Vacaville” (available on Amazon, or through Tony’s website: www.tonywadeaccidentalhistorian.com). Tony was a local freelance reporter for many years, having arrived in Fairfield back in 1976; he has a unique perspective on what it was like growing up in Solano County from the mid-1970’s until today. Tony is fond of saying “I showed up when I was 12, and I never left.” His first book, “Growing Up In Fairfield,” introduces the reader to a cavalcade of shops, neighborhoods and hang-outs that each hold a special place in the collective community heart. That first book, which I highly recommend, is a wonderful tutorial for folks (like me) who didn’t grow up in Solano County but nevertheless have adopted the region as a second home. As he does in his first book, Tony uses “Growing Up In Vacaville” to take the reader on a journey through Vacaville’s historic hot-spots, regional points of interest, and quirky connections to celebrity culture (yes, Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has a connection to Buckingham Charter School in Vacaville!) Tony made clear in our recent interview that his book is more historical than autobiographical…you didn’t actually have to have grown up in Vacaville to appreciate, and be endlessly entertained by the stories in the book. In fact, Tony challenges readers to correct him (through his aforementioned website) if they feel he got any of the historical facts wrong: “I make clear that I’m an ACCIDENTAL historian.” Oh…and he graciously mentions Your Hometown Station history on pages 94-95 🙂