Published on June 2nd, 2021 | by Darren Paltrowitz
0Ralph Sutton On Founding The GaS Digital Network, The Growth Of “The SDR Show,” Interviewing Technique, Future Plans & More
Host Ralph Sutton is a long-time veteran of television and radio with his own built-in international fanbase. Sutton for nearly 2 decades hosted The Tour Bus, a nationally-broadcast rock radio show that was syndicated in 50 markets across the nation and re-broadcast worldwide via the Internet. In 2014 Ralph started The SDR Show — a podcast with comedian Big Jay Oakerson — and within months it hit the #1 spot in comedy on iTunes (and #11 overall on iTunes), spending all of April 2015 in the top 20 of iTunes comedy. In 2016, Sutton took matters into his own hands with The SDR Show and launched the GaS Digital Network, now carrying 11 shows, while The SDR Show gets over 200,000 listeners a month.
Besides running the GaS Digital Network and his podcast, Ralph Sutton has become a go-to guy for hosting rock events across the country, including the Shiprocked cruise, The Full Throttle Saloon at The Sturgis Rally, and The M3 Rock Festival. He has also written content for various websites and magazines, including Metal Edge and Social Underground. Sutton was also the subject of what is reportedly the highest-rated episode of Queer Eye For The Straight Guy in the popular show’s history.
On June 2, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ralph Sutton via Zoom, as embedded below. Beyond the growth of The SDR Show and the GaS Digital Network, we spoke about his evolution as an interviewer, the state of the concert industry, occasional SDR Show co-host Geno Bisconte, future plans, television and what career advice he would have for someone looking to follow a similar path to him. More on Sutton can be found can by clicking here, here, here and here.