Remembrances & Condolences, Single & CD Update |
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J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here.
I received some much-belated sad news Friday afternoon: Longtime ApX fan and friend Ron Whipple of Garfield Heights OH (Cleveland) died this past September. Ron was single and had no children. His parents are deceased. His one sibling, an older sister, knew he loved the band, but she didn’t know how to contact us directly. She was finally able to reach me through a distant relative of hers who attends a church I used to attend 30 years ago. We had a long phone conversation.
Ron had heart problems, although his passing was sudden and unexpected. I always saved emails from him, and he had summarized his health situation this past July: |
Several years ago, I had a major heart attack. It was in August of 2021. The damage was done, there wasn't a stent … My energy level isn't good because of my heart attack, and it isn't going to get any better. There's something called a heart ejection fraction number (or something like that), which for normal people is 55 and the last time I had my heart checked last year, my number was 34. I once made the mistake of carrying groceries weighing a little over 20 lbs from my car to the second floor of my apartment, and I was exhausted for several hours. |
He wasn’t complaining, just explaining, and I thought that would be the fastest way to share with you what Ron was dealing with. Now I want to share with you what it was like for me dealing with Ron: an absolute pleasure. He had a great sense of humor. I sometimes called him Mr. Whipple, and it was strange how many times I received emails from him after returning from the grocery store where I'd purchased Charmin bath tissue (among other things). If you grew up in the ‘70s as we did, you’ll get the irony.
Ron came to see ApX in concert numerous times over the years in Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh, and even once in Green Bay. He faithfully purchased our new CDs when they came out, and he would take his extra copy and hand-deliver it to another ApX fan in Garfield Heights, Vicki Liniman, who worked at a local Wendy’s. He didn’t advertise that fact to me; Vicki was the one who spilled the beans. Sadly, she died in August 2024. I wrote about her in the preamble back then.
A year and a half later, I’m still getting used to the fact that Vicki is gone, and now Ron is gone, too. He was a faithful and generous supporter of the band through donations. Remember the $2500 “Christmas in July” matching donation we announced this past summer? Well, now I can tell you that was Ron’s offer and his idea. Here’s how he phrased it at the time in an email: |
Just a few weeks ago, I was praying and asking God, because I wanted to do something fun to donate to you on July 25, Christmas in July. But then this morning, God gave me a wonderful idea and here it is. It's going to be in Christmas in July, but I want to donate $2500 (like the idea of December 25), but I want to make it a matching offer. So I will donate up to $2500 in matching offers. Anonymously. I don't need people other than you and your wife (if you tell her those sort of things) to know that I'm the one doing this. |
I’m only telling you this now, to give you a better idea what kind of guy Ron was. He was also an excellent amateur photographer, and we’ve used numerous photos he took of band members for single covers over the years. I think some of them may have been in the digital songbook, too. That would be appropriate, because he loved the ApologetiX digital songbook. Many times over the years, he would send me emails to tell me things he’d read and enjoyed in the J.’s Journal entries of the songbook.
In fact, he was the first of a handful of people I ever knew who took our digital songbook to a local printer and printed his own hard copy. Here’s a photo of him and me in 2014 with the latest edition at the time ... |
One of the last emails Ron ever sent me was on September 8, 2025, not too long before he died, although neither of us knew that would be the case. Here’s what he said: |
I found an interesting 15-minute video on YouTube called "The Problem with Christian Music." After reading some of the comments and seeing some people mentioning what their favorite Christian music is, I knew I had to respond and so I did. I RARELY post comments ever anywhere, but here's what I posted in the comments:
My favorite band is ApologetiX, a Christian band that creates parodies of popular secular music. Their purpose is to reach the lost and teach the rest. They’ve been around for over 33 years and have over 900 parodies of hit songs from artists like Elvis, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, and many more. I’ve learned a lot about the Bible because of their songs. Some fans have created lyric videos of Apologetix songs, and one person has compiled many of them here: |
Ron loved puns (as did my mother-in-law, who also passed away in 2025), and our email exchanges over the years were filled with them, but he was serious about his relationship with the Lord, so it’s ironic that the last email exchange I had with him (in mid-September) demonstrates both of those things. He emailed me on September 16 and said: |
Several years ago, I bought a book about puns and after reading the first chapter, I liked it so much that I wanted you to have a copy. So I ordered it from Amazon and had it sent to you. Then, further on in the book, there were sections that were really raunchy and had puns that were sexual and totally inappropriate, and I felt bad that I bought you that book. For some reason, I just remembered that today, and that's something that I wanted to tell you. |
I wrote back to him and said: |
No need to feel bad, Ron. I understand. What’s funny is that the book was brand new, and I needed a gift for my mother-in-law, so I gave it to her and brought myself a new copy. Now she’s gone, so I’ll never know how she felt. She probably didn’t read it, though. |
The first sentence of his reply says it all: |
Thanks J. Well, now I won't pun-ish myself over it. |
Now he’s in a place where there is no punishment for those who trusted in the Lord as He did (John 5:24). I look forward to the day when I’ll see him again. |
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Condolences to ApX Alum Guitarist |
We want to extend our condolences to ApX alum guitarist and mixer Wayne Bartley, who posted the following on Facebook this past Sunday: |
It's with deep sadness that I share that my sister Wendy Bartley passed away in Arizona between 8:30 p.m. on December 6 and 1 a.m. on December 7.
Notification started on December 23. While we weren't always close, I really admired her adventurous spirit, which made her fun to talk to and hang out with. She was cremated due to arrangements or financial reasons. |
Wendy was Wayne’s oldest sister. He has another sister, Amy, and three brothers, Tim, Mike, and Stephen. Their parents are deceased.
Wayne told me that the people in Arizona had been unable to find relatives to notify until December 23. She leaves behind an adult son and daughter.
Wayne posted again on Monday to follow up: |
I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for all the kind words and condolences I've received following my sister's passing. Your support has been a source of comfort during this difficult time. Thank you all so much for keeping my family and me in your thoughts and prayers. I appreciate it more than words can say. |
We all appreciate your prayers for Wayne and his family. |
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No Single This Wkd: But Why? |
J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.
I know some of you are going to be disappointed to read this, but we don’t have any clues for you this weekend, because there won’t be a new single.
Jimmy “Vegas” Tanner and his family have been working on a massive home-renovation project since October that only allows him to record my vocals in the studio on Thursdays. Unfortunately, this year, Christmas and New Year’s both fell on Thursdays. It was a bit of a bummer when I first realized that, but it wound up being a real blessing to have a Christmas break like that.
Consequently, this past Thursday, January 8, was my first time back in the studio with him since mid-December. We did get a new parody recorded, but we won’t be able to record vocals for the second parody on our first single of 2026 till next Thursday. Hopefully, we’ll be able to release a single by the end of next weekend or early the following week. We’ll see.
However, as I mentioned last week, all the tracks are already recorded for our 81st CD, Everything But. The tracks have been mastered and the artwork is just about finished. We plan to send everything to the manufacturer any day now. We’ll keep you posted on that.
I think you’ll really enjoy the parodies and albums we have planned for this coming year. As Tom Petty once sang “The waiting is the hardest part.” Well, maybe for you. For me, it’s trying to write parody lyrics that rhyme with the original and attempting to replicate the vocals of talented singers in the prime of their lives. But with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26b). |
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Get ApX Complete Library, USBs, Songbook |
To get the complete ApologetiX library, ApX USB thumb drives, and/or the new ApX digital songbook — or to get more info about them — just click on the item(s) you want below. |
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Bible-Reading Plan for 2026 |
We began our latest trip through the Bible on Wednesday, April 3. Note: If you don't have a Bible handy, you can look up these passages for free on Bible Gateway. They have about 60 different English translations/versions there to choose from, plus translations in many other languages, many of which also have multiple translations/versions. |
CLICK HERE to see the reading plan for the whole year. |
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If you'd like to donate to the ministry of ApologetiX, there are a couple ways you can do it. |
If you prefer to mail a check or money order, please make it out to "ApologetiX" and send it to:
ApologetiX
208 Charlemma Drive
Pittsburgh PA 15214-1414
Although the donations are not tax-deductible, they will be received very gratefully and used immediately. Thank you! |
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1 Corinthians 15:19-22 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. |
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Pittsburgh, PA 15237
USA
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