Scott:

In 1966, my father was transferred to the Midwest, where I lived for the next couple of years. I had grown up with Cousin Brucie and the New York radio gang, and thought that by moving away from the East Coast, I would be losing great radio as I knew it.

Wow, was I wrong!

As soon as the sun would fall below the horizon, WLS's monster signal would come roaring into my radio, carrying with it the incredible talents and energies of its legendary staff. They set me absolutely on fire! I did more than listen...I studied these air personalities intensely to learn what it was about them that gripped an audience and wouldn't let go. I wanted more than anything to emulate them.

In mid-1968, I landed my first radio job...doing menial work in a station that included washing the boss's car. As I begged daily for my "first chance" on the air, I continued to press my ear to the radio after dark for my continuing "jock" education from the crew at "89." A couple of months later, I was given that proverbial "break" - midnight to 6am on Monday mornings! I was soooo scared that first night that I'm amazed that any words came out of my terrified mouth! That was my start in "the biz"...and it went on and up from there.

About 12 years later, I almost went to work at WLS, when John Gehron was the Program Director. At the time, I was in Detroit, doing mornings at the city's top rocker, WLLZ-FM. As fate would have it, though, ABC snared me from the opposite direction - bringing me to New York and a correspondent position at ABC Radio News.

In 1987 and 1988, when I was the Operations Director at WPGC AM/FM in Washington, DC, I had the fun of doing the FM morning show with WLS alumnus Bill Bailey! The coffee cup from that show is beside me now as I write this. Bill, I believe, is working in Detroit presently.

Now, I'm on the air at the Voice of America in Washington, rattling radios from Belfast to Bangladesh. Sure, it's an environment far removed from my radio roots, but you'd be surprized as to how many old rockers walk VOA's halls.

I wouldn't have had this journey had it not been for 89-W-L-S...

Fondly,

-Jeffrey Young
Washington, D.C.

PS: Two things continue to stick in my mind from the great 'LS era of the late '60's - Hearing the top of the hour ID...going into a Buckinghams single such as "Kind of a Drag." Priceless! Also, the thunderous spots of "Mr. Norm's" Grand Spaulding Dodge, "where you can drive home tonight and eat Chevys for breakfast." 426 Hemis!

...and "where you're never too far away to save!" -Scott

Hello Scott,

I've been meaning to write you for a while to say how much I enjoy the Chicago radio tribute sites you've put together, especially the history of WLS. What great memories! The great rock radio of the 60's & 70's can't be beat, and your WLS site documents it so well. Thank you for all the time and effort it took to research and compile it. I grew up in Evanston and lived next to Dick Biondi when he was at WLS in the 60's. That whetted my early interest in radio. Eventually I became a jock and later a newsguy in Indiana, Tennessee, Iowa and here in Denver for many years. 

Incidentally, when Dick was my neighbor in Evanston, his General Manager, Gene Taylor, lived in the townhouse next door to him (one block north of Main on Dodge Ave). According to my mom, they discovered by chance that they lived next to each other!

-Greg Barman,
Denver, Colorado

Scott...

Sheesh... "1960 and you weren't even born yet.." And now look at ya! Doing well there, youngster!!! Bigger thanks for what you have done for Chicago radio history. Because I am doing freelance writing and photography I had toyed with doing something on Chicago radio history. Heck, you've done a bang up job! It's needed; it's excellent work. Obviously it is now on my "favorites" list. How did you amass such a grand history? Exhausting, I'd think.

I'd add only one slice...and it's personal. When I left 'LS in 1964 it was at the time WMAQ was trying to go "pop" and I ended up with the early evening show preceding Jack Eigan. Then, when the shift was done, I was Jack's announcer, doing four or five one-minute commercials "live"at a time. There were nights when no audience came up to the show and no guests showed up. So Jack trotted me into the studio and I was his guest until someone else showed up! What a year! After that I went over to Channel 32 and signed them on and became all-around voice and on-cam guy. I also was doing a once a week teen talk show on Channel 5. From that evolved my 14 years as host of "Today in Chicago" ...anyway..it's interesting to work it all backwards.

Your site sure got me thinking about it all.

Thanks for the top drawer work!

-Bob Hale

Scott....

Great work on the WLS history site!  When I was in 8th grade at Glenview Jr. High in 1960 a friend told me about a "new" radio station: WLS.  I turned it on, and I was hooked. I wrote each jock a letter and some of them wrote my back individually.  What was really cool though, they all signed a postcard with their pictures on the front.  It was not the printed version they would later use.  Each jock used a different pen with different color ink.  I just had it framed and it hangs in my den with my music and other radio stuff. 

WLS is the reason I have been in radio for nearly 36 years.  It's sad to think four of the personalities on that postcard (Art Roberts, Sam Holman, Gene Taylor and Mort Crowley) are spinning the hits on high now.  I remember getting sweaty palms going up the elevator in the Stone Container Building to visit WLS.  If it were still there I would probably still get sweaty palms. 

-Bill Saul 
Jones Radio Network (US Country format)

I am 58 years old and remember listening to the Barn Dance every Saturday night. 

My mother said her mom and dad took she and her sister to Chicago the see it live when she was small.

Thank you.

-Judith A. Smith

Hi Scott: 

Our teen years, growing up in the mid-west wouldn't have been the same without the Big 89-WLS.  So many memories, fondly reflected and re-lived, just by viewing your site.  You have assembled so much information and displayed it in an excellent and organized fashion. Thank You!!

Actually I happened upon your site while searching for a source from which I can purchase bits of WLS history.  I'm looking for a vendor who has available recordings from 1967-70.  I'm interested in the Fri/Sat shows, say from 8pm -2am, when all the top hits of that time were played.  Tunes that we listened to while crusing the strips.  Also, looking for the year end count downs of the same years.  Its seems these recordings from one of the Country's greatest stations would be available from someone...somewhere.  I would think there would be a wide market for such tapes.  Any help, or direction you can give me would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!

Again, you have a remarkable site.....well done!!

-Pete,
Wisconsin

Pete, a great place to start is Uncle Ricky's Radio Repository where you can listen to countless hours of radio free of charge on your computer.  Of course, Ricky would be happy with a donation to help fund his wonderful site! (www.airchecks.com)  If you are looking for something more portable, I'd suggest hooking up with some of the many aircheck traders on the internet.  Most of them are very cordial to deal with, although most prefer trades over purchases.  For that,  I would suggest my friend Tom Konnard (a former WCFL employee, who like you is also in Wisconsin) who maintains a very large vault of airchecks at The Aircheck Factory, located at www.theaircheckfactory.com. ~Scott

Hi Scott, 

After reading the WLS history on your web site what can I say but WOW!  Great job!!  Like so many of the other readers that wrote, I too grew up in the Chicago land area in the 60's and 70's and still live in the area.  WLS was a big part of my life.  I remember meeting Art Roberts at Camp Henery Horner (Ingleside) when I was in 4th grade.  I still have a picture someone took when I was standing with Art.  How blessed we were to have TWO 50,000 watt power house stations to listen to in the 60's and 70's.  My fondest memories were listening to Larry Lujack in the morning on the school bus on the way to High School (klunk letter and all).  I pull out some of my old WLS airchecks, put the headphones on, sit back and close my eyes....I'm in a different time. 

Thank you for all the inside information and the memories. 

-Rick Johnson 
Oldies 96.7 WKMQ Rockford, Illinois

Scott,

Short note to thank you for the great WLS pages. I was jocking in Thunder Bay Ontario when WLS went contemporary.  They banged right up Lake Michigan and Superior and man I wanted to work there.  Well I didn't but did get to work with Sam Holman when he assembled a crew to set up CKLG Vancouver.   He and I became good friends and would work together again at WOHO Toledo.  Although only some 35 miles from downtown Detroit, I have Pulse pages showing us knocking off CKLW in shared counties.  The crew that he brought together still are all close.  Craig Edwards who is Ops. Dir. for Metro Networks in L.A., Jim Meeker later at KWIZ and PD at KRLA LA and Al Vanik (Gary Mitchell) who languishes now in Hawaii doing voice runs for TV stations.  Sam was a tremendously generous person with both his time and love for radio.  We all miss him a lot I will alert his son and daughter of this tribute.

Vancouver B.C.

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