Scott,

The first time I remember hearing WLS was in 1962.  I could not believe that my car radio would bring in a station in Chicago.  I was hooked.  I came to Chicago in 1963 to work a summer job so I could finish high school.  The first place I wanted to see was where the WLS radio station was at.  To this day I still think about that.  WLS radio helped so many young people in my area.   It brought a world to us that we did not know was there.  All we knew at that time was small town nowhere.  Thank you for your time & thank you for bringing back some darn good memories.

-Larry Smith
Beechmont, Kentucky

 

 

   

Scott,

Great web site with clever graphics. Since you're in Chicago, is there a list you could recommend where the members post chats about Chicago radio in the 1950's and 60's? I used to work there then and I'm looking for some info about on-air folks (like Jerry Leighton, who was with WAAF) and several others. Any suggestions are appreciated. My URL takes you to a nostalgia program I do now on the Internet at Boston Pete's Place. It's "The Memory Music Hall" with American popular music from big bands, ballads and Broadway. 

Thanks,

-Russ Butler
Reno, Nevada

http://BostonPete.com/virtualradiobroadcast

 

 

   

Scott: 

And all this time I thought WLS stood for Worlds Largest Station.  What a fantastic history and I am glad I was able to share.  In 1960 I was a Freshman in Zion High School and would hurry to get my homework done so I could listen from 6-9pm to Dick Biondi.  The next day with my friends, we would discuss what the show was about and what was discussed.  Wasn't there an off color joke about Mini-Skirts that got him in trouble? And...who was the D.J. that had "Chicken Man" on the morning show? 

Thanks for the great work and the memories. 

-Ron
Palm Springs, California

Ron-
While Dick may have been a bit edgy, the real reason "The Wild I-Tralian" left WLS is due to program content.  Listen to him explain it on "The Bright Sound" page.  Also, Chickenman, who was done by the brilliant Dick Orkin , aired on WCFL.  A few years later, Dick created "The Tooth Fairy" which aired on Larry Lujack's morning show on the Big 89.  -Scott

 

 

   

Scott,

Back in August 1981, there was a very popular song on the charts.  I do not remember the group or the song but it had this line in it "and we listened to the radio playing so loud and so strong."  But, on WLS the words were different it was "we heard WLS playing oh so loud and so strong."  Can you provide me with the song title and group?  

Thanks

-Dale McClerren

Dale-

The song you are referring to is "Rock & Roll Dreams Come Through" by Jim Steinman. Jim is the principal songwriter for Meat Loaf. As a matter of fact, Meat Loaf covered that song back in 1992-93 during his comeback. You can find it on Jim's album (which is on CD) called "Bad For Good." What a great year for music 1981 was! That one is still one of my favorites. However, I have not found anyone who has saved a copy of the WLS version. He cut that line for stations all across the country. Very similar to the custom versions of "Fire" by The Pointer Sisters, "Life Is A Rock (WLS Rolled Me)" by Reunion, "WKRP In Cincinnati" by Steve Carlisle and "The Heart Of Rock & Roll" by Huey Lewis and The News.

Incidentally, Jim Steinman also wrote a bunch of other songs that have that "fire and brimstone" sound to it, such as "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" and Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back To Me Now."

Thanks for stopping by. Hope that helps!  - Scott

 

 

   

Scott, 

I enjoyed surfing through your site and I want to share it with my roommate.  I have so many fond memories of listening to John Landecker in the '70s.  I'm so glad WLS could be heard in Cairo, Illinois (the southern tip of the state).  Thanks for all of the work you did to get your site online to share with others.  I bookmarked your site and plan to share it with my friends who also listened to the station.

-Mary A. Davis
Cairo, Illinois

 

   

Dear Scott:

What a trip down Memory Lane! I was born in 1956, and grew up with rock and WLS (okay, okay, I admit it, sometimes WCFL, too) as a part of my life, and I still can't get enough music in every day. My older sister was fortunate enough to have met a few of the DJ's (Fred Winston, Larry Lujack, and Kris Erik Stevens and maybe a few others) back in the early 70's and we both had collected the surveys for many years. I constantly played the phone contests, and became quite good at winning albums, concert tickets, cash and all sorts of goodies! Too bad that all of the things we had have been lost down the years although my sister might still have some surveys, and the photographs she took during her visit. My fondest memory though is of WLS-FM - they sent me to Jamaica! :) A wonderful trip, even if I never did get to see Halley's Comet. Oh, well, what can you do? Surfing through the site, I would get choked up (like right now) at seeing the names and faces of dear friends from the past! The DJ's and the music were so much a part of my family's lives. What a loving, wonderful tribute to one of the greatest institutions of Chicago! Thank you so much for this new trip! :)

-Valerie Voight

 

   

Scott,

I found your site about 4 hours ago. Having a best friend who's a generation older than I am, we've listened to many of the clips. She remembers the change from country in 1960, listening in Champaign, IL. Even though I loved Animal Stories, John Landecker was always my favorite. One of my greatest memories is listening to the Big 89 in my bedroom in Kewanee, IL in 1976/77 and hearing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was number 1.

-Amber Woolsey
Champaign, Illinois

 

 

Scott,

I started listening to WLS around 1971 or 1972.  I was entering junior high school in a small southwestern Michigan town.  I listened to ‘LS until I went away to college in 1980.  Your site brought back some fond memories of my youth.  I remember listening to “Uncle” Larry Lujack, “Little Snot Nose” Tommy Edwards, John “Records” Landecker, and Bob Sirott.  These people were like my friends.  The local stations were for the “old” people.  You know the kind, people over 30.  WLS spoke to my teenage heart with the best music and the best jocks.

WLS was always promoting concerts and remote broadcasts.  I dreamed of the day that I would be able to go to one of them, when I would own a WLS T-shirt.

In the April of 1978, two buddies and I went to Daytona Beach for Spring Break.  We listened to The Big 89 in the car for most of the drive.  We also could pick up the station in the evenings in Florida.  In the Summer of 1978, I took another road trip to Colorado.  Again, I was to listen to WLS until we got over the mountains in Colorado.

From 1983 until 1989, I continued to listen to WLS, but it was changing.  I went to a Fourth of July Concert at The Taste of Chicago in 1984 or 1985.  It was Van Zandt, The Commodores, sans Lionel Richie and Glen Frey.  I saw Larry Lujack walking around.  Boy was he cool.

I met Fred Winston at the O’Hare Airport while waiting for my mother’s plane to arrive.  Mr. Winston was broadcasting from the airport.  He was leaving after his show with a group of contest winners.  I told the staff that I was a fan and they let me hang out.  Mr. Winston played a request for me.  The song was in the rotation, but it still seemed special.  Mr. Winston autographed a photo for my.  Funny, celebrities did not charge for autographs back then.

I will be 44 years old in two months.  Your web site allowed me to revisit a younger, innocent time.

Thank you very much.

-Mark A. Marshall

 

morethoughts

 

 

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