Dick Biondi: The greatest oldie of all time
Tonight marks the start of Dick Biondi’s fourth year as evening personality on WLS-FM (94.7), under terms of a new two-year contract he signed last week with the Citadel Broadcasting “True Oldies” station.
Photo by Fred Winston
That may not seem like big news until you consider that Biondi is 77 years old, he’s been one of America’s premier disc jockeys for more than half a century, and he still commands a remarkably large and loyal audience — more than 300,000 listeners a week, according to the latest Arbitron figures.
As Biondi’s show (which airs from 7 to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday) enters its fourth year, it’s also worth noting that his real heyday in Chicago — when he drew an unfathomable 60 percent of all radio listeners as “The Screamer” at seminal Top 40 WLS-AM (890) — never lasted that long. Exactly three years to the day after he started, Biondi was fired over a dispute with a sales manager about the excessive commercial load on his show. Never mind that he’d been named the No. 1 disc jockey in the country by Billboard magazine in 1961 and 1962, and that he was the first to play a Beatles record (“Please Please Me”) on the air in 1963. Or that he’d been influential in advancing the careers of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, among others.
Think of it this way: young Rich Daley was just 18 years old when Dick Biondi began spinning rock ’n’ roll records at night on WLS in 1960. Today, as Daley nears eclipsing his father’s tenure at City Hall, it’s comforting to know Biondi is still at it — with all the energy, enthusiasm and charisma he’s always shown. No matter how crazy things get, as long as you can still hear “The Wild I-tralian” on the radio, you just know all is right with the world.
“Dick Biondi is the last in the original cast of American rock ’n’ roll disc jockeys still working on-air full-time,” observed veteran radio programmer and consultant David Martin, who also serves as Biondi’s agent.
Although Biondi has been enshrined in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Radio Hall of Fame, he’s never received the full measure of recognition right here that many believe he deserves.
“The only reason there’s not a statue of Dick Biondi downtown, a movie of his life and books about him is because he’s still in the game,” longtime admirer Bob Sirott once noted. “He’s still on the air every night, sounding like he always has, and so we tend to take him for granted.”
Chicago has dozens of honorary streets and bridges named for broadcasting stars of the past and present, including Bob Bell, Jack Brickhouse, Harry Caray, Bob Collins, Yvonne Daniels, Paul Harvey, Herb Kent, Irv Kupcinet, Valerie Landon, Ken Nordine, Wally Phillips, Pat Sajak, Sig Sakowicz, Siskel & Ebert, Studs Terkel and Frazier Thomas. A major civic event Dec. 5, to be proclaimed “Herb Kent Day” by both the city and state, will honor the iconic R&B disc jockey on his entry in the Guiness World Records book at a gala dinner.
That’s all well and good. But what about Biondi?
For years I’ve thought a most fitting tribute would be for the city to embed a star in the pavement outside of the ABC Building at State and Lake. Biondi would see it when he enters each night to broadcast from the studios of WLS Radio. Directly across the street is the sidewalk plaque Mayor Daley dedicated for Roger Ebert under the marquee of the Chicago Theatre in 2005. Knowing Roger’s affection for Biondi, I’m sure he’d approve, too.
On last Friday’s show, in addition to fielding the usual calls for requests and dedications, Biondi was flooded with well wishers congratulating him on his third anniversary with the “True Oldies” station. With his typical optimism, he told them: “Let’s stick around for another 35 or 40 years.”
I wouldn’t bet against the guy to do just that. Would you?
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blogs.vocalo.org
I wonder how many folks spotted the photo credit? Fred Winston took an excellent shot there. He nailed him!
Maybe what we need is our own local media walk of fame with stars instead of handprints. This would kind of build on the comments last week on who(m) would you place on Chicago’s media Mount Rushmore? The danger in that though is that if a guy like Joe Ahern ever got a star, there’d be so much chewing gum and stuff on it, that would be a toxic waste site.
When his contract kept him off the air during the switch to to Jack FM at 104.3 I was furious. Then he was picked up by 94.7, and I was happy.
This guy’s voice got me through most of high school. I’m glad he’s still around.
Great column Robert. I just discovered this website for the first time and I was a bit confused. I actually thought you were employed by the Chicagoland Radio and Media folks. I’ll have to check out the rest of vocalo now! In fact I’ll bookmark this site and visit it everyday. Long live Dick Biondi and Robert Feder. Two Chicago instituions.
Biondi is one of a kind. Like Dan Ingram is to New York, Biondi is to Chicago.
Whose idea was it to place him on Hot Hits B96 in the early 80s? Regardless, brought him back home to Chicago.
Down to earth Jock + Jingles + Top 40 (of the past) + BIG call letters to back him up = The most fun next 35 to 40 years for all of us to enjoy!
Robert, great to have YOU back, benefiting us with your knowledge and love for this city and its media.
PP
Another great column. Feder and Biondi, my two favorite Chicagoans!
Welcome back Mr. Feder. And everything you said about Dick Biondi is true. You forgot to add that he is THE nicest guy if you ever run into him as a fan. Very unlike some other DJ’s who will remain nameless….And by the way, if Joe Ahern would ever get a star, chewing gum & stuff would be the LEAST of the toxins covering his star…..;-)
I remember Dick Biondi from LA radio – was it KHJ or KFWB or KRLA?
I was only 12.
It was the year of the “Teenage Fair” (1965?) at the Hollywood Palladium and Dick had us searching for a chimpanzee that was going to type the station’s call letters.
Biondi got my attention and captured the imagination of young radio listeners who cared as much for thier beloved DJs as they did for their music.
This was the day when rock, pop and R&B (Motown)were all played on one station.
It seems today’s radio is “all about the music.” But they don’t talk about the music. Radio talks about themselves, self-servingly promoting station promotions. Between the promos and the ads, there should be personality to host the timeless tunes.
No wonder young people today don’t listen to as much radio. They can get the music anywhere – and they do! When will broadcasting bigwigs make an effort to cultivate talent? Instead, they make announcers voice-track – and these up-and-coming DJs don’t even listen to the songs “they are playing”!
Where are the chimpanzees when you need them?!
Dick Biondi!!! Congrats. Dick you haven’t aged a day in the last 10 years. Good for you. Here’s to many more years. How’s that book coming?
Cynthia L. wrote above that she thought Mr.Feder worked for Chicagoland Media. LOL! That place copies and pastes and acts like it knows what’s really going on in the business. Thank goodness Mr.Feder is back, he knows what’s going on, unlike others that just act like they do. Also, when he’s wrong he admits it. Good luck with the blog — cheers!
He was the Jerry Lewis of Radio in the 60’s – a screamer. God, how we loved him on his short stay at ‘LS. Then he went to Mutual to do a Saturday night show coast to coast carried on ‘CFL. Then it was LA, etc. etc, back to ‘CFL live, and the moving continued until ‘BBM-FM, then Magic, etc again.
I have had the honor of meeting the MAN many occasions at remotes. Dick is the most down to earth GENTLEMAN than you would ever want to meet. What a PRO, what a LEGEND. There is so little known about his past other than in Pied Pipers of Rock and Roll and the current Turn It Up! American Radio Tales, that I really hope that Scott Miller is correct that a book is coming.
Dick is not only the History of Top 40 Radio, but the History of Rock and Roll. He is an encyclopedia of music knowledge. And kudos, not only to Fred for his excellent picture – check his blog for his equally beautiful shots of the city and his farm – but for his narrative of the Turn It Up! book on Dick’s chapter.
Congratulations, Mr. Biondi! May the last Radio Voice I hear be yours, and I’m slightly younger than you.
And thank you again. Robert, for a great media profile.
Where can we contribute for a star and who’s gonna’ spearhead it?
A note of caution, friends. We’re overlooking Bob Sirott. We all enjoy thinking back to the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in Chicago. Those of us who admit to a certain age, anyway. There are precious few media types out there that still hear…us. Rob Feder is one. Add Bob Sirott, Bob Stroud, Dave Hoekstra, Rick Kogan, Mike Murphy, Geoffrey Baer, Ted Okuda and (I can hear the howls) Mike North.
When these men are gone…we are finished.
Try making a Garfield Goose reference to your 38-year-old next door neighbor.
It doesn’t…work?
We need to appreciate the Sirotts and Landeckers and Feders and Strouds while we have them.
The window is closing–10 more years tops.
I’m happy to have Mr. Feder back.
What’s the old saying?
We’re here for a good time–not for a long time.
Dick Biondi played music that was the fabric of my life. I’m happy when anything good happens to him.
By the age of nine I had decided I wanted a career in radio. And, now over half a century later, (after nearly 50 years in radio) I can still say I’m glad I’ve had a career in radio. Dick Biondi has no idea of how many thousands of “us” he inspired.
I thank him from the bottom of my heart for being a part of what has been (and continues to be)an incredibly wondeful ride.
In my opinion, Dick Biondi cannot receive enough recognition for his amazing radio career. I listened to him on WLS while attending Northwestern U in the early 1960s. I had the pleasure of working with him at WCFL in 1967. Not only is Dick an American Radio Original who has stood the test of time, he is one of the nicest and most caring people you’ll ever meet. Congratulations Dick…I love ya!
What is it with you Mr. Feder? You always strike a chord with a topic that reaches out and touches so many of us who still love to listen to the radio.
As you are well aware every radio market has those AM or FM frequencies which are “snake-bit.” In Chicago it was 94.7 which changed call-letters and format nearly a dozen times. I remember asking management only a couple of years ago, while in town to videotape the WLS Rewind, why don’t you change the name back to WLS-FM and benefit from those heritage call-letters. Well, they finally did and with a WLS original like Dick Biondi they finally have great ratings. The only ones missing are Fred Winston and John Records Landecker! Biondi at night on the FM WLS. What could be better? And Bob Sirott is right, he probably IS taken for granted. As a radio archivist who has had the honor of video taping some of America’s most noteable radio personalities, I am proud to have captured this radio icon on videotape for future generations to witness how radio was done when it was still fun! Keep on rockin’ Mr. Biondi…the night is still young and you’re still young at heart. God bless you.
I had the pleasure of working with Dick at WKBW in Buffalo, NY from 1958-1959.
He was on the air 6pm-12 midnight Monday-Saturday. I was his “newsman” at
:15 and :45 past each hour. It was a wonderful and fun experience working with the #1 dj all along the Eastern Seaboard! Dick was known for “breaking up” newspeople. For example, in the August 7, 1959 Buffalo Evening News RADIO AND TV NEWS COLUMN, the following appeared:
“Perhaps the city’s leading exponent of sound effect, WKBW, had an unscheduled
gimmick on the air Wednesday around 8:15pm. With the usual recorded fanfare
that introduces the WKBW news, newsman Rudy Paolangeli led off with the BIG
story of the moment: President Eisenhower today……then came a shocked halt and an abrubt thud. The seat of the news, it seemed had collapsed to the floor. More silence. Then Paolangeli said “that was the so-called disc jockey Dick Biondi, who undermined or did something to my chair.” Studio pranks were all
the radio rage in the 20’s and 30’s. ‘Twould seem that Radio, 1959, still finds the boys playing with collapsible chairs.”
In another Biondi prank he stood to my side with his back to me, unzip his pants and empty a Coke bottle into the waste basket. I lost it!
I wonder if Dick remembers these pranks?
I was a devoted listener to Biondi when he was in South Carolina in his “forgotten years” in the wilderness. His show even in SC was not to be missed. He was always over the top and the most entertaining man on the radio. We thoroughly enjoyed having him until Chicago stole him away. But we know how much he loves being in Chicago. If there’s a true move to put the star down for him, he has fans down South who would wholeheartedly support that project too. It would seem to be a fitting tribute, a gold star for a 50 year golden anniversary of his first broadcast year in Chicago.