Congrats to Dick Biondi

He's been around since Rock and Roll began and is still chugging away at WLS-FM True Oldies at 94.7 FM here in Chicago doing his nightly show.

I just read that he has won the 2010 Carolina Beach Music Association's DJ of the year. Just one more thing to add to his list of honors and a very deserving one.

Dick, as we know, has been fired on more than one occasion and after a stint here in Chicago in the 60s, ended up at a station down in Myrtle Beach South Carolina spinning tunes, many of which were Beach Music ones. And, these aren't your Beach Boys beach songs, but that eastern Carolina sweet R&B.

These are the songs that folks along the south's east coast dance the shag to.

He also knew another one of my favorite DJs of all time, the late-great Billy Smith.

Way to Go You Italian Stallion. Put Some Peanut Butter on the Spaghetti. --RoadDog


DOORMATS WITH ATTITUDE: Come Back with a Warrant.
Thanks, Uncle Bo.

Out Boatin' Today

I've already been out boating on the Chain of Lakes this morning. Floated and read the paper, then went over to Electric Harbor on the east end of Fox Lake. They have built a huge gazebo with a great view of the lake and plenty of good breezes.

Tuesdays they have a charbroiled cheeseburger and fries for a BUCK!!! Now, that's a hard deal to beat. Talked with a guy there who has been deejaying since the late sixties and is still going strong. He was at a wedding in Palatine Saturday, then in downstate Danville, Illinois, (the home of Dick and Jerry Van Dyke) on Sunday. He has programmed over 12,000 songs for Electric Harbor covering a wide variety of styles. He even has some East Coast BEACH music.

Speaking of Beach Music, I'm listening to the Surf, 93.9 FM out of North Myrtle Beach right now. They're playing "Beach Music and Barbecue" right now at 5:11 PM. Boy, I sure would like to be down in NC listening to Beach music and eating that great pulled pork- vinegar-based bbq, cole slaw, hushpuppies, and tea.

He knows Dick Biondi as well. He said that last Memorial Day, WLS AM had a retro weekend and had all the old deejays back from the 60s and 70s. This was one of the major stations for kids to listen to while growing up in Chicagoland back then. I sure would have liked to have heard that.

Tough Life, But Somebody's Gotta Do It!! --RoadDog

I Got to Meet the "Wild I-Talian"

I drove over to the new Jewel store and found a good-sized group of people meeting a true radio legend, Dick Biondi. He is definitely older, probably in his 70s and still doing radio and live deejaying. That distinctive voice is the same as ever. Without looking at him, but listening to that voice, you could swear you were back in Palatine, IL, in the late 60s early 70s and listening to him on Super CFL.

At one time, he even released his own record called "On Top of My Pizza" to the tune of "On Top of Spaghetti". A woman said she still likes peanut butter on her pizza despite strange looks from her friends. She even still has a copy of that very limited pressing. Dick said he'd had all sorts of toppings on pizzas including cole slaw and cabbage. It has become a running gag.

I asked him if he liked Beach Music and remembered Billy Smith. He spent ten years right down in the cradle of Beach Music, the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach, S.C., after he was fired by WCFL. He quickly mentioned General Johnson and the Tams as great Beach groups. He's sure Billy Smith will deejay like him, until they have to take the mike out of his cold dead hand. I said that Billy Smith had been fired almost as often as he had. Dick said, "No one has been fired as much as me!!"

He confirmed that he had indeed been the first deejay in the US to play a Beatles song "Please, Please Me" back in February of 1963. A representative of Chicago's VeeJay Records had brought in a copy for him to listen to. He was so impressed that he played it right away.

Dick Biondi is, as I said yesterday, back in Chicago again. Now he is the 9 PM to midnight deejay at 94.7 FM, Chicago's True Oldies. They replaced WJMK and I like it even more as True Oldies goes much deeper into the stacks of wax as it were. WJMK just played top ten songs unless Biondi did a "Forgotten Oldies.

http://www.947trueoldies.com/ You can listen to Dick Biondi online, as well as another Chicago radio legend, John Records Landecker.

Still Deejaying After All These Years. --RoadDog

The Danimal and The Wild I-Talian in Spring Grove, Il

Yesterday, our new Jewel-Osco store opened in my little old town of Spring Grove. Guess we're not so little anymore. What next, a Walgreen's and Kohls? Population is still around 4000, but we are right in the way of Chicago's outward move, even though we're about 50 miles away. It's coming right up US Highway 12.

In honor of the grand opening, they had the Danimal there signing autographs and saying hi from 6 to 8 PM. Unfortunately, I didn't know about it, and arrived at 9, so missed him. Sigh!!! Now, for some of you NON-BEAR fans, Danimal was the name give to Dan Hampton for his ferocious defensive play. He was one of DABEARS, those swaggering winners of Super Bowl XX!!!

He was born in Oklahoma City in 1957 (OKC, by the way, is on ROUTE 66). He is in the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, and played for DA BEARS from 1979-1990, the glory years.

He played college ball with the Arkansas Razorbacks where he was an All-American his senior year and had 18 qb sacks. He was the Southwest Conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 1978.

He was drafted by the Bears in the first round and was a key defenseman from 1979 to 1990, going to four Pro Bowls. He set a career record with 82 sacks with the team and helped rank as the defense giving up the fewest rushing TDs, yardage, and total yards during that time.

He did not take part in the "Super Bowl Shuffle" video as he felt it was too cocky.


DICK BIONDI- "The Wild I-Talian"

One of the all-time great disc jockies will be at the Jewel today to meet and greet. He has spent much of his career here in the Chicago area.

He started in Buffalo, NY in the 50s and came to Chicago's 50,000 watt WLS, 890 AM in 1960 where his show was heard over a lot of the US. From 1963 to 1967, he was at KRLA in Los Angeles before returning to Chicago, this time at WLS's arch rival WCFL at 1000 AM. He was there until 1972.

As I remember it, a comment he made on-air got him fired and then he went to WNMB in North Myrtle Beach for a decade. Wonder if he played BEACH MUSIC and knew Billy Smith?

In 1984, he returned to Chicago for his third tour, this time at Oldies Station WJMK, 104.3 FM. That station closed, and today, he is back with the True Oldies Station.

This guy lived through a whole lot of Rock and Roll. He says, "I tell you, I'm never going to stop. I'm not interested in rusting away." He doesn't stop, just gets fired. One source I used to get this info said he was fired 21 times in 32 years. I would have to believe he was rehired quite a few times.

The depth of his knowledge is legendary. He still does live deejay shows as well as in-studio.

There is some discussion as to whether he was the first deejay to play a Beatles record, "Please, Please Me" back in February 1963. Also, Mr. Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak, won a contest on the Dick Biondi Show and got to be a guest teen deejay.

He has been inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH.

Two of My Favorites. --RoadDog

THIS DAY IN HISTORY- 1786- THE US Constitution was ratified and became the Supreme Law of the Land. Where would we be without it? Happy 221st birthday!!!