Jeff Davis: WLS, The MusicRadio Years, 1960-1985 (0:55:13)

The "Windy City" Airchecks Collection
… as long as it is our privilege to direct the destinies of WLS, we will hold sacred this trust …

Last aired for the WLS Employee Reunion on August 30, 1997 from 6 – 7:30 PM, this retrospective was produced and narrated by the current voice of WLS, Chief Historian and former “Musicradio” personality Jeff Davis, and spans a quarter century of memorable moments. The late Tim Benko contributed this recording in September of 1997.

PART ONE (13:22) begins with radio’s Golden Age prior to ABC’s purchase of the station in March, 1960, followed by an aircheck with yet-to-become General Manager Gene Taylor, from June 7, 1960.

PART TWO – WLS & THE BEATLES (7:20) includes comments from Ron Riley and a montage of Beatle hits.

PART THREE – WLS COMMERCIAL FLUBS (5:50) features Fred Winston and weinies, Larry Lujack and Waterpik®, and JJ Jeffrey and The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. (This segment concluded with the WLS Montage. The 1984 WLS Montage can be heard here.)

PART FOUR – WLS & THE MUSIC PEOPLE (5:49) includes Roger Daltrey, Lindsey Buckingham, BTO, John Sebastian, Devo and Marvin Hamlisch. (This segment is not complete – it ends abruptly for the 7PM news – that’s the way it was broadcast on 8/30/97.)

PART FIVE – WLS & THE PERSONALITIES (16:26) features Dick Biondi (On Top of a Pizza and the 3rd birthday show), Ron Riley, Dex Card, Jerry Kaye, Scotty Brink, Steve Lundy, JJ Jeffrey, Joel Sebastian, Bill Bailey (NOT “The Duke of Louisville”), Charlie Van Dyke, Bob Sirott, Yvonne Daniels, John Landecker, Larry Lujack, Steve Dahl and Gary Meier.

PART SIX – A WLS TIMELINE FOR A QUARTER CENTURY (6:23) is a classy montage of the sounds “between the music”. Again, this segment is incomplete and was broadcast that way on 8/30/97. The closing credits are interrupted by the 7:30 news update, with a bulletin that Princess Diana had been “seriously injured” in an automobile accident in Paris – a unexpected reminder that even as radio honors its past, it cannot neglect its responsibility to the present.

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Welcome to the new ReelRadio!

This site is now operated by the North Carolina Broadcast History Museum. 

We want to thank the board of ReelRadio, Inc. for their stewardship since the passing of the founder Richard Irwin in 2018.  It has not been easy and they have maintained the exhibits for future generations to enjoy.

I met Richard Irwin, aka Uncle Ricky, when we were freshmen at East Carolina University.  We both had worked at local stations in our hometowns.  No one was more passionate about radio, especially Top 40 radio, than my friend Richard. 

Our goals with this site are to preserve the exhibits and make them available free of charge for people to enjoy.  Over time, we hope to add some airchecks to the site.  This will not happen immediately.  Time and resources will determine the future of new exhibits. 

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Richard Irwin’s hope was that his site would live on long after his passing. He said, “I hope REELRADIO will survive as my contribution to the ‘radio business’. The business is allowed to forget me, but the business should never forget the great era of radio that we celebrate here”.

We remember Richard and we thank him. If you enjoy this new site, we would appreciate a contribution. We hope you enjoy the new ReelRadio!

Carl Davis
Trustee
North Carolina Broadcast History Museum