Chicago Radio Spotlight: Dave Fogel

This week I talk to the new morning man at WLS-FM, Dave Fogel.


You can read the interview here.

Love finds Vinnie

This past weekend I interviewed my old buddy and pal Vince Argento (photo: with his daughters) about his radio career for Chicago Radio Spotlight. One of the stories I made him tell was the heartwarming story of how he met his wife Liz.

Well, Tom Taylor at Radio-Info.com was looking for stories of finding love through the radio again this year for Valentine's Day (he printed my story last year), so I sent him Vince's story. He printed it this morning. Here it is in case you missed Chicago Radio Spotlight or Tom Taylor's column...

WLUP, Chicago Production Director Vince Argento found love by fax…
“After I left Steve Dahl's solo show, Dave Logan, the PD at the Loop, put me on the air with Stony (Tony Frothingham) to do entertainment reports on the Loop FM. We went out on our bikes with our cell phones and reported from street fairs and art festivals and interviewed whoever we found. Near the end of the summer they did a promotion called ‘Win a trip to Woodstock [the 1994 version] with Vince and Stony’ Listeners were invited to send a postcard or fax to the station. When it was time to pick a winner, Stony reached into the box and pulled out a fax that said: ‘From Liz O’Malley’ and it was on O’Malley Brothers stationery (her father’s company). I still remember what Stony said - ‘Look, it’s a chick that owns her own business with great handwriting.’ Not too long after I joined John Records Landecker’s show, I told John I was going to propose and he said ‘You gotta get that on tape.' So I wore a wire hooked up to a portable DAT machine and wore a lavaliere microphone, and recorded the whole thing. We played it on the air the next day, and then over the years we played it any time there was a story about romance in the news. We also played it every year on Valentine’s Day. Jonathan Brandmeier played the tape on his show when I worked for him, too. That ‘chick’ has now been my wife for eleven years.”

Happy Birthday Abe

He would have been 201 today.

Yes, it's time to relive that glorious poem from famous poet David Stern. Stern is the man who wrote, and narrated the classic poem..."Honest Abe He Was Called."

Joe Garagiola

The bald one is 84 years old today.

Most people don't even remember that Joe was once a catcher for the Chicago Cubs.

Here he is on "What's My Line."

Jack Paar

Exactly 50 years ago today he walked off the set of his dream job; host of the Tonight Show.

Here's an interesting interview of him...he was a complicated man.

Nelson Mandela

He was released exactly twenty years ago today...



I'm looking forward to visiting his country this coming summer.

Willie Smith

Willie was born on this day in 1939. Thirty years later he hit a pinch hit grand slam to win a dramatic opening day game for the Cubs.

Later that season he went into a recording studio and recorded this song for the 1969 Cubs.

Willie passed away in 2006.

Wrigley Field construction

The Ricketts family is making it's mark at the hallowed ballpark, ordering some renovations in the bleachers, among other things.

Read more about the changes here.

I love that old building, but I have no problems with the changes they are considering. They sound pretty reasonable to me.

Sturdy Stock

We had a foot of snow and an earthquake in Chicago, and still, school isn't canceled in my school district. That's pioneer stuff, right there.

Sturdy stock.

Johnny Evers

The Cubs fired one of their all-time greats, Johnny Evers, on this day in 1914. He had been their player/manager, and was replaced by Hank O'Day--a former umpire.

Evers, who had led the Cubs to four pennants as a player, didn't pout. He simply went to Boston and led the Braves to the championship.

Bill Veeck

He was born on this day in 1914. I know this drives White Sox fans crazy, but Bill Veeck grew up a Cubs fan, and died a Cubs fan.

Read about his Cubs love here.

Watch him at Wrigley Field here.

Eventful weekend

I took the family on our annual skiing vacation this past weekend. The boys are really starting to get into the sport, which has been fun to watch.

That enthusiasm may have taken a slight hit on Friday morning, however. My oldest boy Tommy (age 14) broke his leg. One ski dug into the ground, and the rest of his body kept going, including the other ski, which slammed into his leg just above the boot.

We're going to the orthopedic surgeon today to see whether or not he needs surgery.

I may not be posting quite so much the next day or two.

On the other hand, I do have a good Father Knows Nothing column on the way this weekend.

Father Knows Nothing

I posted my latest Father Knows Nothing column at NWI Parent. This one is called "Mr. Mom, the Rewrite," and it's about why my kids don't understand that movie at all.

You can read it here.

Coleman Griffith

This educator/psychologist passed away on this week in 1966. He was a trailblazer in the subject of sports psychology at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), and that attracted the attention of P.K. Wrigley who hired him to work for the Cubs in the 1930s.

That didn't turn out so well.

His stint with the Cubs inspired this character in the film "The Natural."