John Landecker: On The Record
When your parents make the conscious decision to bestow upon you the highly significant middle name of Records, it's a good bet that your career destiny has been pre-determined. And in the case of legendary major market jock John Records Landecker, who currently works at WLS-FM/Chicago, that career is certainly an enviable one. Landecker's illustrious 40-plus-year profession includes some amazingly memorable moments, which, even more amazingly, he was able to remember! With the invaluable collaboration of his longtime producer-turned-author/publisher Rick Kaempfer, Landecker was able to finally coax these awesome stories out of his head and onto the printed (and digital) page in his forthcoming book, Records Truly Is My Middle Name.
RAMP asked Landecker how this ambitious project finally came about.
"There were three main factors at play," he told us. "1) I was out of work at the time, 2) people were urging me to do it, and 3) I realized that many of these stories were really unique and entertaining and needed to be shared." The book is packed with anecdotes about all of the famous people he's met, the stories behind his most famous bits and songs, rare photographs and additional tales from over thirty guest stars, including fellow radio legends Bob Sirott, Jonathon Brandmeier, Don Wade, Fred Winston, Joey Reynolds and others.
We also asked Landecker to share his "How I got into radio" story -- utilizing a personal connection, Landecker was able to wrangle his first radio station visit to WOIB-FM/Ann Arbor, MI. "My girlfriend's aunt was the 'Women's Editor' at the station and she arranged a meeting with the PD," Landecker says. "He was also the afternoon jock so we met in the studio." The PD handed a young Landecker some wire copy and had him practice reading it. He then announced that he had an aspiring young broadcaster in the studio and had Landecker read the copy on the air. "I guess he was suitably impressed, because he later hired me as the Saturday morning newsman. When that jock eventually left, I inherited the shift." The rest, as they say, is radio history.
Records Truly Is My Middle Name is available now for pre-order in trade paperback exclusively from Eckhartz Press. It officially ships on March 28 and will also be available on Amazon.com as an e-book.
