I first met John in 1977 when my husband went to work at WLS. John was the night jock and the hot young guy on the station. All the girls loved him and at every appearance he had a huge following of dedicated and loyal fans. John was a great ambassador for WLS and, for the 18-34 demographic, John was the hippest, coolest, edgiest guy in radio. As a fellow family member of the WLS team, we all spent a lot of time together at events, appearances, ball games, charity events, concerts, dinners, and pretty much anything happening in Chicago. Every weekend the WLS basketball and baseball teams played rock bands, celebrities, and other pro ball players all in an effort to raise money for a charity or someone in need. Besides being a talented on-air jock, John was an equally proficient jock on the basketball court and the baseball field. But John’s great love was rock and roll. He didn’t just love the music, he also enjoyed playing the music on stage.
So whether it was “Boogie Check” on the radio or as the lead singer with his band “Landecker and the Legends,” or his cameo appearance as part of the band “The Kind,” John was willing to donate his talents for the good of others. But the day he stood up in the WLS conference room in front of all his colleagues and management and announced he would volunteer his talent to be the fifth member of “The Knack” in order to make the band's Chicago debut a promotional blowout, was the coolest idea that never happened. It was always John’s style to give of himself so unselfishly. John is truly an icon in Chicago, and you can’t help but love him. But it’s his years of hard work and dedication that makes you respect him above all else.
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