Studio Walls

    Every week I send my Minutia Men Co-Host Dave Stern a list from our audio archives for this week's Studio Walls feature. These are the possibilities for this week. Which one will he choose?

*March 13, 1781 the planet Uranus was discovered. We talked to Phil Plait about our favorite planet. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*March 14 is Dobie Maxwell's birthday. We interviewed Dobie on the show, including about his book Monkey in the Middle.. (Listen to full interview)

*March 14 is also the birthday of God Friended Me creator Steve Harper. We talked to him about that show, and the importance of the BLM marches in 2020. (Listen to full interview here)

*March 15 is the Ides of March. We had Ides of March lead singer Jim Peterik on the show, and he played their biggest hit ("Vehicle") for us. (Full interview available here).

*March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. A perfect day to call the Catholic Confession Hotline (AUDIO)

*St. Patrick's Day\, of course, was celebrated live on the podcast in 2020 when we had Irish musician Timothy O'Shea in the studio. (Listen to his entire interview here)

*March 17, 2017 is the day the program The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel debuted. We spoke to an actor on that show, Dave Koenig (Full interview is here)

*March 18 is sportscaster Rich King's birthday. We had him on the show on the anniversary of his retirement. (Listen to interview here)

*March 18 is also the birthday of Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine. We talked to the man who discovered him playing in a garage, John Denicola. John is the guy who co-wrote the hits for the film Dirty Dancing. (Listen to full interview here).

(Rick and Dave with Timothy O'Shea)

Eckhartz Everyday

*Today is NPR's Scott Simon's birthday. Scott was featured in two Eckhartz Press books, Records Truly Is My Middle Name by John Landecker, and Cubsessions by Becky Sarwate-Maxwell and Randy Richardson.

*On this day in 2013, Randy Richardson was appearing at the Book Stall in Winnetka to promote his book Cheeseland. 

*On this day in 2015, I was on Rick Kogan's show to talk about my book Father Knows Nothing. I brought oldest son Tommy along to observe the interview.

*Today is Nancy Wilson's birthday. The guitarist of Heart is featured in the Eckhartz Press book We Have Company by Bobby Skafish.

*Today is also Tom Bradley's birthday. Tom was a member of the 1972 White Sox, and is featured in the pages of the Eckhartz Press book Chili Dog MVP.

The Ides of March

As Shakespeare's soothsayer warned Caesar...Beware the Ides of March. You'd think that with the purple hair, he'd have seen it coming. (Jim Peterik from the Ides of March)

Gaylord Perry

I never realized that he actually admitted it. And he's in the Hall of Fame.

Pitching legend Gaylord Perry talks about the spitball on a classic episode of "Late Night with David Letterman"! (1983) #MLB #Baseball #History pic.twitter.com/lN8iF5KYbJ

— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) March 15, 2022

Chili Dog MVP

 Great review by Rick Kogan in today's Chicago Tribune about our latest book, Chili Dog MVP. "I guarantee that the most excitement you’ll find — short of a World Series win on either side of town — is in the 400-some pages of “Chili Dog MVP: Dick Allen, the ‘72 White Sox and a Transforming Chicago” from publisher Eckhartz Press."

You can read it here.

Adam vs. Tucker

Amen to this. Tucker may not be a full-fledged traitor at this moment, but he's coming awfully close.

Tucker Carlson invited me on his show tonight, but that’s not going to happen…ever. While he echoes Putin’s lies, I’ll remain focused on supporting the Ukrainian people. My video statement: pic.twitter.com/plfOhh6bNb

— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 14, 2022

From the Writing Archives

Today is WXRT Morning Man Richard Milne's birthday. I interviewed him two years ago for the Illinois Entertainer. 

Here is a small excerpt of that piece...

He had been a heavy XRT listener for years, and he credits some of the greats for influencing his own style on the air.

“All of them had an impact on me,” he says, “but I don’t think I’ve ever given proper credit or attribution to Bobby Skafish. He created the most marvelous radio in the late ’70s/early ’80s, which was an impressionable time for me. I was a hardcore WXRT listener beginning in ’78 or ’79, and Bobby Skafish was on fire in those days. His personality leaped through the speakers. Those Skafish years at WXRT are as responsible for me getting into radio as anything.”

Since arriving at the 93.1 dial position himself, Milne has had some of his own shining moments.

“I remember talking to Curtis Mayfield in 1996. He had just released his first LP since an on-stage lighting accident in 1991. You have to admire all that Curtis brought to music, but for the majority of his life—by this time, he was living in Atlanta—he was a Chicago guy. I have always taken great pride in that. When I left the studio that day, having just interviewed Curtis Mayfield, albeit it that he was literally lying on his back talking into a telephone, I felt like I was walking on air. Surviving an interview with Lou Reed live, with his personality, while witnessing his on-stage performance, was another highlight. He played songs four feet away from me that I was engineering.  It’s hard to top that.”

Milne isn’t the same disc jockey he was when he first cracked the microphone in the 80s. His on-air style has evolved over time, and he credits his attention to detail.

“I have a path I follow every break,” he says. “That’s the way I do my best work. I have to know what my ‘in’ is and what my ‘out’ is, and what my content is. I don’t just whip these things out. I have given thought to everything I say and everything I play. It is important to me. I don’t have a problem with other people who can crack a mike and let the stream of consciousness flow, but I’m not that guy.”

He is, he admits, a very lucky guy.

“I wish everyone in radio had the kind of outlet and the kind of freedom we have on WXRT. That’s why listeners respond to it. As far as I’m concerned, the future remains bright for Chicago’s Finest Rock, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Richard Milne can be heard every weekday morning from 5:30am—10am.

If you'd like to read the entire piece, it's here.

Eckhartz Everyday

 *On this day in 2016, Eckhartz Press author Dobie Maxwell was making the rounds, appearing on WGN, WLS, WIND, WRXR, and WTMJ. 

You can listen to all of those appearances here.

This Week in English Soccer

 *This week in 1872 (March 16), they played the first FA Cup final game in history. Wanderers FC beat Royal Engineers FC 1-0.

*This week in 1892 (March 15), Liverpool FC (my favorite English team) was founded. 

Both Liverpool and the FA Cup will be discussed in this week's Free Kicks with Adam and Rick. New episodes drop every Friday.

Minutia Men--Box Full of Heads

 The latest episode of Minutia Men is out. You can listen to it here.

Pickle crime, Cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch, Grizzly Bear counselors, flatulent license plates, a box full of heads, and a brush with a celebrity rapper are discussed by Rick and Dave. [Ep263]

Marilyn and the Cubs

 I've never seen this one before. It was posted on my facebook page. Love it. Trying to figure out who those three Cubs players are...

UPDATE: It wasn't the Cubs. It was the White Sox. Full story is here.

That makes me feel a little better. I was worried I didn't recognize the players.

RIP William Hurt

He passed away yesterday at the age of 71. Really good in Body Heat and the Big Chill. Great in Broadcast News...

From the Writing Archives

Today is 3/14, which my math-genius son calls "Pi Day" (The first few digits of Pi are 3.14). In honor of "Pi Day" about ten years ago, I wrote a math-oriented Father Knows Nothing column for him. He hated it. I'm not sure why...


These simple story problems will not only help your child with math, they will help explain the frustration that eventually emerges in all parents.

Remember, boys and girls, to show your work.

#1: One of Freddy’s jobs is to make sure he changes his underwear every day. If his mother does the laundry every Friday, and there is only one pair of Freddy’s underwear in the laundry, how many days has Freddy neglected to do his job that week?

#2: George is a very bright boy. He gets 100% on every paper he turns in, but he only turns in seven of the ten papers that were due. If each paper is worth 100 points, and he receives zero points on every paper he doesn’t turn in, what is his final grade for the class?

#3: Billy has been brushing his teeth all by himself twice a day (morning and night) since the day he turned three years old. Unfortunately, Billy never remembers to do this until his parents remind him, and each time they need to remind him three times. By the time Billy reaches his 15th birthday, how many times have his parents had to remind him to brush his teeth?

#4: Sissy and her mother go to the supermarket to buy vegetables. Her mother asks the grocer how many different types of vegetables he sells, and the grocer replies “70.” Of these 70 varieties of vegetables, only three can be served on a plate to Sissy without inducing loud whining. What percentage of the available vegetables will Sissy eat without making dinner miserable for everyone around her?

ANSWER KEY
#1: 6 days in one week (85.7% of the week)
#2: C Minus
#3: 52,560 times
#4: 4.28571% of available vegetable varieties

Eckhartz Everyday

 *Happy birthday to Dobie Maxwell. Dobie's great book Monkey in the Middle is one of the best selling books in Eckhartz Press history, and one of three Eckhartz Press books optioned for film rights.

*On this day in 2013, John Landecker began his publicity campaign for Records Truly Is My Middle Name with an appearance on Windy City Live. Two surprise callers joined in...his daughter Amy, and the legendary disc jockey Larry Lujack.

*Today is radio host/podcaster Steve Cochran's birthday. Steve was a big fan of the Eckhartz Press book The Living Wills and said this about it: 

An amazing accomplishment. You couldn’t pick a more difficult way to write a book, and they have pulled it off.

The Birth of Johnny Kaempfer

 

The date was March 12, 1998.









The headline on the Chicago Sun Times front page: “Cicero deal halts Rally by Klan”
The headline on the Chicago Tribune front page: “Clinton plans to join Ulster peace talks”
The headline on the Daily Herald front page: “Clinton refuses to say whether he will testify to grand jury”
The headline on the New York Times front page: “The World of Paula Jones”

But the biggest story was happening in Mt. Prospect, and only one reporter was on hand to break the story....Me. I called into the John Landecker show that morning to report the news flash. The cast of characters included John Landecker, sidekick Catherine Johns, and newsman Richard Cantu.

The following is a transcript of that important phone call.



John: Oldies 104.3, John Records Landecker, it’s 8:27, and joining us on the phone from the maternity ward is the producer of the program, Rick the German Boy Kaempfer. Good morning, Rick.

Rick: Good morning.

John: Rick, tell us what’s going on.

Rick: Well as long as we’re plugging our kids (John had just plugged his daughter’s play), I’ve got a new one to plug.

John: Aaaawwwwright!

Rick: Last night around eleven thirty Bridget’s water broke and we didn’t even have time to make it to the hospital downtown, so we went to the one out here.

Catherine: Oh, is that right?

Rick: And we have a new baby boy!

(Cheering and clapping in the studio)

Richard: Whoo Hooo! Congratulations. Two knucklehead boys!

Rick: And it’s a big one too.

Catherine: How big?

Rick: 8 pounds, 6 ounces.

Catherine: That is pretty big. How’s Bridget doing?

Rick: She’s doing real well. I’m at home now. I came home to check on Tommy...

John: Wait a doggone minute! You went home to check on your other child before you called the show? Where are your priorities?

Rick: Sorry, forgive me. I’m hopelessly out of whack.

John: OK, 8 pounds. How long was it?

Rick: 21 inches...if you know what I’m saying.

Catherine: We know what you’re saying.

John: No, how long was the baby?

Rick: Oh, the baby?

Richard: Once more into the gutter.

John: So what time was this kid born?

Rick: Two o’clock in the morning. They kicked me out of the hospital at 4:00, because Bridget has to share a room, and I came home and got a little sleep, and Tommy just woke me up, so I’m calling you right away.

John: So you’ve called all your family I hope.

Rick: Bridget called them.

John: But she had the baby.

Rick: Yeah, she had the baby in about two hours. It wasn’t that bad, although that’s easy for me to say. She was fine, what a trooper.

Catherine: And she wanted to chat, right?

Rick: Exactly.

Catherine: Now I want to know something. Does this child have a name?

Rick: Oh yes he does. His name is John Richard Kaempfer.

John: Wow.

Richard: You honor us, Sir.

John: Was he named after anyone?

Rick: Well, my favorite Beatle is John.

John: John Lennon.

Rick: And of course, my favorite DJ....

John: Really?

Rick: Yup. John Brandmeier.

(Everyone laughs)

John: OK, you got me.

(Call waiting clicks)

Rick: And actually John is also a name in Bridget’s family. Her grandfather was named John. And so is her brother.

(Call waiting clicks again)

John: I see you got baby waiting there.

Rick: Yeah, I think I may be popular today.

John: Well, we’ll let you go. Congratulations on the big news! So you’ll be back to work tomorrow, right?

Rick: Uh...well...

Catherine: John!

John: Just kidding, just kidding.

Rick: See you later.

John: There he goes. Proud papa.

(Click)

John: Oh wait! Darnit! I forgot to ask him if he taped it.

Richard: Are you kidding? Of course he did.

John: Because if there was ever a disc jockey who knows how to exploit a child, it’s....

2 year old Tommy Kaempfer singing the jingle: John Records Landecker, Oldies 104.3.





Of course, I did tape it, by the way. It aired the next day. Friday the 13th.


By the time Johnny was three he was doing movie reviews and jokes on the radio. He also accompanied the show to the Dominican Republic for a live broadcast.



Today he is 24 years old.

Free Kicks--Adam's Report from Across the Pond

 The latest episode is out now. You can listen to it here.

Back from England, with visits to Everton, Burnley, and both Manchester clubs, Adam reports on what he has seen. [Ep148]

Cubs Birthday Tweet of the Week

Born OTD in 1933, Ed Bouchee. He was still on probation (for indecent exposure) when the Cubs inexplicably traded for the 1B in 1960. Bouchee’s time in Chicago was uneventful. He hit 17 homers over two seasons and was left unprotected in the 1962 expansion draft. #EveryCubEver pic.twitter.com/OJubFb9vun

— Rick Kaempfer (@RickKaempfer) March 7, 2022

RIP Luis

His real name was Emilio Delgado, but to Sesame Street viewers, he was Luis. He passed away this week at the age of 81.

Les Grobstein

 

Today would have been legendary Chicago sportscaster Les Grobstein's birthday. Unfortunately, Les passed away very unexpectedly earlier this year. In honor of Les, I've decided to re-post a portion of the interview I did with him in 2009. The entire interview is here at Chicago Radio Spotlight.

Rick: I almost don't know where to start with you because you've done so much and been involved in so many interesting radio moments. But there is one thing I don't think I've ever heard you speak about: your first job in the business, with Sports Phone. That wasn't technically radio, it was a phone recording, but it was done as if it was a radio broadcast. For people that are too young to remember that, would you mind talking about what that was, and give us a few of the names of people that worked there?

Les: Dick Gonski, the former Bulls color commentator, was our GM. I had the daytime shift. Ron Gleason was the nighttime guy. Tom Greene, who later did sports huddle on WMAQ, was also there. Pat Benkowski was there. Ted Robinson, who went on to be a big time play by play guy, was there. We also had George Ofman, David Schuster, Fred Huebner, geez, I know I'm leaving some people out, but the list goes on and on.

I was on the daytime shift by myself and didn’t have to alternate like some of the other guys. I got to do quickie quizzes every day, which I’ve always been good at it. We even had a quickie quiz hall of fame. The others at nights and weekends were basically a scoreboard. During the daytime there wasn't as much going on, the Cubs were the only ones playing day games, everyone else played at night, so I was given much more leeway.

Some days I would go to the game and do the updates from the game, but what really helped me was I was allowed to do creative stuff. It really was more like a show. When Rick Talley left for the LA Times, they went looking for someone to replace him at WLS, and Bud Miller said that hearing what I was doing on Sportsphone helped me. I also knew two people at WLS--Bob Sirott and Tommy Edwards, who was already doing the Bulls public address. So, they asked me to come into the station. I met everyone else there, including the program director John Gehron, and they all liked what they heard, but Bud told me, yeah, we’ll get back to you. We’re looking at 50 other people.

I didn’t think I had a chance. In the interim, I was called in by Reed Pence at the Loop and a couple of other people over there, and they were interested in having a sportscaster too...and we were in the same building as they were (the Hancock)...so that seemed like it could really happen. That chance died when they put together their deal for Disco Demolition. Part of the deal was Mike Veeck would come in and do what was basically nothing more than a promotional announcement for the White Sox. He did that for about a week and a half before the actual event. Obviously after it blew up in their faces, they dumped the idea. Mike Veeck was out.

Now we're in early fall, and I'm traveling to cover the 1979 World Series; the Baltimore Orioles against the "We are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates. I got a call from Bud Miller saying "we want to put you on the air tomorrow with Lujack and Sirott, and we’ll see how it goes for a few weeks." I did those first few reports from the World Series. When I got back from the World Series, the very next morning my son was born. At his wedding a few years ago they played “We are Family," as a sort of remembrance of what was happening when he was born.



As for WLS, I did my first in-studio thing with Bob Sirott (photo), and they called me into a meeting right after that, and offered me a 5-year-contract. I stayed there for the next ten years.

Today, by the way is officially Les Grobstein Day in Chicago, in case you missed this item in yesterday's Robert Feder column...

Les Grobstein would have celebrated his 70th birthday this Friday. To honor the incomparable Chicago radio sportscaster who died in January, Mayor Lori Lightfoot this week officially proclaimed March 11 “Les Grobstein Day in Chicago.” (Here is the link.) The tribute recalls that Grobstein “was known as a walking sports encyclopedia who had an ironclad memory of even the smallest details and who equally loved all Chicago sports from high school, college, professional and everything in between.” It even mentions Grobstein’s historic role in recording Lee Elia’s infamous eruption at Wrigley Field in 1983. Capping a legendary 50-year career in his hometown, “The Grobber” hosted overnights on Audacy sports/talk WSCR 670-AM.

Eckhartz Everyday

 

*On this day in 1961, the Ken Doll was introduced. Nearly 30 years later, as he began to bald, The Balding Handbook author David Stern, in stage 2 of his grief (anger) over his hair loss, took out his wrath on innocent Ken Dolls everywhere. This photo (from the book) says it all.

Funny is Funny

Taco Bell is the only place you can still get gas for $1.39

— Ron Cervenka (@Think_BlueLA) March 9, 2022

Jordan's Biggest Baseball Moment

I was at this game, sitting in the right field upper deck.

Chicago #WhiteSox batter Michael Jordan hits a double during an exhibition game vs. the Chicago #Cubs at Wrigley Field! Harry Caray with the call! (1994) #MLB #MLBPA #Baseball #History pic.twitter.com/PxackUYSb3

— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) March 10, 2022

Chelsea

 Today is Chelsea Football Club's birthday. They were founded on this day in 1905. My co-host for Free Kicks, Adam Howarth, grew up a Chelsea fan is still one of the their most loyal supporters. A few years ago, we were lucky enough to visit the club, and see a game live at their stadium. I'll never forget it. The latest news, by the way, is that the Cubs are interested in buying Chelsea.

Not a great way to spend your birthday...this statement was just released today by the club...

Chelsea Football Club has been advised that its owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK Government. 

 By virtue of his 100 per cent ownership of Chelsea FC plc and affiliated entities, Chelsea FC would normally be subject to the same sanctions regime as Mr Abramovich. However, the UK Government has issued a general licence that permits Chelsea FC to continue certain activities. 

We will fulfil our men’s and women’s team fixtures today against Norwich and West Ham, respectively, and intend to engage in discussions with the UK Government regarding the scope of the licence. This will include seeking permission for the licence to be amended in order to allow the Club to operate as normal as possible. We will also be seeking guidance from the UK Government on the impact of these measures on the Chelsea Foundation and its important work in our communities. The Club will update further when it is appropriate to do so.

Eckhartz Everyday

 *On this day in 2020, Eckhartz Press author Lauren LoGuidice held the first copy of her book in her hands. Inside Melania came out just as the pandemic hit, which unfortunately deprived Lauren of her nationwide tour as a Melania impersonator. The book is still available at Eckhartz Press, and it's pretty darn funny.

Congrats to Eric Litt

 We had a fun time last night at Eric Litt's successful book launch for his book "Oscars Biggest Mistakes". Thanks for everyone who came out...

Studio Walls

   Every week I send my Minutia Men Co-Host Dave Stern a list from our audio archives for this week's Studio Walls feature. These are the possibilities for this week. Which one will he choose?

*March 6th was Ed McMahon's birthday. Johnny Carson's famous sidekick once recorded a promo for our advertising agency (AUDIO)

*March 6, 2018, the Loop signs off for good. Rick appears on WGN Radio to discuss the legacy of the once-great radio station. (AUDIO)

*March 7, 2011, Harry Teinowitz is arrested for DUI. The Chicago sportscaster appeared on our show to discuss that event, and how it led to his play When Harry Met Rehab (listen to the entire interview here)

*March 8, 1996, the movie Fargo is released. We spoke to actress Michelle Hutchinson, who appeared in the movie (listen to entire interview here)

*March 8, 1974, the last episode of The Brady Bunch aired. We spoke to the man who played Cousin Oliver (who appeared in that final episode), Robbie Rist. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*March 8 is International Womens Day. We interviewed the woman who gave her fellow ladies all over the world the moxie to create their own she-shed. That's right, She-Shed Sheryl. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*March 10 is Toupee Day. We have audio of Hall of Famers Harry Caray and Ron Santo discussing Ron's wig. (AUDIO)

*March 12, 2014, Dave was on Steve Cochran's show (WGN) discussing his book The Balding Handbook: 5 Stages of Grieving for your Hair Loss. (AUDIO)

*March 12 is Rich Koz's birthday. The star of Svengoolie was a guest on Minutia Men just a few years ago. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*March 12 is also Kevin Matthews birthday. We talked to Kevin about his great career less than a year ago. (Listen to the entire interview here)

Eckhartz Everyday

 

*Born on this day in 1948, former White Sox pitcher Dan Neumeier. You may not remember Dan, but he was part of the 1972 Chicago White Sox, which means he is featured in the new Eckhartz Press book Chili Dog MVP. 

Chili Dog MVP

 

Book Signing

Free Excerpt from The Daly News: Commentary March 8, 1972

 

Some of the treasures in Joel Daly's book "The Daly News" are the television commentaries he sprinkled throughout the book. Joel delivered nightly commentaries on Channel 7 News for a decade, and it just happened to be the most tumultuous decade of all-time. This is his commentary from March 8, 1972; a time when bombings were becoming commonplace worldwide--including Chicago. This particular commentary led to death threats that were so specific, Joel checked his car for bombs every night before driving home.


Commentary - March 8, 1972

Some powder, a fuse and a spark…such are the basics of a bomb. But of what is the bomber made?

Without courage or compassion, without feeling or concern, the bomber is foremost and first…the worst kind of coward!

With his pliers and wires and cheap little clocks, he’s a shadow of a man with “little boy” thoughts.

Playing hide-and-seek with people’s lives, he’s less likely to be feared than despised.

Some powder, a fuse and a spark…how simple to build a bomb…how difficult to understand the bomber.

He knows not his victims; how many or why. They may be innocent, unsuspecting, but still they may die.

Coward! Coward! Who would kill without cause: shoppers in Belfast; passengers in tourist-class.

Coward! And cursed, that person who would threaten, extort and indiscriminately destroy for money, vainglory, a red glow in the sky.

Sick minds, it’s true, feed on headlines, drool at the damage and laugh at the frightened. But, we cannot ignore nor defer the fact that madmen walk our streets; the worst of assassins, paranoid and plotting.

Some powder, a fuse and a spark. These are the basics of a bomb, but of what is the bomber made?

He is hollow, without soul, an empty shell. The bomber is humanity’s “dud”.

Eckhartz Everyday

 *Today would have been Mark Gelinas' 59th birthday. The courageous Gelinas wrote the book Gel-Strong about his struggle with pancreatic cancer. A portion of the proceeds for that book still go to pancreatic cancer research. I miss Mark and think about him all the time. He and I were friends for nearly 40 years.

*Today also would have been Dick Allen's birthday. Dick is the subject of the great new Eckhartz Press book Chili Dog MVP, which has been getting wonderful reviews in the press. Kudos to authors John Owens and Dr. David Fletcher for the incredible job they did on this book. The pre-sale resulted in the biggest pre-sales totals in Eckhartz Press history.

*On this day in 2017, Bobby Skafish appeared on WCIU-TV to talk about his great book We Have Company. 

A sight for sore eyes

For the first time in 17 years...

Big Ten Champs! https://t.co/sFaKNVpPgw

— Ted Cox (@tedcoxchicago) March 7, 2022

From the Writing Archives

 This month marks the end of my tenth year as the media columnist for Illinois Entertainer. Every month I interview someone from Chicago media. Every month, that is, except for April of 2018. Because on March 6, 2018, the legendary Loop signed off for the very last time. The editors of IE asked me to write about my Loop recollections in my column that month, and this is what I wrote...

I was 23 years old the day I walked into the Loop offices for the first time. After getting rejections from the other rock stations in Chicago (and there were quite a few at the time), I had thrown a Hail Mary pass to the biggest of them all, The Loop. I wrote a letter to the promotion director of the station, Sandy Stahl. I was absolutely shocked when she called me in for an interview.

I vividly remember sitting nervously in the Loop lobby on the 37th floor of the Hancock staring at the giant portraits of the biggest stars in Chicago radio–Jonathon Brandmeier, Steve & Garry, Bob Stroud, Bobby Skafish, and Patty Haze. These people were my heroes. I listened to them every day, and I was about to walk in the same hallway they did.

The door behind the receptionist opened up, and a blonde lady with short hair poked her head out. “I’m Sandy. Come on in.” I was surprised how small the station was. There were a few small studios with “ON AIR” lights, a room full of tape cartridges that also housed an AP wire machine and a desk, a record library/office, and maybe two or three other offices. Sandy led me to the end of the hall to her office and asked me to take a seat. My head was spinning.

I have zero memory of what I said. I only remember her warm, comforting smile made me feel at ease. I have very good radar about people, and I could tell immediately that I was dealing with a very special person. After I gave her my spiel, she broke the news to me. “We are in talks to buy an AM station, and there might be a spot there for you. It may be a year or more before we go on air, but here’s what I suggest you do. You should start coming out to our events and get to know everyone. That way, when we start hiring, you will be top of mind.”

She brought me around and introduced me to everyone. I met program director Greg Solk, production director Matt Bisbee, GM Jimmy deCastro’s friendly assistant Geri Wells. She even took me into the air studio, and I met Bob Stroud. I was in heaven. I think I flew to my car after I left.

After that, Sandy would call me every few weeks and tip me off to Loop events. I went to an event at the Hard Rock Café and met the new overnight guy they just brought in from St. Louis. His name was Kevin Matthews. Sandy also introduced me to Gehrig Peterson, Steve & Garry’s manager at the time. He was looking for help running Steve and Garry’s fan club and wondered if I wanted a job.

Are you kidding me? I went to all of Steve & Garry’s appearances (and Kevin Matthews’ appearances too–Gehrig was also his manager). Within a year, Steve & Garry’s producer Roman Sawczak decided he wanted to leave the show, and they gave the job to me. For the next few years, I worked for Steve and Garry and learned a lifetime’s worth of lessons. I learned everything through trial and error, mostly error. Every mistake became on-air fodder for Steve and Garry’s sharp barbs. Talk about motivation not to screw up!

It was an incredibly wild ride. I met the biggest stars in the world. Rock stars, comedy legends movie stars, politicians, and athletes were on the show every day. I also met a cute redhead in the news department named Bridget who later became my wife. One day shortly after I was named producer, Greg Solk called me into his office. “Rick,” he said, “Would you like to try doing a shift on the FM?” Are you kidding me? I was on from 4-9am on a Sunday morning. The first time I cracked the microphone and said “The Loop” on the air, I almost fainted.

When I decided it was time to leave Steve & Garry’s show, I couldn’t bear to leave the only station I cared about, and the management was kind enough to let me stay for a few more years. The GM at the time Larry Wert gave me a weekend show on AM 1000 with Stan Lawrence called Ebony & Ivory. Sandy Stahl introduced me to the editor of Chicago Advertising and Media, who gave me a regular column writing about the media, and a foot in the door for a second career as a writer/author. I couldn’t believe my good fortune.

My last show on the Loop was right before Steve & Garry’s last show together, although nobody knew it was their last show at the time. I still have the tape of Garry’s character Cliff talking to me about Garry’s upcoming wedding, and wishing me luck in my future ventures. The year was 1993.

All of those memories were flooding through my mind when I heard the news a few weeks ago that the Loop was signing off. I walked down memory lane for a good week or two with my former friends and colleagues on social media and the phone. I could tell that everyone was getting as emotional as I was.

Throughout all the reminiscing, I kept thinking about one thing. The radio station that I listened to as a youngster, and gave me a career and a wife and a life, is gone forever. I have no idea how to convey my thanks sufficiently.

Eckhartz Everyday

 *On this day in 2013, The Living Wills becomes first Eckhartz Press book to be used in school curriculum (Marist High School in Chicago). It will not be the last. Co-author Brendan Sullivan (a Marist alum) was on hand to talk to the students about the book.

*On this day in 2014, Cubs author ("Wrigley Field: The Unauthorized Biography" and "Wrigley Field: THE LONG LIFE AND CONTENTIOUS TIMES OF THE FRIENDLY CONFINES") Stuart Shea wrote this review of the Eckhartz Press book Lost in the Ivy by Randy Richardson: 

• Randy Richardson’s Lost in the Ivy expertly captures the weirdness and excitement of the streets that the Chicago Cubs—baseball’s weirdest and most exciting franchise—call home. And aside from being a terrific “I’ve been there” walk through Wrigleyville, it’s a cracking murder mystery to boot!

  
  

Picture of the Week

 Found this one while looking through some old photos this morning. Not sure why, but I love this picture. That's Bridget, Sean (now 19), and Johnny (soon to be 24), 17 years ago, giving me a "Ta-Da!" after finishing some crafts.

This Week in 1908

 One of my favorite features of the Just One Bad Century website was This Week in 1908. It was my effort to show just how long ago 1908 really was. Even though the Cubs have won the World Series now, it's still fun occasionally to look back. Here's this week's entry...

*Alexander Graham Bell turns 61 (March 3), and is one of the most famous men in America–known as the inventor of the telephone. Now he is experimenting with aviation. He and his aviation team are working very hard on preparing his aeroplane “Red Wing”. It will make the first American public flight next week (March 12) in Hammondsport, New York. The photo is a postcard of that historic flight. (Postcards are a particularly popular way of publicizing events in 1908)

In Chicago

It is a very tense time in Chicago. The anarchist movement is strong and organized. The police are attempting to protect the God-fearing Chicagoans by staking out churches every Sunday. They spend the rest of the week breaking up worker rallies where the anarchists are most likely to appear. In the midst of this turmoil, a high profile murder shakes the city: a dead body is found in the home of the Superintendent of Police, George Shippy. Lazarus Averbuch, an alleged anarchist, was supposedly attempting to assassinate the Police Superintendent. Shippy’s son Harry was wounded in the attack, and Supt. Shippy claims to have shot the man in self defense. There are a lot of problems with his story, and the forensic evidence doesn’t seem to match up, but Shippy is portrayed as a hero in the Chicago papers. They splash this photo of Averbuch’s dead body, propped up in a chair by Police Captain Evans, all over the front pages. Police Superintendent Shippy died only three years later…of syphilis. (Photo is from the Daily News collection at the Chicago Historical Society.)

Baseball News

~ A crazed fan throws a brick through a train carrying the Cleveland Naps to training camp, injuring several players (March 3)

~The Cubs have a mishap on the way to spring training too. Frank Chance is late arriving at the train depot, and has to hop on the train while it’s moving. He leaves his suitcases behind, including the one with the team uniforms.

Birthdays

~Knute Rockne turns 20 (March 4). He is working as a laboratory assistant to noted polymer chemist Julius Arthur Nieuwland and won’t become the head football coach of Notre Dame for another ten years.

~A baby boy is born in a suburb of Liverpool, England (March 5). The young lad, Reginald Carey Harrison, will later go by the first name of Rex and become an Academy Award winning actor.

~Louis Francis Cristillo turns 2 in Patterson, New Jersey (March 6). He would become a stunt man in silent movies before turning his attention to comedy. In the early 30s he changes his name to Lou Costello, and teams up with a straight man named Bud Abbott.

Price Check: A 50 gallon drum of Seroco ready-mixed house paint can be yours for only 85 cents a gallon. The paint comes in fashionable colors including French Gray, Pea Green, Beaver, Milwaukee Brick, Fawn, Drab, Light Drab, Buff, Yellow Stone, and Nile Green.

If you travel back in time, don’t ask someone to sing the National Anthem. It won’t be called that until 1931. From 1931-1942 it will only be played at baseball games on special occasions. Not until after the United States becomes involved in World War II, will it become a regular part of the ballpark routine.

Free Kicks--Soccer Responds to War

 The latest episode of Free Kicks is out. Listen to it here.

The European soccer governing bodies are coming down hard on Russia, the crowds are cheering the Ukrainian players, and Chelsea’s ownership future (currently owned by a Russian Oligarch) is in doubt. Rick and Adam discuss. [Ep147]

Eric Litt