Remembering Dick Biondi on WLS

I still adore Dick Biondi and can fondly recall listening to his D.J. broadcast on WLS-Chicago. I often would lie in bed at night with my little Rocket Crystal Radio's speaker in my ear. Sometimes, at night, it could pull in faraway rock music, including WLS, with the incomparable Biondi's zany commentary and cool music. My crystal radio required no power source and had one wire for an antenna that I clipped to the steel chain of my cast iron horse's bridle and another for the earpiece. To find a radio frequency, I would move the rocket's nose cone very slowly until its carbon rod receiver flooded my brain with Biondi's music and dialogue. I often fell asleep listening to the music. Later, my electronic whiz, Uncle Gordon, visited and gave me my own transistor radio, a Heathkit he assembled that ran on six 'D' cell batteries. It offered better sound and channel tuning without needing an ear jack. I often wish Dick’s program would be available today. Those were special times.

 Three years ago, I published my first book, Distant Dreamer. It is about two teen boys who get a summer job as assistant guides, working in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) of northern Minnesota. The boys face rough portages, learn camp cooking from an incarnate French-Canadian voyageur, and are trained to be fishing guides. They work for an Ely, MN, wilderness outfitter who has set up a backcountry experience for a group of clients with disabilities. I bring my own experiences into the novel with the incredible influence of our first male teacher at the venerable Quinnesec School.  The two excerpts below are fictionalized accounts of myself and a classmate as they rested in the outfitter bunkhouse before their first BWCAW trip begins. They are based on my memories of listening to The Man, Dick Biondi.

Excerpt 1:

 Mark had noticed a radio antenna atop the bunkhouse roof.   He checked behind the radio and found a wire connected to the antenna screw then snaked up the wall into the ceiling. This just might allow him to bring in stations far away!  He moved the tuner arrow directly to his old favorite oldies station 970KC, WLS in Chicago.  All at once, he hit a clear channel and heard a very familiar and welcome voice, Dick Biondi!  Biondi was a maverick D.J. on WLS.  He was often in trouble because of his on-air comments, but his loyal fans loved him because he played the best music.

“Yahoo!" Mark shouted.  "We are in high clover, my man!"

                Mark turned up the volume and adjusted the bass level, just as the next platter began to spin on Biondi’s magic turntable.  Clear as a bell came Elvis' rich voice belting out Heartbreak Hotel. The large speakers, which filled the bottom of the console, had a sound like a Wurlitzer jukebox. As Elvis sang, the room vibrated and they both began gyrating in their version of American Bandstand.

Excerpt 2:

    After chatting awhile about their day and the coming trip, Mark got up and wandered over to the old Zenith radio. His finger turned the massive volume knob. After the initial humming faded, it was replaced by the strains of WLS, Chicago's golden oldies station.  The beginning notes of one of the greatest duos, The Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody, pulsed wonderfully through the big bass speakers.  Both of them lay back to enjoy it with the lights out.  Except for the soft glow from the lighted radio dial, darkness prevailed. The old hit songs flowed magically, along with zany commentary from Dick Biondi. The Tokens sang The Lion Sleeps Tonight, while Bob and Mark hummed along with the strange, primitive lyrics.  It may have been their only hit song.   “One-hit wonders” were common in the ‘50s and ‘60s.  There was more opportunity for an unknown singer to break into the pop charts, unlike the present where fewer “name” artists monopolized the music. Mark had followed some of the singers’ success stories, such as how Elvis Presley cut his first record while employed as a truck driver.  His meteoric success as “The King” forever changed rock and roll.   Another unusual success was Rick Nelson.  He had his start as a young boy on a TV sitcom, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.   This was his real family!  Rick and brother Dave Nelson and their parents were a weekly series hit.  Rick would always play his guitar and sing during the episodes.   It was appropriate that the next song featured Rick Nelson’s hit, Poor Little Fool.

    With a maestro of spinning discs of rock and roll music and the influence of my innovative, creative role model teacher in Ray Mariucci as my life guides, my future was well-plotted. I write from the heart and try to infuse my characters with some of the marvelous attributes I gleaned from these extraordinary life mentors. I will always be in their debt.  

Barry D'Alberto     

No Fear of Heights

Guest blogger Connie Jeffrey wrote this poem in 2014. She says, “Dick is every bit as much appreciated and thought of today as always.”

All his life he’s known about airwaves
Reaching so far
There’s no limit to his imagination
He climbs so high

Skipping school he climbs the radio tower
Boldly signs his name at the top
He must know bending rules
Being his own self, will get him everywhere.

He loves ladders
And climbs the 105 ft fire ladder now
Incorrigible, finding the rush of air again

He stands at the edge of a high buildings roof ledge
And there’s no more natural place
He should be, seeing everything

Somehow it seems it’s more than
No fear of heights
You can’t keep a brilliant DJ
A skilled talker down

Just like music
He’s going to soar in the world
Every time.

Jim Peterik & The Wild I-Traliano

When long time fan and friend of Dick Biondi Pam Pulice first asked me if she could interview me on camera for a documentary she was planning on the life and times of Dick Biondi- I couldn't say "yes" quick enough!

Dick was an important part of my rock & roll life growing up in the south western suburb of Berwyn, Illinois.  

Even before I joined the Shondels (eventually to become The Ides of March) Dick was my rock & roll home companion.  Beside choosing all my favorite songs to play, his slightly rebellious sense of humor added a rascal's edge to his between song banter. He was "one of us."

When the Ides had our first hit in 1966 we heard it first on Dick's show coming through the dashboard of Mike Borch's Chevy station wagon as we were pulling into Larry's parents house to unload our equipment after playing a Morton West sock hop. "This is Dick Biondi, the wild Itralliano with a new one from a local band that's going all the way- The Ides of March with You Wouldn't Listen!" His clear tenor speaking voice cut through the Berwyn night air as we tooled down Cermak Road with the windows rolled down making sure that every car on the road could hear our debut single. 
We would run into Dick after that often as he'd emcee teen dances we would play all over Chicagoland.  We always had a blast and even sang On Top Of A Pizza onstage together. (but we learned never to ask him to play tambourine- he has absolute no sense of rhythm!). 
Through the years we always stayed in touch even getting together with him when he moved his show to a station in Myrtle Beach. 
Over the last ten years he has joined the Ides to celebrate the Catholic Mass at Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral on Christmas Eve by invitation from Father (now Monsignor) Dan Mayall- our dear friend and faithful Ides fan. (He and Dick would show up at countless Ides shows!)
At the 6 o'clock mass the Ides would perform 2 or 3 Christmas originals (we premiered Sharing Christmas there on our very first year). Dick would always speak from the heart about the true meaning of Christmas. "Happy holiday-ha!  I never knew a Saint named Holiday. It's Merry Christmas!!"
Afterwords the entire Ides family would go down the block to Buca Debeppo along with Dick and his wife Maribeth and father Dan. Dick and I made it a ritual to always have a private martini toast. It was our well known secret. 

One of my fondest memories is of Dick & Maribeth joining me and Karen and our son Colin at our place in Saugtuck Michigan. It was an idyllic 3 days with great food, great drink and even better conversation including a barefoot walk on the shores of Lake Michigan with Dick as we grilled each other on rock record trivia (artist, name of song, highest chart position, year of release, color of label, what label, what flip side etc etc.)  I'd hold my own but he'd always win. Then he would hold court after dinner regaling us with stories of all the celebs he had the pleasure to know, from Elvis to the Beatles to Freddie Boom Boom Canon. Such a wealth of knowledge. 
We are planning another trip with Dick and Maribeth summer of '17. 

When I saw the excellent trailer for the new Dick Biondi documentary I got even more excited because now the whole world can take a peek into the life of a radio legend. Pam Pulice and her talented team are just the folks to do it.  Best of luck!  Here's hoping that everyone opens their hearts (and wallets!) to help her make a legend come to life.  Much love. Jimbo




Rock on!!  Jimbo

Dick Biondi Believed in Us

The long-standing friendship between Dick Biondi and Carl Giammarese is one of mutual respect and regard based on love of hometown Chicago, the music and life stemming from the 1960s rise of hometown natives moving up on radio charts, propelled strongly by WLS radio as one of the major champions of hits by The Buckinghams and so many others. 

Carl said recently, “Because Dick Biondi believed in us, because he respected Carl Bonafede, and because he had a gift for making people believe in who he believed in, we owe him great thanks for making 50,000 Watts of power available to hometown Chicago guys with dreams. Our families have been great friends for decades and one of my favorite times of the year is Christmas, when Dick does his annual toy drive for children around town. Susan Rakis faithfully takes photos when I join Dick on air and in the malls each Christmas. We enjoy fans coming up to ask us when we’re going to take our act on the road. We don’t know, but we still like to be asked.”  

Clearly, there’s no better Chicago ambassador to the world than Dick Biondi—his loyalty, love, and commitment to his town is a benchmark for others to follow. He has a heart of gold and everyone should know that! 

This wonderful Dick Biondi Film project is a labor of love by Pam Pulice and her outstanding team that will correctly chronicle Chicago music history, Biondi style, and will share exactly what he did for the music of The Buckinghams, The Shadows of Knight, The Ides of March, The Cryan’ Shames, The New Colony Six, and so many more of “the neighborhood guys in garages and basements.” 

The Cornerstones of Rock Concert, first popular at Chicago’s WTTW-TV, then Ron Onesti’s Arcada Theatre, and now traveling the United States, are as popular as they are because Dick Biondi has talked about these bands 24/7 for now 50 years, throwing all of his heart and soul into it. This Film Project is most worthy of support, at any level we can afford ($5 – $1000); together, our voices of appreciation can be heard, and Dick Biondi’s living legacy will arrive by May, 2018.

Join them today; let your voice be heard. Show your support by making a pledge.

Dawn Lee Wakefield, Publicist for The Buckinghams and freelance writer