Plenty of feedback, comments and questions following our pieces about morning radio shows. But first a quiz question.
I’ve been asking Women’s History Month quiz questions on air. Tina Turner’s solo career took off in the 1980s. Name Tina’s first worldwide solo hit. It was a cover of a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 song. Answer at the end of my column.
Thanks John Frizzell, supplying the answer for Rick Bednar regarding former WDWS personality Gary Axelson. John shared: “I worked with Gary for about six months before he left heading to Washington, D.C. He was a good guy and a lot of fun.”
He was hired by Metromedia covering a variety of national and international beats. After an awarding-winning stint in D.C. local television, he made a career switch. His long-desired goal was to be a clinical psychologist, getting his doctorate from George Mason University in 1984. He then began a career with Fairfax County Community Services Board, working in emergency services.
Gary lost a 10-year battle with multiple myeloma, passing on Feb. 13, 2025.
Several readers inquired about Gibson City native Don “Morning” Munson’s show at WJBC in Bloomington. He attended the University of Illinois and worked at 1580 WKID in Urbana. In 1964, he was hired at WJBC as a news reporter. In 1965, he started a 35-year run as one of the most successful morning personalities in the country, consistently delivering a commanding 40-plus share of the McLean County morning radio audience.
Late in 1974, I was a new resident of McLean County when I went to work for the broadcast automation company SMC. Listening to Don’s show, I quickly understood why he had national acclaim. His show was the heartbeat of Bloomington-Normal.
He stepped down from WJBC in 2000. But fortunately for Munson fans, he continued to do a weekly DJ show of jazz and big bands for Illinois State University’s public station, WGLT, hanging up the headphones for the last time in 2017.
Jamie Nyberg grew up around Peoria with two legendary personalities playing every morning in her home during breakfast time. Mom and Dad faithfully had WMBD’s Bob Carlton on. House rules: The kitchen radio must NEVER be switched from WMBD. Jamie and her sister could only listen to rock ‘n’ roll, WIRL’s Robyn Weaver in their bedroom. Thus, that’s where the sisters ate breakfast. By the way, both Bob and Robyn had extraordinary radio voices.
Dr. Paul Stines sent me plenty of material about his favorite morning personality, Larry Lujack at WLS. Wally Phillips ruled the morning airwaves at WGN for two decades from the mid-1960s to the mid-’80s. But it’s SuperJock’s just-over-10-year run in WLS mornings that is still talked about today.
Lujack’s Top 40 timeline in Chicago started at WCFL doing overnights in 1967. Four months later, he crossed the street to do afternoons at WLS. His first shot as the WLS morning jock was in 1970. But by 1972, he got a big money offer to go back to WCFL for afternoons. After WCFL’s switch to beautiful music, Larry executed the format perfectly to fulfill his WCFL contract. He then went back to The Big 89 in 1976 for another highly successful run in mornings.
Among his popular offerings: “Klunk Letter of the Day,” “Cheap Trashy Show Biz News,” “Police Beat,” “Uncle Lar’s Editorials” and, of course, the highly acclaimed “Animal Stories” with little snot-nosed Tommy. Decades later, Lujack fans still quote their favorite moments from his show. His supporting cast of Les Grobstein, Jeffrey Hendricks, Lyle Dean, Catherine Johns and others were perfect targets for Larry’s humor.
Back in the day, all the WLS jocks zigzagged a 150-mile radius of Chicago making appearances everywhere. Listeners have shown me copies of posters and ads where Uncle Lar stopped by C-U’s Red Lion, Brown Jug and Chances R.
He was an incredible personality who blessed us with his radio magic.
Announced last Monday: “A Retrospective Concert Honoring the Legacy of REO Speedwagon” on June 14 at State Farm Center. This is the culmination of almost a year of intense planning and navigating by our company.
Thanks Larry Perrotto, Paul Barrett, Jody Perrotto, Grant Thompson and L.A. Fredrickson from Central Illinois Media Group for your unwavering commitment to make this happen.
Answer: Let’s Stay Together.
