2 months ago
Dick Biondi, an acclaimed Chicago power characteristic and Radio Hall of Fame personnel who was nan first American DJ to play nan Beatles connected air, died June 26. He was 90.
The Chicago Tribune confirmed his decease per an announcement released by WLS-AM 890.
Biondi is 1 of nan earliest personalities to play classical stone euphony connected American radio, commonly referred to arsenic nan “King of nan Oldies.” He was inducted into nan National Radio Hall of Fame successful 1998.
“He spent astir of his 67 twelvemonth profession entertaining nan top power assemblage successful nan top metropolis successful nan world, Chicago! Heard connected WLS, WCFL, WMAQ, WBBM and WJMK, his Radio and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sound will stay arsenic portion of nan soundtrack of our lives,” publication nan Facebook connection posted by WLS-AM 890.
An Endicott, N.Y. native, Biondi launched his profession successful power moving astatine WINR Binghamton and WCBA Corning. He went connected to activity astatine different stations up of landing his career-changing position pinch WLS successful 1960.
Biondi moved to KRLA Los Angeles successful 1963 and became nan first power characteristic to play nan Beatles connected a station. By 1967, he returned to Chicago wherever he’d worked astatine 1000 WCFL and 670 WMAQ. He continued to transportation stations and yet launched a syndicated Oldies show astatine WNMB North Myrtle Beach S.C.
He remained pinch Oldies 104.3 WJMK successful 1984 and would enactment pinch nan marque until it shifted to “Jack-FM” successful 2005. He kicked disconnected his last power position successful 2006 pinch 94.7 WLS-FM wherever he would stay until his status successful 2017 owed to an illness.
Biondi, too, was a personnel of nan Illinois Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, successful summation to being featured isolated of nan Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s power exhibit.
