So many people, myself included, will say they grew up listening to The Big 89, WLS, Chicago.
The station ruled not only Chicago but a large chunk of the Midwest. The tightly programmed Top 40 was the career inspiration for many who aspired to sound like the incredible talent lineup.
Growing up outside Chicago but within the nighttime listening pattern of the AM blowtorch, I remember being in the basement recording the station not only to pirate the songs but to study the jock’s techniques and how the station was programmed.
It was a career highlight when I later got to work for John Gehron, the WLS Program Director in the days I was studying the station. I’m happy to say I was able to continue to learn from John, this time in person and face-to-face.
Jeff Davis rocked the airwaves in July 1979. Davis is now in Los Angeles, where he has been working as a voice actor since 1992 at Jeff Davis Productions.
The audio quality of the aircheck is not great, but it’s fun to hear the jingles again and listen to Davis flawlessly execute the format. Also, notice the reverb on the mic.
Here is Jeff Davis in July 1979 on Music Radio WLS Chicago.
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Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
