The Big 89 WLS, Chicago, is turning back the dial this Saturday night and celebrates its rich Top 40 legacy with a special event that promises to be “the fastest two hours on radio.”
From 10 p.m. to midnight CT Saturday (7/26), “WLS Unwound: Personalities of the MusicRadio Years” will bring together some of the most iconic names from the station’s historic Top 40 era. The two-hour broadcast will be hosted live from the station’s lakefront studios in Chicago.
Among the scheduled guests are Tommy Edwards, Chuck Knapp, Catherine Johns, Chuck Buell, and Jim Kerr. Names that defined an era when WLS was branded as “The Rock of Chicago” and served as the soundtrack of the Midwest.
These legendary voices will reunite to share memories and swap stories. At the same time, revisiting the on-air magic that made WLS a giant in the Top 40 radio world. The show will also include a collection of vintage audio clips. Revisiting the era that helped solidify the station’s reputation as a trailblazer in the Top 40 format.
WLS historian Scott Childers will helm the evening. The man who wrote the book on the station. His knowledge of the station’s history is complemented by firsthand accounts from those who were there.
Archiving duties fall to “Radio’s Best Friend” Art Vuolo. Behind the scenes, Ted Gorden Smucker, Bill Shannon, Tim Larson, Travis Bravo, and Kipper McGee are coordinating production.
Listeners across the country can tune in via AM 890 or stream the event online.
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