Posted by Bud on June 11, 2010 at 19:00:31:
Tuesday, June 29, will be a Red Letter Day for Chicago and for radio. That�s when the city will officially dedicate the northwest corner of East Lake Street and North Garland Court as �Dick Biondi Way.� I don�t know about you, but I wouldn�t miss it for the world.
In a ceremony starting at 2 p.m., the honorary street designation will salute the legendary disc jockey and Radio Hall of Famer who recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of his first broadcast on WLS-AM (890).
�It�s a great honor and I am happy to join so many wonderful people who have had streets named in their honor,� Biondi said in a statement Wednesday. The 77-year-old dynamo is still going strong from 7 to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday on Citadel Broadcasting oldies WLS-FM (94.7).
Speakers at the dedication are expected to include 42nd Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly, who sponsored the resolution in the Chicago City Council; Michael Damsky, president and general manager of WLS; and veteran broadcaster Bob Sirott, who spearheaded the drive for the honorary street designation. �Dick�s gone from �on top of a pizza� to underneath Michigan Avenue, and with his sense of humor, humility, and love of every inch of Chicago, it�s the perfect spot to bear his name,� Sirott said.
The location of �Dick Biondi Way� was chosen for its proximity to the 360 North Michigan Avenue building that housed the studios and offices of WLS-AM (890) for decades.
�Dick is truly a Chicago legend and it is very fitting that he�s being honored in this manner,� said Michael La Crosse, operations director of WLS-FM. �It is something that is long overdue, but extremely well deserved. It is yet another memorable accomplishment in an extraordinary career.�
In another treat for Biondi�s legion of fans, WLS-FM has created a series of web pages containing audio podcasts, videos and photographs from his 50th anniversary show on May 2.
(Robert Feder, Vocalo)