March 9, 2001 R&R 47

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LARRYLWACK: THERESTOF THE STORY One hundred cigarettes, a gallon of coffee and 12 -hour days

In the last installment of our "Larry's doing it the way I'd like the radio morning to prep. He'd smoke a hundred cigarettes, adventure with Larry Lujack (2/2), station to sound, and I'd like the rest of down a gallon of coffee, do his four hours, take a walk our hem had just arrived in Chicago. you to listen and get closer to that sound." and then come back and listen to an aircheck of the It was 1967, and WCFL PD Ken It was at WLS that Lujack started "The show. "This is a guy who worked very hard at what Draper had just hired him away from Crank Letter of the Day," which eventually he did," says Greenberg. WMEX /Boston to do overnights. evolved into "The Clunk Letter of the Day." "He came in early because he was cheap and Lujack's feelings about Boston aren't "I changed the name because a lot of the wanted to park on Lower Wacker," jokes John Gehron. generous. "I hated Boston," he says, letters were really stupid," Lujack says. Still, Gehron, an Infinity VP based in Chicago, was PD of "so I was only there for four months some of his other listeners weren't: David WLS when Lujack returned, and he remembers it well. and then went to 'CFL." Letterman at Ball University and one Jeff "WLS was a very unique radio station, and I always Christy (a.k.a. Rush Limbaugh) would tried to make sure the format didn't get in the way of THE STORY SO FAR both rise early to check out the Big 89. what the talent did best," Gehron explains. He says OK. Let's review. In his first five In 1971 Lujack called John Rook the this allowed Lujack to be who he was, "cynical, years in radio Lujack had had six jobs "greatest program director of our time or creative and loose," and remembers, "His punch lines and been fired from four. After that, any other time." There was mutual came out of left field and were generally something very discouraged, he returned to admiration, and when Rook returned to you didn't even think of." KRPL /Moscow, ID and enrolled at Larry Lt jack Chicago the next year to take over WCFL, Which brings us to "Animal Stories" and the the University of Idaho to study Lujack got a call. notorious anteater story. forestry. In the fall of 1963 he decided to quit the "I had it so good at WLS that I was a little leery "Anteater tongues are incredibly fast, so off the top business. about leaving, so I threw them what I thought was an of my head I made this comment: 'I'll bet a lot of "My parents thought radio was stupid," says outrageous proposal for that time. It was basically a housewives would like to have an anteater around,- Lujack. They encouraged his college plans, but then five -year no-cut deal for 100K a year I$408,000 a year Lujack recalls. Tommy Edwards was Lujack's he heard a rumor about an opening at KJR /Seattle, in 2001 dollars)." Lujack, of course, acknowledges "Animal Stories" sidekick, and when he started applied and, to his surprise, got the job. that radio salaries have grown since then. "Some of laughing, Lujack realized that what Edwards was So, giving up his dream of being a forest ranger, the contracts I read about today amáze me," he says. thinking wasn't what he'd intended. "It suddenly Lujack U- Hauled to Seattle, where he had to rework "But, for that time, I don't think anything like that came to me what he was laughing about, and I burst his on-air approach, if for no other reason than that existed." into hysterical laughter and started falling on the Dick Curtis, whom Lujack had worshiped and copied, In 1972 Lujack returned to WCFL and stayed for floor," he recalls. worked at KJR too. "I came to the realization that it four years. "Initially, it worked out great," he says. Edwards, who today is PD of KCBS-FM /Los was far easier to just be myself on the air," Lujack "We beat WLS, and that had never been done." But Angeles, says Lujack "just makes me laugh. His mind says. then, about three years into Lujack's Beal, WCFL gave is so unusual." Three years later Lujack was in Chicago, at WCFL. up the fight and went Beautiful Music. "I was on the air what I was off the air," says "This was the age of the super Boss Jock approach," Lujack, however, had a nocut deal, and he also had Lujack, "and listeners can sense that." Indeed. says former WLS talent Scotty Brink. "We were fast- Marty Greenberg. GM of WLS, on his side. "WCFL Anonymous listeners recall Lujack opening the mike paced and tightly produced, but Larry pretty much had changed formats, and Larry was required to and saying things like, "Well be doing a show in abandoned all that stuff. He was sloppy in a lot of announce beautiful music," says Greenberg. He sensed Fargo, ND Saturday night, and if Larry Lujack can fly ways, and he really stood out as a result of it." there might be an opportunity to get Lujack back to across the frozen tundra to go there, you clowns in Lujack says that Brink's observation is very percep- WLS. What happened next was unprecedented. Fargo better turn out fo see me." tive and confirms that kicking trash cans on the air "I called Lew Witz to ask for permission to talk to And, of course, they did. wasn't out of the question. He also says that he'd only Larry, and Lew said to me, 'Marty, not only will I let Larry Lujack - Superjock - is, as Marty Greenberg been at WCFL for four months when he got a call from you talk to him, but I'll pay for part of it,'" Greenberg puts it, "worthy of recognition and a nice guy." across town offering afternoon drive and more money. says. A deal was structured to bring Lujack back to "Few people know the teddy bear he really is," he "I went to WLS when I was 27," he says. WLS, and, for the remaining time on the contract, continues. WCFL paid half of Lujack's WLS salary. Greenberg P.S.: Uncle Lar, enjoy those New Mexico sunsets. YOUNG MAN ON THE MOVE remembers that ABC's legal department in New York couldn't believe the stations had negotiated that kind It's a jock meeting at WLS, where the important Bob Shannon writes, voices, produces from of deal. and consults stuff is getting said for Chicago. Gene Taylor's the his Bainbridge Island, WA -based based business manager. Young Mr. Lujack is in a room full of Rock HE'S BACK bobshannonworks. Shannon, who continues to consult his radio legends: Art Roberts, Clark Weber and Ron former employer, TM Century, can be reached at Riley, to mention but a few - and Taylor says, Lujack came to work at three or four in the bob @shannonworks.com.

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