Columns
Rock of Pages: The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville • by John J. Thompson
The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville By John J. Thompson (Gyroscope) Review by Jeff Elbel Like a few of the central characters in this book, singer-songwriter John J. Thompson of alt-country/gospel band the Wayside may seem a bit tardy in offering his best gifts to the world. He’s an experienced storyteller and […]
Media: May 2025 • Triton College Radio Celebrates 50 Years
50 years ago, college radio was thriving. Every major college or university had a college radio station, and most universities had a radio/TV department. Those college radio stations were the breeding ground for the hugely popular radio industry, spawning radio stars, up-and-coming musical artists, and a whole generation of hitmakers. Sadly, across the country, college […]
Media: April 2025 • Road to Rock Class of ’24 and ’25
If you were wondering what happened to the 2024 Class of the Illinois Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was supposed to be inducted on March 30th, the answers were revealed last month. The Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 has rescheduled its annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to Sunday, […]
CinemaScopes: April 2025 • 20 Years of The Revenge of the Sith
If you somehow lived under a rock or were not old enough (or born enough) to see this in theaters, Disney is re-releasing Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, the final film in the prequel trilogy, in celebration of the 20th Anniversary. Starting April 25th, the film will be shown in select theaters […]
Media: March 2025 • Flipside Records Remembered
Flip Side owners Carl and Larry Rosenbaum had three choices they were considering at the beginning of their careers. “Hot dog stand, a dry cleaner, or a record store,” Larry confirms. “And fortunately, we chose record store.” That record store became an empire in Chicago (1970s—1990s), a string of stores throughout Chicagoland, soon to […]
March 2025: CinemaScopes • March Films in Like A Lion
We start the month with the 97th Academy Awards airing on March 2. If you love festivals, the 12th Annual JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival, running March 1-23, showcases culturally diverse, Jewishly-inspired films that will entertain, educate, and inspire audiences of all generations. A selection of 19 carefully curated films honor Jewish filmmakers, writers, […]
Media: February 2025 • 18 Seasons of Steve Wilkos
It’s hard to believe, but Steve Wilkos is now in his 18th season as the host of The Steve Wilkos Show. The show airs in Chicago on WCIU-TV. “18 seasons,” he says. “I wake up every morning, and I say the same thing. I still can’t believe it. I’ve been doing it, you know. I’ve […]
Media: January 2025 • Gone, But Not Forgotten
Every year, I write a piece about the people that we lost in the Chicago media world the previous year. We lost some great talent in 2024. Bob Newhart (July) If you’re my age or younger, you don’t remember a time when Bob Newhart was not famous. Bob was an ordinary Chicagoan when […]
Media: December 2024 • Chicago “Hearts” Billy Gardell
Billy Gardell became a household name while co-starring with Melissa McCarthy in the (2010-2016) sitcom Mike & Molly, but he’s certainly not a one-hit-wonder. He followed that with another five-year sitcom hit, Bob (heart emoji) Abishola. If you’ve ever wondered how to pronounce that correctly, you’re not alone. “It’s not Bob loves,” Billy explains. […]
Media: November 2024 • Danny Mac’s Beloved Bears Book
Dan McNeil was one of Chicago’s most controversial sports talk show hosts for decades. After long stints at the Score (670 AM) and ESPN (AM 1000), along with a few other stops on the radio dial (the Drive, the Loop), Dan has turned his talents to the written word. He has a new book […]
Stage Buzz: Heavy Chicago Fest November 1, 2 and 3
By Kelley Simms Heavy Chicago returns to Avondale Music Hall in this weekend for a second consecutive year. Last year’s festival was considered a rousing success, and this year’s fest is already living up to its prestige. A fantastic lineup is scheduled for three sweat-inducing days beginning this Friday, Nov. 1, and ending on Sunday, […]
Media: October 2024 • Chicago’s Very Own Dean Richards
Dean Richards had an entire career before he started working at WGN-TV. He had been working in radio for nearly twenty years at stations like WFYR, WCFL, WIND, WCLR, WNUA, and WGN Radio. He had been a morning host, program director, and production director and held down nearly every day on the air. The […]
Media: September 2024 • Rewound Radio
Once again, Rewound Radio (rewoundradio.com) is spending the entire Labor Day Weekend featuring classic shows from WLS and WCFL from the 1960s and 1970s. Ted Gorden Smucker is the man behind the plan. “When I was a kid, I loved radio and TV,” Smucker explains, “and when I was probably around sixth, seventh grade or […]
Media: August 2024 • Catching up with 97.1FM The Drive’s Brian Sherman
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more approachable morning radio show than the Drive’s (97.1FM) Sherman and Tingle. They don’t just talk to the listeners on the phone, they do it in person. How many radio shows regularly go out to the bars with their listeners? Sherman and Tingle do it every week for a […]
Media: July 2024 • 45th Anniversary of Disco Demolition: A Loop Insider’s Story
In the heyday of the late ’70s and early ’80s, Loop (WLUP, 97.9 FM) was owned by Congressman Cecil Heftel of Heftel Broadcasting. The president of Heftel Broadcasting was Tom Hoyt. A few photos of Hoyt appear in my book The Loop Files, as do a few stories told by him during his Heftel […]
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