Station: 1430 WIL St. Louis
Featured Air Talent: Ron Lundy (WABC, WIL, WCBS-FM)
Comments:
Most remember Ron Lundy as the midday personality for most of the top 40 era at New York’s 77 WABC. As the story goes, Dan Ingram worked with Lundy in St. Louis at this very radio station prior to going to WABC, and convinced his program director to hire Lundy.
If you’ve never heard Ron Lundy before, here’s a YOUNG Lundy doing what he does best at WIL. Who ever woulda thought you’d hear callers ON THE AIR in 1983 – WABC almost never aired callers, until the late 70s, and in the early days of Top 40 radio it was literally unheard of to air a phone conversation with a listener. But that’s what you’ll hear on this recording.
A phenomal aircheck reminds me of him on the top of his game on WABC.
Thanks for the Ron Lundy aircheck. Nice to hear him again.
this is reason the radio was cool and dj was on point not like todays dj glad to here him again
Why did WIL air listener calls when most station didn’t? The fact that they were in the same market as KMOX, the station that is credited with being the first to feature listener driven talk shows in all day parts might be part of the reason.
Many, many thanks ! Ron Lundy was one of my Radio Faves here in St. Louis !
This my hometown,and Lundy along with Gary Owens, Jack Carney, Dan Ingram, Danny Dark, and many others “did time” at WIL AND St. Louis. (Even more specially was Don Pietromonaco…KXOK’s “Johnny Rabbitt”.)
We were in High School when they began, and in-or-out of college when they left. But they were all a part of the fabric of our lives, and for me personally, they helped to give me the impetus & drive to go into a career that I had wanted since I was about 8 years old.
A career that continues to today.
Again, thanks to Airchexx Radio for their efforts to preserve the voices & sounds of our history: past & present.
Jonnie King
PS: To see my Tribute to my friend & mentor Don Pietromonaco (“Johnny Rabbitt”) see the “Rabbitt Trackx” Section on my personal website: //www.jonnieing.net
Ooops ! Due to the lateness of the hour, or earliness if you will, I omitted the “k” in the webaddress to link to the “Johnny Rabbitt” Tribute Section.
It should be: //www.jonnieking.net
Sorry about that ! I assure you it won’t happen again today !!
JK
Another WIL alum, Jack Carney (1932-84) went to WABC. I heard a ‘check from a June 1961 show (WABC) at reelradio.com. I’m only 25 minutes into this aircheck, but intend to listen to the whole thing. WIL was a big country station years after this aircheck was made. I think 1430 is oldies now.
WIL sure had a clean, uncluttered sound…unusual for l963. no shuckin’ and jivin’ and unnecessary chatter. I don’t know who the PD was at the time but he or she certainly knew what they were doing.
“If you’ve never heard Ron Lundy before, here’s a YOUNG Lundy doing what he does best at WIL. Who ever woulda thought you’d hear callers ON THE AIR in 1983 – ”
In 1983?!?! Certainly! I was on WNBC on a call in show around that time.