Wls radio programs

Dates :. Provenance :. Wolfe bought the collection from the on-line auction house, E-bay. No information is known about the previous owner. Wolfe notified the Center that a group of personal correspondence came with the collection and was intended to be included with his donation.

He loaned the letters for photocopying, but they were not returned. Attempts are being made to locate the letters. Evelyn Overstake was born December 20, in Decatur , Illinois , the first of three daughters born to two Salvation Army workers. The Overstake Sisters began harmonizing at school functions and mission meetings and their popularity led to radio appearances in central Illinois.

They signed on with the American Record Corporation and cut four titles in April , all issued on the Conqueror label. Evelyn continued a solo career on WLS through Evelyn married D.

Bechtel of Chicago and had a son, Neil Eugene Bechtel. The youngest Overstake sister, Lucille, later performed as Jenny Lou Carson, and became a successful songwriter in the s and 50s. Scope and content :. Manuscript items, which make up most of the collection, include two scrapbooks, one containing newspaper clippings, photographs, sheet music covers, programs, and memorabilia.

Another scrapbook contains mostly photographs of Evelyn. Personal papers include illustrations, greeting cards, and church bulletins. Various episodes of radio show scripts, advertisements, fan letters, and photographs of WLS performers are among the contents. Of particular note are two manuscript songbooks, which are bookbinders containing song lyrics for use on the radio. One of the binders has a table of contents of songs; the other appears to have various songs in alphabetical order.

Rick: If you were to put together your all-star station, who would be on the air--other than yourself. Fred: My night-time guy would be my good buddy Dick Biondi. He is such a great people person. He's the ultimate survivor.

I'd also have Dan Sorkin. You may not remember him, but he was on WCFL in the '60s and was way ahead of his time. Very funny--a true personality. I'd also have the great Ken Nordine doing an overnight jazz show. Can you imagine how cool that would be? Plus, you have to include Larry Lujack and Steve Dahl. Larry is a great performer, and I love how dark he is, and Steve has his own distinctive style. No one can copy his style--he's a true original.

All of those guys have one thing in common. They are all really intelligent. That's key. My program director would have to be Dave Martin. He's the very best. Rick: What about your favorite and least favorite radio guests? Fred: Least favorite is easy--Robert Conrad. He came into my studio like a boa constrictor after partying all night. He was hostile, rude, and aggressive. As for favorites, I have so many it's hard to pick a few. I'd say Robert Wagner is about the kindest, most decent guy I've had on my show.

There are a lot of people like that in the business, but he really stands out. Also, I loved talking to author Anne Rice. She really opened up--told me all about her inner demons. As for musicians, Leo Kotke is one of my favs. It provided access to consumer goods to households many, many miles from a department store.

So it should have been a no-brainer for WLS to play music that strongly appealed to rural customers of Sears goods. Life was hard in the hinterland. So, too, did families across a huge swath of the nation. Acts needing to rest their voices and fingers had a designated comedian who riffed on the proverbial encounter of a city slicker and a country bumpkin.

The theater had 1, seats, yet it was sold out for and 10 p. Here he comes. What they heard were musical tributes to an America that was fast changing. When it announced that free admission to a show in Normal, Illinois, would be given to donors of recyclable material, listeners showed up, dragging defunct hay binders, automobiles, cream separators and 60, pounds of rubber.

Prosperity replaced the poverty that had attended the birth of country music. Have an idea for Flashback? Share your suggestions with Lara Weber at lweber chicagotribune. Get our latest editorials, commentaries and columns, delivered twice a week in our Fighting Words newsletter.

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