Larry Lujack
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Larry Lujack (born June 6, 1940), a Top 40 Music radio disc jockey who was a precursor to the shock jocks of the 1990s, is known for his world-weary sarcastic style, "Klunk letter of the day," and darkly humorous "Animal Stories."
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Born in Quasqueton, Iowa as Larry Blankenburg, he later changed his last name to that of his football idol, Johnny Lujack. He attended College of Idaho in Caldwell, Washington State University and was a radio disc jockey starting in the early 1960s at KCID in Caldwell. He subsequently worked at several other radio stations but is best known for his antics on Chicago AM radio stations WLS and WCFL.
Though he retired in 1987, shortly after his son from his first marriage died in a traffic accident, Larry began working again in May 2000 for WUBT in Chicago via remote ISDN link from from a New Mexico recording studio. In 1997 he moved from Palatine to the outskirts of Santa Fe, where he plays golf and landscapes. Lujack was inducted into the Illinois Broadcaster Association's Hall of Fame in June 2002.
In 2003, he re-teamed with his Animal Stories partner Tommy Edwards (Little Tommy) on WRLL AM in Chicago, and continues to broadcast his signature features on week days. November 6, 2004, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.
He's married to Judith (Jude) his second? wife and has 2? children.
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Also known as
- Superjock
- Lawrence of Chicago
- Lar
- Uncle Lar
- Old Uncle Lar
Book
Superjock: The Loud, Frantic, Nonstop World of a Rock Radio DJ with Daniel A. Jedlicka NTC/Contemporary Publishing (October 1975) ISBN 0809283026 SKU 199692172
Radio stations
KCID, Caldwell, ID, 1958
KGEM, Boise, ID
KNEW, Spokane, WA
KRPL, Moscow, ID
KXFM, San Bernadino, CA
KOL, Seattle, WA, 1963
San Bernardino, CA
Spokane, WA
KJR, Seattle, WA, April 1964 - September 1966
WMEX, Boston, MA, September 1966 to December 1966 as Johnny Lujack
WCFL Chicago, IL, 1967 (4 months)(All-nights)
WLS, Chicago, IL, August 1967 - July 1972 (Afternoons, then mornings)
WCFL, Chicago, IL, July 3, 1972 - March 16, 1976 (Afternoons)
WLS, Chicago, IL, September 16, 1976 - August 28, 1987 (Mornings, then in 1985, afternoons)
*WLS continued to pay Mr. Lujack for five years after his
departure to keep him from competing with them in markets
where ABC had local Radio outlets. In effect, a forced retirement.
WUBT, Chicago, IL, May 25, 2000 - January 10, 2001
WRLL, Chicago, IL, Oct. 8, 2003 to present.
External links
- Scott Childer's The History of WLS Radio (http://www.wlshistory.com/WLS80/) The Rock of Chicago, the 1980s. Read about Lujack in the context of WLS history.
- Real Oldies 1690 AM WRLL. (http://www.realoldies1690.com/main.html) Hear Lujack and Tommy Edwards (Little Tommy of Animal Stories) back together daily.
- Animal Stories CDs. (http://www.animalstoriescd.com/) Sells 4 Animal Stories albums: the 3 original ones from WLS, and 1 new one from Real Oldies 1690 WRLL.
- 1985 Interview (http://www.manteno.com/wcfl/lujack.html)