Wake
Up, Chicago!... The Art Hellyer Story
Art
Hellyer has been a legend in Chicago
broadcasting for more than half a century. I listened to him
on various Chicago radio stations from the 1950's until I
moved to California in 1986. Art always loved big band music
and played it often.
We
met in 1982 while I was working as assistant director of the
Mayor's Office of Special Events. For our summer Neighborhood
Festivals, I booked a different big band for each Festival
at major parks around the city on Sunday afternoons. To kick
off the season, I invited Chicago disc jockeys who played
big band music to appear at Mayor Byrne's official announcement
of these Festivals in Daley Plaza in May 1982. There weren't
many big band deejays on the air in 1982, perhaps a half dozen.
They all showed up, including Art Hellyer.
Thanks
to the Internet and email, Art and I have stayed in touch
in recent years. Recently, Art finished his book of autobiographical
essays, The Hellyer Say, which you can order
by clicking here.
It is a wonderful book. If you are a Chicagoan or from Chicago,
Art's book will bring back many, many memories. If you are
not from Chicago and never heard of Art, you will still enjoy
Art's great wit and his lifelong battles with the many nitwits
who have run most of our radio stations -- and still do!
Here
is a video showcasing Art's tremendous career. If you like,
you can order this video on a DVD, only paying $7.00 U.S.
for shipping and processing. Send a check or money order to:
Art Hellyer Productions, P.O. Box 6012, Naperville, IL 60567-6012.
This video is called Wake
Up, Chicago!... The Art Hellyer Story and is
only available
in the United States.
To view
this video, click the Play button below. Please allow
a few seconds for this video to load. When the "Buffering"
indicator at the bottom of the video player reaches 3%, click
the Play button again and the video will begin.
This video runs
for 72 minutes, so grab some snacks, a sandwich, a soft drink,
and then sit back, relax, and get ready for a swingin' time!
