Larry Lujack (born Larry Lee Blankenburg; June 6, 1940 – December 18, 2013), also called Superjock, Lawrence of Chicago, Charming and Delightful Ol' Uncle Lar, and King of the Corn Belt, was an American Top 40 music radio disc jockey known for his world-weary, sarcastic style. Some of his more popular routines included Klunk Letter of the Day,audio file-Reel Radio-Klunk Letter of the Day Composite-WCFL the darkly humorous Animal StoriesBackground on "Animal Stories", Lujack and Edwardsaudio file-Reel Radio Lujack WLS-AM aircheck-March 1983-includes an "Animal Stories" piece with sidekick Tommy Edwards as Little Tommy, and the Cheap Trashy Show Biz Report.
Professional life
Lujack came to Chicago to work for WCFL-AM. He spent a few months there before being hired at WLS. While at WCFL, Lujack closed the air studio curtains during public visiting hours.(PDF)
His Animal Stories routine came about because WLS was still receiving farm magazines long after the station changed to a rock-music format in 1960. Lujack started reading some of them and began airing stories from them instead of reading the grain reports connected with the Farm Report. When the Farm Report was officially discontinued, the feature became Animal Stories.audio file-Lujack's own words about how Animal Stories began A perfectionist about his work, Lujack would review every word he spoke on the air after each broadcast by listening to an audio cassette skimmer tape which recorded only when the microphone was open.
Lujack retired in 1987,audio file-Lujack's Farewell-WLS-AM-August 28, 1987Copy of "Last Day" WLS memo from Lujack to the staff shortly after his son John from his first marriage died in an accident.Multiple sources: In 1997, Lujack moved from Palatine, Illinois, to the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and, in May 2000, began working again, for then-WUBT (WKSC-FM) in Chicago, via a remote Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) link from a New Mexico recording studio, teaming up with Matt McCann who was based in the Chicago studio. The ratings for the show out-paced the rest of the radio station. In 2003, he reteamed with his Animal Stories partner, Tommy Edwards (Little "Snot-Nosed" Tommy), on WRLL (1690 AM) in Chicago, to broadcast his signature features on weekday mornings. On August 16, 2006, Lujack was terminated with the entire WRLL on-air staff as it was announced that the station's Real Oldies format would cease on September 17, 2006. The broadcast duo were on the air once again as part of the WLS "The Big 89 Rewind" on Memorial Day, 2007 and 2008 when the station returned to its MusicRadio programming, featuring many of the former WLS personalities and special guests, other DJs, etc.
Lujack was inducted into the Illinois Broadcasters Association's Hall of Fame in June 2002, the National Radio Hall of Fame on November 6, 2004, and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame on April 15, 2008, during their annual convention in Las Vegas.National Association of Broadcasters Press Release-Larry Lujack to be Inducted into NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame
Personal life Born in Quasqueton, Iowa, as Larry Lee Blankenburg, the family moved to Caldwell, Idaho, when he was 13. He later changed his last name to that of his football idol, Johnny Lujack. He attended the College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho, and Washington State University and was a radio disc jockey, starting in 1958, at KCID in Caldwell. His entry into radio while a biology major at College of Idaho was a matter of finances; at the time he was looking for a part-time job. He originally intended to go into wildlife conservation. He subsequently worked at several other radio stations, including KJR (AM) in Seattle,audio file-Reel Radio-Larry Lujack aircheck-KJR-July 1966 but is best known for his antics on Chicago AM radio stations WLS and WCFL.Mr Pop History: Week of July 13, 1972-Larry Lujack joins WCFL-page 4. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011
Lujack had three children from his first marriage and a stepson from his second.
Away from the job, he was a golf enthusiast. After triple coronary artery bypass surgery in 1991, Lujack marked his calendar for the date his doctor told him he could return to the sport. Not just a "fair weather" golfer, Lujack suited up in winter clothing and snowshoes to play Chicago area golf courses in winter. On January 23, 1985, he played a full 18 holes at Buffalo Grove, Illinois; the temperature was 27 degrees below zero with a windchill of -75 degrees. Lujack collapsed afterward.
Lujack, a heavy smoker who lived in fear of getting lung cancer, died December 18, 2013, at home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, under the care of his wife Judith with the help of in-home hospice of esophageal cancer, caused by untreated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which was likely exacerbated by his excessive coffee consumption.
Radio stations Station City State Dates Notes KCID 1490 Caldwell ID KGEM 1140 Boise ID ? KNEW* 790 Spokane WA audio file Reel Radio-Larry Lujack aircheck KNEW-July 1963 KPEG 1380Spokane radio-history of KPEG Spokane WA KRPL 1400 Moscow ID ? KFXM (AM) 590 San Bernardino CA Morning Drive, All Nights KJRB 790 Spokane WA – evenings KJR (AM) 950 Seattle WA – WMEX (AM) 1510 Boston MA – as "Johnny Lujack" WCFL (AM) 1000 Chicago IL four months; all-nights WLS (AM) 890 Chicago IL – afternoons, then mornings WCFL (AM) 1000 Chicago IL – afternoons WLS (AM) 890WLS-FM 94.7 Chicago IL – mornings; then in 1985, afternoons WUBT 103.5 Chicago IL – WRLL 1690 Chicago IL –
Works Lujack, Larry; Jedlicka, Daniel A. (1975). Superjock: The Loud, Frantic, Nonstop World of a Rock Radio DJ. Chicago, IL: H. Regnery Co.. Lujack, Larry; Edwards, Tommy (1981). Animal Stories. Illustrated by Jözef Sumichrast. Chicago, IL: WLS. Lujack, Larry; Edwards, Tommy (1982). Animal Stories Volume II. Illustrated by Glen Arvidson. Chicago, IL: WLS. Lujack, Larry; Edwards, Tommy (1983). Animal Stories Vol. III. Illustrated by John Youssi. Chicago, IL: WLS. Lujack, Larry; Edwards, Tommy (2007). Uncle Lar' & Li'l Tommy's Best of Animal Stories. Lake Forest, IL: Animal Stories. http://www.animalstoriescd.com/
References
External links
Scott Childers' The History of WLS Radio The Rock of Chicago, the 1980s. Read about Lujack in the context of WLS history.
audio file-Reel Radio "The Legendary Lujack" Composite
audio file of Lujack's first day on the job at WLS-1967 Real Oldies 1690 AM WRLL. Through Sept. 17, 2006, hear an automated version of the station where Lujack and Tommy Edwards (Little Tommy of Animal Stories) hosted mornings from October 2003 through August 15, 2006.