The year was 1979. In May, we purchased a townhome in Warrenville, IL (a suburb west of Chicago) from the Pulte Home Corporation. At the time I was working as Classical Records manager for the big Rose Records store at 214 South Wabash Avenue in Chicago’s Loop. (I’ve just learned in my web search for information about Rose, that they evidently sold the company to Tower Records some years ago.)
Through a series of serendipities, I was hired by the new Vice-president of Sales for Pulte to work as the Sales Manager for our sub-division. I went from having a 45 minute train ride to work every day, to having a 30 second walk across the street! What’s more, I was making more money than I had ever made. The job went pretty well. I sold nine houses between June and December of 1979. One of the m was to Frank Dawson and his wife Cindy.
Frank, Cindy and their two kids walked through the door of my office in the first model home. I greeted them, and invited them to walk through our three models and asked that they stop back in if they liked what they saw. The two kids (one boy and one girl, as I recall) took off through the door that led from my office into the first model. Cindy was right behind them. But Frank Dawson stopped just as he was walking through the door, turned and asked me the question that ended up changing the direction of my life.
“Have you ever worked in radio?”
“No, I’ve always been interested in it, but how do you get into radio?”
“Well, my name’s Frank Dawson, and I’m the program director of WKKD Radio over in Aurora and I’m looking for some part-time help. Why don’t you come by and audition?” He reached into his pocket and handed me his business card.
I thanked him and said maybe I would.
As I mentioned, Frank and Cindy bought a house from me, in fact they bought that model house we were standing in at the time of that conversation. Over the course of the following few months, Frank asked me a few more times if I would come audition to be one of his part-time announcers. I actually thought he was kidding at first, but after 5 or 6 times, I realized he was serious.
So, one morning in mid-November, I finally drove to the station and did the audition. It consisted of reading a few news stories, the weather, and a commercial script. He told me to read everything twice and to stop the reel-to-reel recorder when I was finished. So, I did and then walked down the hall to his office when I was done. He introduced me to Todd Beezley, the production manager of the station as I was leaving.
A few weeks later I was sitting in my office when Frank Dawson called me. He said that 7 people had auditioned for the job and five of them had previous radio experience. I was sure the next thing he was going to say was that he had picked one of them, but instead what he said was, “And the best of them was you.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Nope, you were the best. Can you come to the station Monday evening around 6 to start training? Dave Fischer will be here and he’ll show you what you need to know.”
I agreed to be there on Monday, hung up and sat in stunned amazement for a few minutes. I then called my wife to tell her what had happened. It was now the middle of December, 1979. If you’re old enough to remember that year, what happens next won’t come as a big surprise.
About two hours later, the VP of Sales walked into my office and sat down with a heavy sigh.
“Bob,” he said, “There’s a recession on. The president of the company has just been fired. I’ve been demoted to your job. And we have to let you go.”
Bang! That was the club God used to help me see that my life journey was now headed in a new direction. I would no longer be in Real Estate. Now, I was going into Radio and from there, as I’ve written previously, into voice-over.
That’s my story. What’s yours?
And I remember you when I started at KKD and stayed part-time during most of the 80s. As I recall, KKD was an easy-listening format at the time, and that you didn’t stay too long after I arrived.
Dave Fischer, of course, stayed forever and finally did retire. I just a moment ago send an email to Todd to try to reconnect. Chuck is still in the Aurora area running his own production company.
I’ll shortly retire from government service after 30 years.
It was a pleasure to recall your name again and go back in time. I hope all is well with you.
Denis Caravella, a.k.a. Denis Anthony
Denis,
How wonderful to hear from you. Isn’t it amazing what you can find on the Internet? Yes, all is well.
I was there at WKKD for only a little over 2 years, so you’re right, not a long time. But, it was where the radio stuff started for me. And yes, it was a “Beautiful Music” format back then.
Thank you for stopping by and leaving your comments.
Be well,
Bob
I’m not surprised Bob Souer got “discoveredâ€. I don’t remember hearing that story. Frank was a good guy. Where is he at now?
Back in the late ‘90s I was having lunch with a couple of friends who were sales managers at various Chicago radio stations. Chuck & Craig were laughing about how many times a week they receive homemade audiotapes from people hoping to break into radio. Chuck said, “Nobody ever got an on-air job that way.†Which surprised me because, “I did.â€
The one and only homemade tape I ever produced included a couple of demo commercials I’d written. Just a few days after sending it to Frank Dawson, he called and hired me over the phone. Along with writing, producing and voicing spots for WKKD clients, I got a weekend on-air gig – which I couldn’t wait to get rid of. Bob, you may recall that I played an entire music tape backwards. Fortunately, you jumped in to mentor me.
I’d like to hear Dan Ferrelli’s “how I broke into radio†story. He was just a kid at the time he was with WKKD-AM. A talented kid. (I guess we were all kind of young then.) Now he’s head of Media Relations for City of Aurora Police Dept. I’ve seen him on the news a number of times fielding questions about some crime. Tough gig but he is so-o-o good at it.
Bev,
Last I heard from Frank he was living in Brownsville, Texas.
Thank you for stopping by and adding your memories to this post. It’s great to hear that Dan is doing so well.
Be well,
Bob
Wow! The things you discover when you google your name! I have fond memories of Bob, Bev, Todd, Frank, and a lot of other people at WKKD. Bev: Thanks for the kind words. I have the best job in the world working for a group of 300 heroes— the Aurora Police officers. Bob: I remember those “pipes”, and think that I even have some of the commercials you used to do so well. Frank Dawson’s the best— still remember our many lunches at Fitzhugh’s out at the Fox Valley Mall after we both got off the morning shift— enough said. Todd was always an inspiration.
My “get into radio” story basically revolves around being a pain in the butt to everyone at the old WMRO. I always wanted to be in radio and befriended Dean Richards, Johnnie Putman, Bruce Drennan, and a bunch of other personalities there. I figured if I hung around the station enough, they’d have to hire me.
I ended up getting hired first at age 16 at WFVR (later WKKD-AM) as the board op for the Carlos Vera Spanish show on Sunday mornings thanks to Joe Locke. They then promoted me to Sunday mornings where I spun records between church services. Christmas day, 1977 was my big break when WAUR (the sister station to WMRO) wanted to know if I’d work that day. I’ll never forget that it was a Monday morning so I had to sign the station (a 50,000 watt blow torch) on, and figure out the reel-to-reel automation system. I played Christmas music til noon, not having slept the night before. I felt as though I had “made” it!
Like a lot of us, my goal was to work in Chicago which I never did… until I got my current gig. Spokesperson, Aurora Police. (Not exactly what I was planning but what can I say?)
Thanks for some great memories. Hope to talk with you all soon. Boy… the catching up we could do!!!
Dan,
How very nice to bump in to you again here in cyber-space. Thanks for adding your story to the comments. Yes, lots of catching up!
Be well,
Bob
This is an old post, but I’ve just come across it. I can’t help but think how time repeats itself. In this economy today, You might have a job today and not tomorrow. We got through it all then and we wil get through it all again!
Nick,
Yes it does.
Be well,
Bob
Bob, some great memmories found here. Happened to be googling some old names from my earlier radio years. I remember those days like they were yesterday.
Joe,
How wonderful to hear from you! Thanks for leaving your comment today.
Be well,
Bob
I worked with Cindy Dawson in Aurora for about a year before they moved to Texas, I believe. How are they doing?
Jeannie,
I’ve haven’t spoken with Frank or Cindy since they left for Texas all those years ago so I’m afraid I don’t know.
Be well,
Bob