Good Times Will Roll At Benefit For Dick Biondi Documentary

CHICAGO -- If you grew up in Chicago during the Top 40 era of AM radio, you probably had a transistor radio tucked under your pillow listening to such legendary Chicago DJs as Ron Britton, Barney Pip, Art Roberts and Larry “Uncle Lar” Lujack spinning the latest rock ‘n roll hits. The godfather of them all was Dick Biondi, one of the original "screamers” known for his screaming delivery and wild antics.

At 86, Biondi is still the world’s oldest teenager. Biondi is credited as the first DJ to play The Beatles on American radio, and later went on to introduce the Fab Four and the Rolling Stones at their Hollywood Bowl concerts. He also knew Elvis. Biondi wrote song parodies like “On Top Of A Pizza" (to the tune of “On Top Of Old Smokey”), which became regional novelty hits among his legions of teen fans. He’s also a member of the National Radio of Fame.

Known under various nicknames -- the Screamer, the Big Noise from Buffalo and The Wild I-Tralian -- Biondi was fired 25 times from radio, once for complaining about the number of commercials he had to play during his first WLS stint from 1960 to 1963. He’s knocked around the country, from Buffalo, NY to Los Angeles. Returning to Chicago in 1967 to WCFL, record executives regarded Biondi as a hitmaker. Playing a record on Biondi’s show guaranteed an artist maximum exposure. Many of today’s biggest names in rock credit Biondi with helping to launch their careers.

On his 85th birthday, Sept. 23, 2017, Biondi was honored with a day-long birthday tribute by WLS 94.7 FM, where he spun golden oldies in the evening shift. Months later he was sidelined by a leg ailment and dropped from the WLS-AM lineup, thus ending his 60-year run on the airwaves.

Independent documentary filmmaker Pamela Joy Pulice, a boomer whose life Biondi touched as a young girl, has completed a documentary about the Wild I-tralian. The feature documentary chronicles the iconic radio personality’s amazing radio career spanning over six decades, “including the birth of American Rock & Roll and the evolution of pop music.”

The documentary is now in post-production, with commitments to air on WTTW and other PBS stations, and hopefully a few film festivals. To bring it over the finish line, Pulice and her team will be holding a “Good Times Rock ‘n Roll” fundraiser for the Dick Biondi film at 115 Bourbon Street, 3359 W. 115th St., Merrionette Park, from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 28.

Guests will be treated to a buffet dinner, beer, wine and pop, silent auction, split-the-pot raffle, and a sneak preview of “The Voice That Rocked America: The Dick Biondi Story.” Guests can also groove to live music by the fabulous 60s band New Colony Six, master of ceremonies Scott Mackay of 95.9 The River, the “Hundred Dollar Quartet” featuring Scott May of the Ides of March on keyboards, Chicago’s original garage band The Cavedwellers, The Meteors 60s oldies band, Southside Exiles and more.

Special guest performers will also play a set featuring Jim Peterik of the Ides of March, Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams, Jay Reincke of Jay and the Americans and Dennis Tufano, the original voice of The Buckinghams.

All ages are welcome. General admission tickets are $37 age 21 and older, and $18 under 21, when purchased online in advance, or $42/$23 at the door. Under 4 are free. VIP and valet parking are available. 115 Bourbon Street is located at 3359 W. 115th St., Merrionette Park

Watch the trailer