CHICAGO'S WLS AND RENO'S KDOT RADIO IN THE 1960s

Spring cleaning can actually be fun.  You never know what relics you’ll dig up in a box that was long unopened.

For instance, check out this “Silver Dollar Survey” from Chicago’s WLS-AM Radio during the week of June 3, 1966.

“Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones was at the top of the charts, at least in the Windy City that week — followed closely by Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders’ “Groovy Kind of Love” and The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind.”

“Paperback Writer” by The Beatles was #17 on the survey, after two weeks of airplay and Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers In the Night” was #6,  after eight weeks of play.  “Top 30” radio back then was certainly eclectic!

Here’s a great YouTube video that captures the energy of the era and especially the power of WLS, one of North America’s most popular radio stations of all time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqqBFMQ6kMo

 I’ve recently wondered how kids and teens in Reno discovered the music of The Beatles, The Stones, The Who and so many other heroes of our generation.   Did Reno have a radio station to rival WLS, albeit in a much smaller market?

I did some sleuthing and even contacted the Nevada Historical Society, but info about Reno radio in the 1960s is scarce.  Then I tracked down Bob Carroll, a longtime Reno radio personality.

In a short phone conversation, Carroll told me, “In the ‘50s and ‘60s, KDOT was the station that teens listened to.  I worked there.  It was my first job in Reno.”

I mentioned to Carroll that the WLS disc jockeys (or deejays) were almost like rock stars in their own right.  They were witty and charismatic and each had some kind of gimmick or running joke or catchphrase.  And they regularly interacted with their audience, making guest appearances at high schools, teen dance clubs and the local amusement parks.  I asked Carroll, “Did you do things like that, too?”

Yes, said Carroll.  He remembered hosting rock ‘n’ roll shows with stars such as The Coasters, Duane Eddy and Chuck Berry at The Old State Building in downtown Reno, where the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts now stands.

I asked Carroll where Reno youngsters might have first seen groups like The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons.  He said they played the casinos in the ‘60s and later  — in the case of The Beach Boys —  returned to the region for Hot August Nights, an annual summer festival that features classic cars and oldies music.

“Did the Beatles ever come to Reno?,” I asked Carroll.  “No,” Carroll laughed.  “There was a Beatles knock-off band that often played Harrah’s but not the real Beatles.”

I would love to hear more about KDOT in the 1960s and the role that it played in young people’s lives in Reno. 

For my family and friends in Chicago, memories of the WLS staff and the wonderful music they played are golden.   Not only did they introduce us to The Beatles but to Chicago bands like The Ides of March (#20 on the WLS survey with “You Wouldn’t Listen” on June 3, 1966),  The Buckinghams (#30 on that survey, with “I Call Your Name”), The New Colony Six, The Shadows of Knight, The Cryan Shames and more.

If you’re a longtime Renoite and have stories to share about KDOT and the pop music scene in the 1960s, please e-mail me at maryd89521@gmail.com .

Meanwhile, to learn more about Hot August Nights, visit http://www.hotaugustnights.net/pages.php?var=event-schedule .

Paul Revere and the Raiders (whose hit "Kicks" was #7 on the WLS survey on June 3, 1966) and Bill Medley from The Righteous Brothers will be among the headliners at this summer’s Hot August Nights events in Reno and Sparks.

UPDATE, DECEMBER 2013:  A legend of Chicago radio (and WLS in particular) recently passed away.  Larry Lujack was a giant among radio personalities but apparently, a kind and humble man in his off-the-air life.  Thanks to longtime Reno radio personality Paul Michels for sharing this link:

 http://www.robertfeder.com/2013/12/19/a-radio-superstar-who-cared-about-people/?utm_source=NTS+MediaOnline+Subscribers&utm_campaign=7cf8812943-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f86d9fe814-7cf8812943-19256474