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Born on August 30th in Chicago…as a lifetime South-Sider in a North
Side hospital that was demolished soon after the fact.
And that was only the beginning.
Soon after he started talking…so much so that his mother was known to
tell him to “take 5” on occasion (which is, of course, just a nice
way of telling someone you love to shut up!). Now various friends tell
him that very same thing from time to time.
As a teenager listening to THE BIG 89 WLS, THE LOOP FM98 and 95.5 WMET
"The Mighty Met!" while attending Harold L. Richards (or as
they call it “HLR”) High School in Oak Lawn, he went on to work in a
variety of different jobs. It was then he formulated a long list of
things he did NOT want to do. He even got fired from Burger King. Yes,
fired.
Then what, you ask?
He attended Columbia College in Chicago, where he got multiple piercings
and dyed his hair pink just to fit in with the art crowd. (No, he
didn’t actually do that…and he didn’t actually fit in either).
After flunking out of radio school, he tried to get his first job…and
eventually did in Wilmington, Illinois. Who knew back then that there
was a Wilmington, Illinois?! He didn’t. After working at just about
every suburban Chicago station licensed to broadcast…and working in
Milwaukee and Springfield too…he finally honed his blackmailing skills
well enough to obtain an on-air job in Chicago at ROCK 103-5. (The guy
who hired him has since been banished to a dark, dreary Seattle
existence). His lucky streak continued when he got hired at WCKG. It was
there his unhealthy obsession with the music of his youth, ‘80s rock,
came into play. Note: he is currently in treatment for this ridiculous
affliction. At WCKG they humored him, by allowing him to play ‘80s
rock on his nighttime radio show because they thought no know one was
listening. Steve Dahl apparently was, and made fun of the “the 80’s
guy” from time to time on-air. Most obviously, it was a case of pure
jealousy on SRD’s part. In 2000, the “Z-Man” eventually wore down
the wheel of management at WLUP and was hired. That lasted until 2005,
when he was shown the door (head first!). After that he went out to L.A
and programmed two rocks stations until he could no longer stand the
sunny days, warm weather, and mountainous views. Since 2008, he has back
in the Southland producing his two national radio shows and now, hanging
out on air in the afternoon at 100.7 RXQ!
It’s been years after he was fired from Burger King…and you’re
wondering why? |
