The Great Radio Career of The Great Art Hellyer

Art in Milwaukee,
WMAW, 1947

By Chuck Schaden

(from his Foreword to The Hellyer Say)

Art Hellyer was king of Chicago radio and I was one of his willing subjects. No matter when he was on, no matter what station he was on, I followed Art eagerly, just to hear what he would say or do.  And I was never disappointed.  His programs were original, creative, imaginative, funny and always in good taste.

He cracked me up when, speaking for an automotive dealer, he would say, “This care comes fully equipped with radio, Gabriel Heatter and asthmatic.  Plus two doors cleverly hinged on each side.”  Or, “It’s a Club Coupe, complete with club, and a seat so you don’t fall through to the street.”

I loved it when he would kid the station manager about something, perhaps a newly imposed station rule, often getting him in trouble.  Station management would post a memo on the bulletin board – or send a special inter-office memorandum directly to Art – saying that there should be more music and less talk on the station.

Art would read the memo on the air.  He would say something like, “Well, I guess management knows what you want and if you want me to stop talking and simply play music, so be it.”  Then he would stop talking and simply play music.  Listeners would be up in arms that Art was being stifled and would respond with irate letters to the station complaining about the new rule, and telling management they wanted more Hellyer, less music and less management.

Naturally, management wouldn’t like this and would tell Art he should not have read the memo on the air.  Art, feigning amazement at the listener response, said he was only letting his audience know why they wouldn’t be hearing him say much anymore.  Occasionally, in view of listener response, management would back off and tell Art to carry on as usual, but more often – to suit their own bruised egos – they simply yanked him off the air and fired him from the station.

That’s when we loyal listeners would follow him to another station where his great show continued to pile up huge ratings, leaving his former station to wonder whatever happened to the audience they used to have.

Art continued in great form, with his wonderful humorous style and great comedy, novelty and pop records, time checks and weather reports. Plus his original use of those “wild lines” from nowhere:

“There’s no light in the men’s room.”

“Get a nickel back on every bottle, Jim.”

Those lines knocked me out and I still remember them – and use them – fondly.

They were the result of the made-in-heaven collaboration between Art and his record turner Lenny Kaye, whom Art referred to as “Dr. K.”  These two were somehow joined at the funny bone.  Art would make some comment about something – anything – or read a commercial, and Dr. K would somehow find an appropriate line from a comedy record and slip it in instantly.

ART: “Do you know where you can get the best deal on a mattress?”

RECORD LINE:  “I don’t as a rule.”  (Wild line from a comedy record by Billy DeWolfe and Hermione Gingold.)

Cracked me up every time.

Over the years listeners really got to know Art.  He told us everything about himself, his cars, his family and his wife, “the lovely Elaine.”  We knew what he liked and didn’t like.  When his neighborhood and home in Skokie were flooded by heavy rains, he told us he lived in “Soakie.”

He could remember exact dates.  We knew the date he entered military service and the date he was discharged.  We knew the date of his first-ever radio broadcast (January 1, 1947), and the dates he left his last four radio stations.  And we loved every moment of it; we loved every moment with Art Hellyer.

Art Hellyer’s book, published in 2008, continues to be a best seller.

Limited copies of the soft cover 400-page book, is available from www.backwhenbooks.com

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Article by John Russell Ghrist
From Nostalgia Digest, April-May, 1993

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VIDEO DOCUMENTARY: WAKE UP CHICAGO!

THE ART HELLYER STORY

The amazing ups and downs of Chicago broadcasting legend Art Hellyer’s 55-year career in radio and TV.  Art was Number One  in the ratings four times in four different decades on four different Chicago radio stations, in four different time slots. Television footage, archival film and photos, along with short clips of actual TV and radio broadcast moments are interwoven with interviews: Marty Robinson, Chuck Schaden, Steve Dahl, Jack Brickhouse, Norman Mark, Ruth Ratny, Wayne Atkinson, Harvey Wittenberg, Shirley Hamilton, Mal Bellairs, Al Parker, Bruce DuMont, and more. Much of the film footage is courtesy of ABC/Channel 7 (Chicago), WGN-TV (Channel 9), and Tom Palazzolo (filmmaker “Tommy Chicago”). Shot, edited, and narrated by son Jeff Hellyer. Script by novelist William E. Hazelgrove III. Published in 2013.  112 minutes.

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Hellyer and Schaden –
On the Air Together

Schaden says, “It’s been a special joy in my life to have met and become friends with one of my radio idols, Art Hellyer. Over the years we have laughed and reminisced together and on three memorable occasions, it was my pleasure to have him as a guest on my program. We talked mostly about his career, his wonderful broadcasts and the fun he brought to millions of listeners during his years on the air. It’s a pleasure to share those occasions with you here.

By the way, this photo was taken at Art’s Naperville home in February, 2016.

WBBM RADIO CLASSICS (6-12-1988) Chuck Schaden with a Nostalgia Night broadcast observing the 65th Anniversary of Station WBBM. Guests are Art Hellyer and his right-hand man Lenny Kaye who reminisce about the station when they were part of the staff. Lenny spent 40 years at WBBM (1948-1988) and Art was an on-air personality (1961-1965). Includes a complete “Supper Club” broadcast from 2-24-61, a live music show hosted by Art. Comments about the WBBM live music policy, Paul Gibson, Don Artiste, and others. 85 minutes.

THOSE WERE THE DAYS (5-8-1993) Guest Art Hellyer joins Chuck first on the telephone during Art’s broadcast from WJOL in Joliet and then, a little later, on WNIB in person at the Museum of Broadcast Communications studio in the Chicago Cultural Center where they recall many of the highlights of Art’s broadcast career. Prior to Art’s arrival to the program, Chuck presents episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (11-14-48); A Life in Your Hands (7-24-52); Fibber McGee and Molly (4-6-43) and This Is Our Enemy (WW II 1940s). 4 hours.

SPECIAL NOTE: To see Art and Chuck during the Hellyer portion of the above TWTD show (5-8-1993), take a look at this informal video recording of Art Hellyer’s visit to the MBC studio at the Cultural Center. (2 hours)

THOSE WERE THE DAYS (7-12-2003) “An Afternoon with Art Hellyer” who joins us in our WDCB studio on the campus of College of DuPage for a program of fun and memories. Featured are excerpts and complete broadcasts from Art’s stellar radio career, including a WCFL show from 1954-55; Memory Lane on WOPA (1968); Supper Club on WBBM (2-6-65); Hellyer Show on WAIT (8-1-57) and the Hellyer Show on WJOL (3-17-2000).

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Art Hellyer in the 21st Century

Here are some complete “theme” programs from Art’s 2011-2012 program on “Party 93.4,” an Internet station heard everywhere in Cyberspace, but concentrated on many FM stations on the Hudson River from New York City to Albany, New York.

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ART HELLYER SHOW (12-11-2011) First of three Christmas programs features music by Bing Crosby, Mahalia Jackson, Nat King Cole, Liberace, Frank Sinatra, Pat Boone and Rosemary Clooney. 60 minutes.