VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Gregory Best]

Art Roberts -- "Thinkin' Out Loud". For those of us who grew up listening to the great radio stations like WLS in the 60's and 70's, I highly recommend this book. Art was legendary at WLS in its golden age. He also was production director, along with a few other hats he wore in his many years in Chicago radio. Art was ahead of his time as a voice actor. He said there was a time that every commercial read was the same which bothered him. He wanted to do something different and better. So, Art enrolled in an actor's workshop in Chicago. He was told that if he learned to read Shakespeare aloud, he would never have to read another zit cream commercial again. It worked. Art did morning drive for number of years and delivered live spots in a conversational style that sounded very natural and real. Many of his advertisers wanted him to do their spots.

Unfortunately, after several strokes, Art passed away in March 2002

The book is not only a very good walk down nostalgia lane but a real insight into the man. Art was truly one of radio's greats. I had the pleasure of meeting Art several times and watching him do his show while I was the pimply faced kid that so wanted to do what he did. Art was very real and quite gracious. He encouraged everyone to do their best.

The book is available through the Texas Radio Hall of Fame or thru Art's website. http://www.artroberts.com/

You can hear some of his old air checks.

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Greg

[Doc]

Greg,

I also remember the end of Dick Whittinghill's reign in SoCal. Seems to me he could really mix it up with his live reads.

Ahhh... nostalgia ain't what it used to be!