14 Facts About Dick Biondi

Richard Orlando Biondi was an American Top 40 and oldies disc jockey.

Dick Biondi gained national attention in the 1950s and 1960s as a disc jockey on leading AM radio stations in Buffalo, New York; Chicago, Illinois; and Los Angeles, California.

Dick Biondi is credited as the first US disc jockey to play the Beatles, on Chicago's WLS 890 AM in February 1963, with the song "Please Please Me".

Dick Biondi was an inductee of the Radio Hall of Fame.

Dick Biondi went on to work behind the scenes and learned about broadcasting at nearby WINR, Binghamton, New York, where one of his co-workers was a young Rod Serling.

Dick Biondi continued on to KVOB, Bastrop, Louisiana, but it wasn't until working for KSYL in Alexandria that Biondi started doing music shows.

Dick Biondi worked at the original WEBR in Buffalo, from which he was fired in spring 1960.

Dick Biondi's playing a record on his show gave it maximum exposure to a very large audience; he was the most popular night time DJ in the Midwest.

Dick Biondi moved to KRLA, then the No 1 Top 40 station in the Los Angeles market.

Dick Biondi returned to KRLA in early 1965, soon after the Mutual show was cancelled.

Dick Biondi and Friend was an interview program featuring then-current popular music stars.

Dick was the subject of Sirott's show in 1982; it was enough to rekindle local radio professional interest in him and Biondi returned to Chicago the next year - briefly working at WBBM.

Dick Biondi's ambition was to become the oldest active Rock and Roll disc jockey in the US.

Dick Biondi died in Chicago June 26,2023, at the age of 90.