10 Questions with ... Bob Stroud

1. What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment?

A career in radio was always in my DNA, but it was theater/acting that originally got in the way. After seven years of theater I knew it was time for a change. The defining moment came when I heard radio station WQSR (Quad 102 ½)/ Sarasota, FL while I was residing in St. Petersburg. And more decidedly it was when I heard a disc jockey by the name of Steve Huntington. I remember listening to Huntington and thinking, this guy talks about music like I do. Events happened like winning a Todd Rundgren contest on the station, conversing with Huntington, then inviting him to come and see a show I was in at a local dinner theater. Actually I had ulterior motives and that was to ask him to help me get my first radio job at 'QSR. It worked and 41 years later, Steve Huntington is still one of my very best friends.

2. Can you give us a brief history of your radio career before WDRV?

After two-and-a-half years in Florida at the above-mentioned WQSR and 98 Rock/Tampa, I auditioned for Production Director at WMET/Chicago and arrived here in October of 1979. Except for a nine-month stint in Philadelphia as Production Dir. at WYSP, I've been in Chicago ever since. I've jocked at seven Chicago stations including at 10 year stint doing middays at The Loop during its golden era

3. Congratulations on working 17 years on The Drive, one of the great Rock stations in America. How does it feel?

It feels like home. It's been an incredibly satisfying experience. The Drive was conceived by Greg Solk whose vision for the station was right in line with my persona. He hired me and quite frankly it's been one of the best things that's ever happened for me in my professional career.

4. How different is the station musically from when you first started working at The Drive?

It's quite a bit different on some levels. Originally The Drive was a flanker for the Loop as both stations were owned by Bonneville. Musically the Drive's approach was much more laid back. Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens, Carole King, James Taylor, Steely Dan were all a healthy portion of the menu, yet it wasn't AC. It had a much hipper vibe to it. We simply skewed older to the Loop's younger skew. The very thoughtful production by Nick Michaels set it apart from everything else on the dial. In fact 17 years later, it still does. Today the Drive is a more traditional sounding Classic Rock station with a cavalcade of features that strays into deep track territory helping to keep things interesting.

Bob and Billy Joel

5. Besides the Ten@10 feature, do you do any other special features or benchmark music programming for the workforce checking out WDRV during the day?

Monday through Friday on my midday show I do a feature called "One 45 @ 1:45." From my personal collection I play an actual 45 on the studio turntable at 1:45 that coincides with some anniversary or birthday on that day in rock history. I do about a 45-second set-up on the record and then a back sell that concludes the event. The novel nature of the feature caught on in a hurry and has become appointment listening for a good portion of the Drive audience.

6. You also do the long running Rock 'N Roll Roots show on Sunday mornings. How long have you been doing this show and what is the show all about?

"Rock 'n Roll Roots" debuted on WMET in May of 1980. Bruce Holberg, the GM of the "Mighty MET" at the time and myself were huge fans of AM radio and the Top 40 formats of the 60's and '70s. At his suggestion, I put together a 90-minute show that simply featured Top 40 hits and misses from the '60s and '70s. It was a Sunday morning home for the Turtles, Rascals, Lovin' Spoonful, Motown and the like. Somehow amongst the "kick-ass" nature of the rest of the programming on the station, it found its audience. As it grew in popularity, it also grew from 90 minutes to three hours. Then from just Sunday morning to Saturday and Sunday morning. The show has evolved over the years and today is a grab-bag of anything and everything from the '60s and '70s with a stream-of-consciousness nature and still a "Root Salute" feature to a certain artist or theme.

7. One of the programming challenges of the Classic Rock format has always been how to keep the station sounding fresh and relevant while it's playing Rock music that's sometimes 30 or 40 years old. Your thoughts?

Obviously the music is still the main draw of a Classic Rock station, yet it's what goes on between the songs that keeps the audience and everything relevant. Promotions play a big part. Not just music-oriented promotions but lifestyle promotions. We've done a promotion for the past couple of years called "Bacon Bash." It has little or nothing to do with classic rock and has everything to do with, yes, bacon. Huge sellout both years. And quite possibly the most popular feature we've ever done on the Drive in 17 years has not necessarily been about classic rock, but having the audience guess who the Drive's mystery artist is in the "Drive's A to Z" game. Of course there's money involved and that always brings in a certain amount of listeners, but I've never seen a promotion generate this kind of excitement in all my years in radio. There's a fun element to the station above and beyond the music and a real effort to get the audience involved and make them feel like they're a part of the evolution of The Drive. And of course make the Driveall about Chicago and its storied history at every conceivable level.

Pete Townshend and Bob

8. Besides The Drive, you've done Rock radio at several other Chicago Rockers, including WXRT and the now-defunct WLUP. What makes playing Rock in Chicago so special for you?

I grew up in Kalamazoo, MI in the '60s when legendary AM giants WLS and WCFL came skipping over Lake Michigan and into our homes. I fell in love with the city of Chicago before I ever set foot here, thanks to 'LS and 'CFL. I fantasized about working at WCFL in Marina City, hanging with my favorite DJs Ron Britain and Barney Pip, going to the Cheetah Club and seeing shows. I wanted to live here and I wanted to work here. And when it happened in 1979, it truly was a rock 'n roll fantasy come true. And to this day it's a humbling experience to work in the greatest radio market in the country.

9. What are some of the most memorable interviews or moments you can share about your Rock radio career in Chicago?

Wow ... where to begin and how to end it quickly, ha! Well one of the greatest thrills ever was meeting and interviewing Paul McCartney. A friggin' Beatle, c'mon! Broadcasting live from Abbey Road Studios for the 20th anniversary of "Sgt. Pepper." Getting to know Joe Walsh and having him invite me onstage to sing backing vocals at one of his concerts. Pinch me! Countless concerts I've emcee'd and the legends I was so honored to meet. Maybe one of the most memorable was a Motown review where I hung with Martha Reeves, Jr. Walker, Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin. I wish I'd kept a diary as I'm sure I've forgotten more than I remember

Bob Stroud and The Motown Review
Back Row: David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks
Front Row: Bob Stroud, Martha Reeves, Jr. Walker

10. Finally, is there someone you never had a chance to interview, but wish you did?

Buddy Holly.