Dick Biondi, Chicago’s definitive voice of Top 40 radio, dies at 90

Influential in advancing the careers of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis, among many others, Biondi was the first disc jockey to play the Beatles on American radio

By  Robert Feder | Special to the Sun-Times

 

  Jul 1, 2023, 8:03pm PDT

In case any of you care or missed it, Dick Biondi died in late June, at 90..

I can remember listening to him for hours at night.

Remember his song, "On Top of a Pizza"?

Interestingly, as an itinerant radio dj he was only at WLS briefly
during our formative years, from 1960- 1963, & returned to Chicago at WCFL in 1967.

While still in high school, he worked briefly for another icon of our youth, Rod Serling.

Below is one of the better articles I read about his career.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/2023/7/1/23781601/dick-biondi-dead-radio-obituary-wls-disc-jockey

Bill Kamenjarin

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Boy...memories of years gone by

Patt Christie

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RIP Dick Biondi.  Remember him and that rolling meatball oh so well, back in the days of innocence.

Tony V.  Sutherland 63

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Remember his song, "On Top of a Pizza"?

I think it went like this:

On Top of a Pizza,

All covered with cheese

I lost my first meetball

When somebody sneezed

It rolled out the table

And on to the floor

The last time I saw it,

It rolled out the door

A car came and smashed it

the very next day

I honor my meetball

on Memorial Day!

Craig Hullinger

Now, we will look up the actual lyrics.

On top of my pizza
All covered with sauce
Could not find the mushrooms
I think they got lost

I looked in the closet
I looked in the sink
I looked in the cup that
Held my cola drink

I looked in the saucepan
Right under the lid
No matter where I looked
Those mushrooms stayed hid

Next time you make pizza
I’m begging you, please
Do not give me mushrooms
But just plain old cheese

I was not even close. I apparently conflated this great song with the other great song.

On top of spaghetti all covered with cheese
I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed

It rolled off the table, it rolled on the floor
And then my poor meatball rolled out of the door

It rolled in the garden and under a bush
And then my poor meatball was nothing but mush.

The mush was as tasty as tasty could be,
And early next summer it grew to a tree.

The tree was all covered with beautiful moss
It grew great big meatballs and tomato sauce.

So if you eat spaghetti all covered with cheese,
Hold on to your meatball and don't ever sneeze.

__________

Then I asked Bard, the Font of All Information:

what are the lyrics to Did Biondi song "on top of a pizza?"

Here are the lyrics to Dick Biondi's "The Pizza Song":

(Verse 1) On top of a pizza, all covered with cheese, I saw my first meatball, 'til somebody sneezed.

(Chorus) It rolled off the table, and onto the floor, It ro-o-o-o-o-lled, right out of the door.

(Verse 2) It rolled into the street, and there it was smashed, It changed from a meatball, into a pile of hash.

(Chorus) I went out to the street, and scooped up that hash, Brought it back to the table, all flattened and smashed.

(Verse 3) I looked for my pizza, all covered with cheese, I found that it also, blew away with a sneeze.

(Chorus) I looked all around, but I couldn't find my pizza, I guess it's gone forever, to the land of the frostbite.

The song is a parody of the folk song "On Top of Old Smoky". It tells the story of a meatball that falls off of a pizza and rolls away, eventually getting smashed into a pile of hash. The singer then goes out to the street to find the meatball, but it has blown away with a sneeze. The song ends with the singer lamenting the loss of the meatball and wondering where it has gone.

The song was released in 1961 by Dick Biondi, a disc jockey on WLS-AM in Chicago. It became an instant hit, selling over 11,000 copies. The song's success helped to establish Biondi as a popular radio personality. He continued to perform the song throughout his career, and it remains a classic novelty song today.

I asked the Bard, the Artificial Intelligence Program by Google, to write an Article about Dick Biondi. Here it is

Dear Bard, https://bard.google.com/, Please write an article about Dick Biondi.

______

Sure, here is an article about Dick Biondi:

Dick Biondi, the Wild I-tralian, Dies at 90

Dick Biondi, the larger-than-life disc jockey known as the Wild I-tralian, died on June 26, 2023, at the age of 90. Biondi was a pioneer of Top 40 radio, and his flamboyant personality and on-air antics made him one of the most popular DJs in the country.

Biondi was born in Endicott, New York, in 1932. He began his radio career in the early 1950s, and quickly earned a reputation for his wild and unpredictable style. He was known for his screaming delivery, his outlandish costumes, and his penchant for practical jokes.

In 1960, Biondi moved to Chicago to work at WLS, one of the most powerful radio stations in the country. His show quickly became a hit, and he was soon credited with introducing rock and roll to a national audience. In 1963, he played the Beatles' first single, "Please Please Me," on his show, and he later introduced the band at their first concert in Chicago.

Biondi's career took him to several other cities, including Los Angeles and South Carolina. He also hosted a variety of television shows, and he even recorded a few novelty records. But he always considered Chicago to be his home, and he returned to the city in 1984 to work at WJMK, an oldies station. He remained on the air there until his death.

Biondi was a larger-than-life figure who left an indelible mark on American popular culture. He was a pioneer of Top 40 radio, and his flamboyant personality and on-air antics made him one of the most beloved DJs in the country. He will be remembered as a true original, and his legacy will live on for generations to come.

In addition to his work in radio, Biondi was also active in charitable causes. He was a longtime supporter of the American Cancer Society, and he also raised money for a variety of other organizations. He was a generous and compassionate man who cared deeply about others.

Biondi is survived by his wife, Nancy, his two children, and his four grandchildren. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and fans.