12-19-13
Known as the "Superjock" and "Uncle Lar," one of the most famous Chicago radio personalities is gone. Esophageal cancer took his life. Lujack's longtime on-air partner Tommy Edwards told the Chicago Tribune last night, he lost his best friend. ?The chemistry, the whole relationship that we had between each other ? we'd just usually wind up laughing whenever we talked. We genuinely liked each other, and he just broke me up all the time.? Lujack and Edwards started working together in the 70's. In his "Animal Stories" heyday, Lujack told a reporter doing a profile on him, "quite simply I'm the best there is." WATCH IT HERE
In 2008 Lujack was inducted into the National Broadcasting Association Hall of Fame. Lujack began his Chicago radio career in 1967 at WCFL-AM. Four months later he went to WCFL's Top 40 competitor, WLS-AM. It was here where Lujack honed his understated sarcasm and launched his well-known feature, "Animal Stories." Lujack returned to WCFL in 1972, and was there for four years before moving back to WLS, where Lujack teamed up with Tommy Edwards for their widely popular segment, "Uncle Lar and Li'l Tommy." Lujack remained at WLS for 11 years before retiring from radio in 1987. In 2000, Lujack came out of retirement and spent six more years on the Chicago airwaves.
The last time he was heard on the air working as a DJ was in May 2008 when he appeared for the WLS-AM "Rewind" reunion weekend. Lujack was living in New Mexico at the time of his death.
Read more HERE at the Chicago Tribune and HERE at the Chicagoland Media Blog
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