Chicago Public Radio reports that legendary jazz radio host Dick Buckley died Thursday (7/22) at a hospital in Oak Park, IL. The 85-year-old had been a host on WBEZ-FM Chicago for more than three decades until his retirement two years ago.
Buckley’s Sunday afternoon jazz show was a weekly ritual for many Chicagoans. Prior to hosting the program on non-commercial WBEZ from 1977 through 2008 he had been involved with jazz programming on several other stations in the Chicago market. He was known for his rich baritone voice and encyclopedic knowledge of jazz, reportedly sometimes correcting the liner notes from albums he was playing on the air.
A memorial service is planned for Tuesday (7/27) at Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home in Oak Park.
