Dick Biondi Celebrates 'The Big 88' With Virtual Birthday Tribute

CHICAGO — Get ready to help the legendary rock and roll DJ Dick Biondi celebrate the big 88 this Sunday, Sept. 13, at a virtual birthday party hosted by Reel Stories Productions. The tribute is a fundraiser for the authorized documentary film, "The Voice That Rocked America: The Dick Biondi Story." Birthday tributes and music start at 2 p.m., featuring a lineup of rock and roll music legends.

Known by various nicknames — the Screamer, the Big Noise from Buffalo and The Wild I-Tralian — Biondi’s career in radio spanned six decades. He was the first DJ to play a Beatles record in the United States and went on to introduce the Fab Four and the Rolling Stones at their Hollywood Bowl gigs. He promoted the early records of Bobby Darin, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley. Record executives regarded Biondi as a hit maker. Playing a record on Biondi's show guaranteed an artist maximum exposure. Many of today's biggest names in rock credit Biondi with helping to launch their careers.

Headlining the birthday party are 1960s rock and roll music legends New Colony Six, with performances by Carl Giammarese, Jim Peterik, Dennis Tufano, Marshall Thompson, The Chi-Lites, Blooze Brothers, Chicago Experience, American English, The Meteors, Rosie and The Rivets, Windy City Elvis, Hot Rocks, Maggie Aliotta, and the Cave Dwellers with a special performance with Jimy Sohns.

Famous actors, artists, fans and musicians will present birthday wishes for Dick Biondi. The event will be broadcasted from the Official Dick Biondi Film Facebook page. Suggested donation is $10. Proceeds will help in completing post-production of an authorized film documentary about iconic Biondi, directed and produced by Pamela Enzweiler-Pulice.

Despite being fired 25 times in his fabled career — Biondi was once canned for complaining about having to play too many commercials for his then employer WLS — Biondi is a member of the Radio Hall of Fame, Illinois Radio Hall of Fame, Southern Tier Broadcasters Hall of Fame and Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

“I am so honored to do this birthday celebration for Dick,” Pulice said in a news release. “He’s meant so much to me and his fans. The line-up of performances and birthday wishes are sensational.”

Reel Stories Productions, LLC is an independent production company located in the Chicago area, owned by Pulice, who is producing the Biondi documentary, which is slated to be aired on PBS. The film company is teaming up with Chicago Filmmakers as its sponsor, a non-profit media arts organization that fosters creation, appreciation, and understanding of film and media
for artistic and personal expression, as well as media of important social and community impact.

Suggested donation for the Dick Biondi Day tribute is $10, which will be received by Chicago Filmmakers. Proceeds will help in finishing post-production of the documentary slated for airing on PBS.