Dad got a chance to stand up and talk to a group of Chicagoland broadcasters about his life. He talked about his early years in Wyoming, his discovery of Chicago and acting. He talks about future greats he got to know at the Pasadena Playhouse and his service during WWII. He got his start at WCFL after the war, did some TV, and then on to WBBM for the happiest days of his career.
(The following video is a YouTube “playlist”. You can cursor at the top to select different sections of the hour-long talk.}
Thank you for the opportunity to hear Mal Bellairs speak about his career and the fabulously talented broadcasters in the audience. Thank you as well to Mal’s son, Rick Bellairs for putting together a library of Mal’s work. I had worked early in my radio career for the Bellairs family at the radio stations Mal bought in Crystal Lake and Woodstock. After my WYEN-FM years in the mid 1970s, I went to WIVS and WXRD as news director and raised a family. Mal was my mentor in how to perform professionally, respectfully, and responsibly. When Mal talked for three consecutive hourly segments Monday through Friday, I had a hard time doing my work in news because he was so very entertaining. Chicago has a great history of top flight broadcasters including Clark Weber and Wally Phillips. Mal Bellairs is among the very best.