Posted by uncle terry on July 24, 2011 at 05:42:23:
BIO: Terri Hemmert, who was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2010, has been a mainstay at WXRT for the past 37 years. Starting as overnight announcer and
Public Affairs Director in 1973, Terri became the first female morning drive personality in Chicago in 1981. In 1992, Terri moved to the mid-morning time slot, and, in
2002, became host of Breakfast with The Beatles, 8 to 10AM on Sundays.
Prior to joining WXRT, Hemmert was an air personality at WCMF in Rochester, NY and also served as program coordinator for WGLD (currently WVAZ) in Chicago.
She has served on the Board of Directors of the Peace Museum, Facets Multimedia and other not-for-profit groups. She teaches the History of Rock and Soul in the
broadcasting department of Columbia College Chicago, where she has taught for 35 years, and was an advisor at the student radio station, WCRX. She volunteers with the
Inner City Teaching Corps, Latin School of Chicago, and other schools, teaching classes on the Roots of Rap, Women in Music, Classical Music’s influence on Rock and Soul
and other musical topics. Terri works on music education programs with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and co-hosts The Classic Encounter Series. She serves on the advisory
board of WRSE-FM (the Elmhurst College student radio station.) She is also an active volunteer with St. Clement Catholic Church. Hemmert has hosted Chicago’s Fest for
Beatles Fans for over 30 years. In her spare time, she loves surfing the net, reading, listening to music, living with one dog and two cats, and visiting her family in
Ohio.
Terri resides in Chicago and is a graduate of Elmhurst College with a bachelor of arts in speech.
1) CSNChicago.com: Terri, it has to be repeated again – PAUL McCARTNEY is coming to Wrigley Field this summer!! What a perfect tie-in blending a legendary ballpark with
one of the biggest titans in rock ‘n roll history. For a man who has literally done it all over the past 50 years in music, do you think Sir Paul will treat the July 31
and Aug. 1 concerts at Wrigley a bit more special than usual?
Hemmert: I think Paul is such a pro and a great guy, that he treats every concert as special. I told him once I was proud of how he has lived his life, not just the
success and all, but his love of family and respect for his fans. I felt I chose my heroes well. So be prepared for a couple of great shows. Playing Wrigley is so cool.
I grew up 90 miles north of Cincinnati. On their last American tour, The Beatles played at the home of the Reds, Crosley Field. That ball park was where I fell in love
with baseball. I was finally able to buy a ticket to see my favorite group, but won a big award from Junior Achievement and had to attend their national convention....the
same week that The Beatles were coming to Ohio. Broke my heart. So seeing Paul at a ballpark that has always reminded me of my precious Crosley Field will be very special.
2) CSNChicago.com: Your 93 XRT “Breakfast with The Beatles” show on Sunday mornings is a great listen and a can’t miss for both the die-hard and casual Beatles fan. As
one of America’s leading Beatles experts, when the boys played in Chicago during the mid-60’s, did they do anything “fun” around the city outside of playing concerts and
handling press junkets? Or did their enormous fame keep them basically chained to their hotel room the entire time?
Hemmert: When the Beatles played here, I was living in Ohio. But I did get to know Alf, their driver during the mania years. He told me they ended up at Margie’s Candies
in Bucktown after their concert at Comiskey Park in 1965. He said John got up on one of the tables and sang the song “Margie” to the owner. Would love to have seen that!
The next year, the Fabs began their U.S. tour in Chicago, and John had to meet the press to try to clear the air about the “more popular than Jesus” mess. So they went
from the sublime to the ridiculous here. Mostly, they went from car to concert to car to hotel to airport. Just like in the movie “A Hard Day’s Night.” In 1978, I attended
a press party for Ringo when he was promoting a TV special. There was a spectacular view of Chicago’s skyline and the lake. Ringo was admiring the beauty of Chicago, and
said when they toured, they never got to see this part of the city.
3) CSNChicago.com: Congrats deserves to be given out once again for your induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame. What did that honor mean to you personally and
what would you say has been the key to your industry longevity, especially now during a very difficult radio landscape for on-air talent?
Hemmert: Well, honestly, I don’t feel comfortable with getting awards. It goes back to being educated by nuns. But that night hearing Studs Terkel’s voice on the intro
tape, and thinking of Jim Stagg and Yvonne Daniels, and all the others who inspired me to pursue this, I found it very moving. Plus, being there with my coworkers from XRT
really hit me. It gave me a chance to say how much I love the people I work with and how amazing it is that we have kept this XRT experiment in radio alive and well for
nearly 40 years. That’s huge! Plus, it gave me a forum to come right out and thank the listeners who have not only listened for decades, but have interacted with us and
supported the station and our activities. It’s good to have a chance to stop and acknowledge people who have been so loyal. I’ve lasted so long I guess because of hard
work, trying to be a human voice in this medium, and a bit of luck.
4) CSNChicago.com: There has been so much dramatic change over the past decade in the way people consume music and how they listen to the radio. It has to be asked, is
terrestrial radio dying in your opinion?
Hemmert: Radio was supposed to die when TV came on the scene. And Video Killed The Radio Star a few decades later. Oh, yes, and satellite radio was supposed to do us in a
few years ago. I’ll believe it when I see it. The changes in technology have had a huge influence on our culture. I remember my first transistor radio…and when FM became
prominent. Now we have been through the Walkman, boom box, and iPod. I love this change. I want to live another 100 years to see where we go from here.
Radio’s challenge is that we are not just competing with other radio stations. There are many other sources for music, information and entertainment. When done right,
radio has the potential of building an intimate relationship with the listener. I love my iPod, but it can’t do what radio can. I can’t predict the future. I’m too busy
working on keeping radio relevant.
5) CSNChicago.com: Tell us your Top 3 favorite “summer-themed” songs of all-time.
Hemmert: Only 3??? Wow, that’s difficult. OK, 1st is “Sunny Afternoon” by the Kinks because Ray Davies is one of the greatest songwriters of all times. 2nd would be Sly
& The Family Stone’s “Hot Fun In The Summertime.” Nothing like sweet soul music on the radio with the windows down. (OK, that was before we had air conditioning in cars.)
And 3rd, “Summertime Blues” by Eddie Cochran. He was just so cool!
** BONUS QUESTION…CSNChicago.com: Anything you’d like to promote Terri? Tell us, CSNChicago.com readers want to hear about it…
Hemmert: I would love everyone to sign up for a season of Classic Encounter, the monthly lecture series I do with Martha Gilmer for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Music
is my passion, and I love helping people on that lifetime journey of discovering music. So if you can’t take my history of rock and soul class at Columbia College, join me
for a great series where you will have lots of fun, learn something, and hear amazing music. Visit www.cso.org, or give them a call. We start the Fall season in a few
weeks.