When long time fan and friend of Dick Biondi Pam Pulice first asked me if she could interview me on camera for a documentary she was planning on the life and times of Dick Biondi- I couldn't say "yes" quick enough!
Dick was an important part of my rock & roll life growing up in the south western suburb of Berwyn, Illinois.
Even before I joined the Shondels (eventually to become The Ides of March) Dick was my rock & roll home companion. Beside choosing all my favorite songs to play, his slightly rebellious sense of humor added a rascal's edge to his between song banter. He was "one of us."
When the Ides had our first hit in 1966 we heard it first on Dick's show coming through the dashboard of Mike Borch's Chevy station wagon as we were pulling into Larry's parents house to unload our equipment after playing a Morton West sock hop. "This is Dick Biondi, the wild Itralliano with a new one from a local band that's going all the way- The Ides of March with You Wouldn't Listen!" His clear tenor speaking voice cut through the Berwyn night air as we tooled down Cermak Road with the windows rolled down making sure that every car on the road could hear our debut single.
We would run into Dick after that often as he'd emcee teen dances we would play all over Chicagoland. We always had a blast and even sang On Top Of A Pizza onstage together. (but we learned never to ask him to play tambourine- he has absolute no sense of rhythm!).
Through the years we always stayed in touch even getting together with him when he moved his show to a station in Myrtle Beach.
Over the last ten years he has joined the Ides to celebrate the Catholic Mass at Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral on Christmas Eve by invitation from Father (now Monsignor) Dan Mayall- our dear friend and faithful Ides fan. (He and Dick would show up at countless Ides shows!)
At the 6 o'clock mass the Ides would perform 2 or 3 Christmas originals (we premiered Sharing Christmas there on our very first year). Dick would always speak from the heart about the true meaning of Christmas. "Happy holiday-ha! I never knew a Saint named Holiday. It's Merry Christmas!!"
Afterwords the entire Ides family would go down the block to Buca Debeppo along with Dick and his wife Maribeth and father Dan. Dick and I made it a ritual to always have a private martini toast. It was our well known secret.
One of my fondest memories is of Dick & Maribeth joining me and Karen and our son Colin at our place in Saugtuck Michigan. It was an idyllic 3 days with great food, great drink and even better conversation including a barefoot walk on the shores of Lake Michigan with Dick as we grilled each other on rock record trivia (artist, name of song, highest chart position, year of release, color of label, what label, what flip side etc etc.) I'd hold my own but he'd always win. Then he would hold court after dinner regaling us with stories of all the celebs he had the pleasure to know, from Elvis to the Beatles to Freddie Boom Boom Canon. Such a wealth of knowledge.
We are planning another trip with Dick and Maribeth summer of '17.
When I saw the excellent trailer for the new Dick Biondi documentary I got even more excited because now the whole world can take a peek into the life of a radio legend. Pam Pulice and her talented team are just the folks to do it. Best of luck! Here's hoping that everyone opens their hearts (and wallets!) to help her make a legend come to life. Much love. Jimbo
Rock on!! Jimbo