This week in North Cook County history.
Died December 18, 2013, in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Larry Lujack, born Larry Lee Blankenburg on June 6, 1940, in Quasqueton, Iowa, was a radio disc jockey known for his sarcastic style and popular routines such as Animal Stories, Klunk Letter of the Day, and the Cheap Trashy Show Biz Report. He worked at WCFL-AM and WLS in Chicago, where he built a strong following. He retired in 1987 but later returned to broadcasting through remote work from New Mexico and reunion shows with his longtime partner Tommy Edwards. Lujack was inducted into the Illinois Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2002, the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2004, and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2008. He lived for a period in Palatine, Illinois, where he raised his family and pursued interests outside of radio. He died of esophageal cancer on December 18, 2013, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the age of 73.
