Johnny B. (Jonathon Brandmeier): Where Is He Now?
The Loop's morning madman ruled Chicago radio in the '80s and '90s. From Fond du Lac to the Radio Hall of Fame: Jonathon Brandmeier's career, and what he's doing now.
If you drove to work in Chicago in the late '80s, there's a good chance Johnny B. was on the radio. Loud, fast, musical and completely unpredictable, Jonathon Brandmeier was one of the biggest morning personalities in the country.
From Wisconsin to The Loop
Brandmeier was born in 1956 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and started on the radio there as a teenager in the 1970s. After a morning show in Phoenix, he was hired by WLUP, "The Loop," in Chicago in 1983.
The Johnny B. years
At The Loop, the morning show became a phenomenon:
- Johnny and the Leisure Suits, his band, with the local hit "We're All Crazy in Chicago."
- TV specials, including Johnny B. On TV on WBBM-TV and two late-night specials for NBC.
- National attention: he hosted Friday Night Videos and was syndicated nationally in the early '90s.
He stayed at The Loop for about 14 years, until 1997. The station was also home to Steve Dahl and Garry Meier and other big personalities.
After The Loop
- Late '90s–2001: middays at WCKG in Chicago
- Mid-2000s: mornings in Los Angeles, then back to The Loop from 2005 to 2009
- 2010s: a run at WGN Radio and other stations, then a national midday show with Westwood One
- 2018: inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame
Now
Today he hosts The Jonathon Brandmeier Showcast, a podcast with the same fast, comedy-and-music style, guests and calls from listeners. He also turns up on Chicago TV from time to time, including WGN's morning news.
Why people still talk about him
Before podcasts, Johnny B. was the closest thing Chicago had to one: a guy and his crew doing whatever they wanted for hours every morning, with songs, characters and bits nobody else would try.
For more Chicago radio history, see Larry Lujack: "Superjock" and Disco Demolition Night.