He was Chicago's "Hip Uncle."

Popular with teens, Art Roberts was a mainstay on 50,000-watt WLS for a decade beginning in 1961. Roberts started in afternoons, then took over the 9-midnight slot after Dick Biondi left in 1963. Roberts also did middays and mornings before leaving the station in 1971 for KNBR San Francisco.

The New York City native got his radio start in 1953, at KALT in the small town of Atlanta, Texas. He moved to KTBB Tyler, Texas, then it was off to WCUE Akron, Ohio and KLIF Dallas. In 1959 - he arrived at Buffalo's WKBW which had switched to a Top 40 format the year before.

Other career stops for Roberts included WCFL and WKQX Chicago, WOKY and WBCS Milwaukee, KNEW San Francisco, KLUV Dallas and KBUC/KXTN San Antonio, Texas. His final stop was KGVM Reno, Nevada in 1998. He died March 6, 2002 at age 70, having suffered a stroke in 1999.

"He was kind of like an Andy Rooney, but with his own spin, friend and colleague Pat Martin told the New York Times. "He could take something simple like a cheeseburger and do something creative with it."

Roberts was more than a jock, having worked in operations, sales, and as station manager and general manager. He also worked as an investment consultant and in marketing.

Enjoy Art Roberts on WLS (UNSCOPED) here.

More 1966 airchecks here!