Mark Slaga details: what REALLY went on at Gatsby’s

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It started as “The South will Rise Again”, featuring Southern Rock and simulcast live from the strip bar known as Gatsby’s in the Spring of 1978, That quickly evolved into a rambunctious and outrageous music, entertainment and giveaway show and radio program that seemed to take on a life of its own when it morphed into a live remote every Friday night….

The penultimate moment at the weekly WIDB show at Gatsby’s April 19, 1980, starring Mark Slaga (left) and WIDB General Manager Al Linton (right), performing “Schticks of One and Half a Dozen of the Other.” Allan Sherman, Al on stage, and the crowd sang along.

At the epicenter of all the crazy intensity was Mark Slaga. In this promo, Slaga, the host of the show, is interviewed by Ed Knych about the “what goes on” at Gatsby’s, complete with sound bites.

Slaga was young, energetic and gave his all each and every week. It took almost until the next week to recover.

Winding down after performing, 2;30 am, Slaga is thinking about his choice of parties.

Elite Production Director Tom Sheldon

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Tom (center) at 1990 Reunion, with Don Graf (left in photo) and Kathy Cave (right).

Among the greatest production directors ever at WIDB, Tom was a freshman in 1974 when, encouraged by then Production Director Gary Goldblatt, Tom made his first production: a promo for “Underground:”

Succeeding Gary as Production Director from 1974-76, Tom rose to the occasion when advertising on WIDB began in January, 1975. Spot production increased tenfold. During the first years of sales, many others at WIDB produced commercials, and a friendly competitive rivalry developed, but everyone knew Tom was unequaled. In fact, Luke Banks, one of those “other” producers when Tom was there, produced this tribute to Tom Sheldon:

After WIDB, Tom spent some time working at KGMO, Cape Girardeau, and many years working at WMYX, Mt. Vernon. No longer with us, Tom’s great production live on.

WIDB Historical Marker Installed on site of Wright I

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As the culmination of a months-long, uphill effort to seek and secure approval from the office of the SIU Chancellor Austin Lane, a historical marker commemorating the start of WIDB was finally approved and installed at the site of Wright I in September.

Congratulations and thanks to Bruce Whiteside, an original WIDB member, for his tireless efforts that resulted in the creation of the marker and his self-funding of the design and production of the marker now further supported by contributions from many of you.

(From left) Bruce Whiteside, WIDB marker designed and funder, SIU Chancellor Chief of Staff Matt Baughman, WIDB Founder Jerry Chabrian, at the Wright I site in June.

A small group of former WIDB staff, headed by WIDB founder Jerry Chabrian met with the Chancellor’s Chief of Staff, Matthew Baughman, this past June in Carbondale for a site tour and location selection.

Jerry, Bruce, Matthew Baughman and SIU Physical Plant staff and others trudged to the site of Wright I and everyone agreed on an appropriate location. That official approval culminated in the recent installation of the historical marker that has been attested to by a former staffer who by chance recently visited the site.

The official unveiling will be next June 24, 25, 26, 2022 during the WIDB 50th Anniversary Reunion celebration.

  • WIDB Histrical Marker

The 50th Anniversary Reunion Plus Two: Rescheduled for 2022

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The WIDB 50th Anniversary Reunion Committee has regretfully decided to postpone the WIDB 50th Anniversary Reunion until 2022. Update your calendars and plan to be in Giant City/Carbondale June 24, 25, and 26, 2022!

We know that many of you will be disappointed at this news. We are disappointed to deliver it to you. However our decision was made for us, based on the feedback and comments we received from you.

Thanks for understanding. We now have a whole extra year to plan and prepare for the BIGGEST AND BEST WIDB REUNION EVER!

your WIDB 50th Anniversary Reunion Committee

Jamberg was a sports guy but became PD and then a sales guy

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by John (“Jamberg”) Amberg

It was either late August or early September, 1978. My roommate and I found ourselves hanging out at Thompson Lake on a steaming hot Saturday, first semester, freshman year. The event may have been sponsored by WIDB, or maybe it was one of those goofy “freshman mixer” deals. Either way, we put on our swimsuits and schlepped our way down to Thompson Lake, maybe to meet a few girls but mainly to escape the oppressive Carbondale heat and humidity.

There were a few guys huddled around a sound system blaring out rock ‘n roll, wearing t-shirts with radio station call letters emblazoned on them. Eventually, one sharp featured guy with dark hair grabbed a microphone and announced that he was the general manager of WIDB, the student run station located at Wright I across campus. He went on to say that WIDB was looking for students to staff their news and sports staff. “So if you’re interested in news or sports broadcasting or writing,” this guy proclaimed over the PA system, “we’re having a meeting next Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM.”

The WIDB remote crew

The WIDB remote crew

I had never done any radio announcing and immediately dismissed the notion of me being on the air as downright silly. But the dude did mention sports writing….Wasn’t I going to major in journalism? Wasn’t I the sports editor of my high school newspaper? What’s the worst that could happen?

The following Tuesday, I trekked across campus (a journey that I would come to know very well) and took a seat while a tall lanky guy welcomed all of us to “the new and hopefully improved WIDB News staff.”

News staff? I don’t want to write news, I’m going to be a radio sportswriter! I raised my hand and asked, “I’m sorry, but I thought this was for sports.” The news director (John Snell) patiently explained that the sports staff was meeting in an adjacent office. I excused myself and interrupted the sports director (Scott Simon) in the midst of welcoming everyone to the new WIDB Sports Staff.

John Martin, WIDB GM (right) and the rest of the 1978 staff heads.

John Martin, WIDB GM (right) and the rest of the 1978 staff heads.

Eventually I met the guy from the Thompson Lake event, general manager John Martin who would later reward my volunteerism with a free ticket to the Bruce Springsteen concert in December. By then I been writing sports for several months, filled in on afternoon sportscasts and even (quite ineptly) provided color commentary for an SIU football game.

John models WIDB 10th Anniversary shirt

John models WIDB 10th Anniversary shirt

Thus did WIDB become my home for the next three and a half years. My duties included sports director, DJ and program director.

How many of us had one of these with our name on it?

How many of us had one of these with our name on it?

Following graduation I landed a job doing the deepest darkest graveyardshift ever, 2am-6am, at WWCT Peoria, where I rose in the ranks to music director and mid-day DJ. I moved to Greensboro, NC and held the same title at WKRR-Rock 92 for eleven years, and eventually spent another eight and a half years in sales for Entercom Radio.

I left radio in 2005 but I host a show called The Blues Hangover once month on WNAA, 90.1 FM, the radio voice of North Carolina A&T State University.

John Amberg