Who is ‘Sweet Dick’ Whinnington? Or WHAT the hell is a ‘Sweet Dick’ Whittington?! To the novice, the name might be easily mistaken for an unsavory character in a bad Farley Brothers flick.
However, the name is better associated to a Top 40 disc jockey/radio personality who populated various Los Angeles radio stations for over four decades. His name often comes up among other names in LA radio history like The Real Don Steele, Robert W. Morgan and Dick Whinninghill and is still remembered fondly.
Yet, despite his stature and his cult following among radio fanboys, industry people and regular listeners who still remember him many years since his last radio broadcast (believed during the early 90’s), not much is known about “the man behind the mic”, especially on the internet.
Why the lack of information? Who knows. What is known is his professional resume, or, at least, good chunks of it and this is where this small site comes in, along side some rare stuff I dumped into in the past, which should be evident to the size of the site.
The last known set of semi-rumors is that he’s now living in the San Louis Obispo County area, the image voice for the local KKJL-AM station and is working on a book that is “loosely based on my own life, consisting of a trilogy of three cities in the Midwest.” Until that book is done and released, the radio world well be left guessing the ‘who’ ‘what’ and ‘where’ that is currently the state of ‘Sweet Dick’ Whittington.
In the meantime, you can spend a few seconds here.
Enjoy, fanboy!
Don-O
NEWS
(1/23/2020)
While setting up this new version of this site, I noticed that somewhere on the old guestbook, it seems that old Sweet Dick left a message that goes as followed:
#53 | 9/20/2019, 4:41 pm, PST | "Sweet"Dick Whittington
I just today discovered this site. Perhaps I shouldn't be reading glossy remarks about my goofy career, but dammit I so enjoyed reading your comments. I never realized I was so wonderful. Thank all of you, I am so grateful. I wish you'd just keep writing. I am alive and well, and plan to continue so. I wish the same for you. For the record, I never was, nor am I particularly "sweet", I remind you again in order to survive all of this: eat your dried fruit. I'd invite you all to my home, but I'm afraid you might show up. Much love. DW
More proof that Dick is still alive: he just did a interview on the Dave Congalton show on KVEC talk radio in Santa Maria, CA for an hour today. Bruce Tennant recorded it and had posted it on YouTube. Thanks Bruce and everyone involved getting this done. Sweet Dick! He Lives!!
Button and photo courtesy of Julia Vose. Thanks, Julia!
The 'Old News' blues
Well, what do you know? He does have a pulse!! Within the last few months of 2013, Sweet Dick has given TWO interviews!
The first one was posted on TuneIn.com and was given by Mike Horn who use to work with SD during his KFIdays in the mid-70's. Sadly, the site and my PC aren't getting along well so I haven't heard it yet. I have heard that SD dodged many of Horn's more personal questions.
The second, and more recent one, was by Steven Pierer on Marc (formally Mr. KABC) Germain's Talk Radio One site. Unlike the last interview, it's more pleasant AND you can actually download it! (...and I can hear it, too!!)
In both shows, Dick proves he's still funny, witty and sharp as a tack.
Second is Sweet Dick-related. His former producer Douglas McEwan has written a new book called ‘Tallyho, Tallulah’, a sequel to ‘My Lush Life’. In the book, McEwan dedicates this new tome to his high school drama teacher and Sweet Dick; “my first mentor; the man who first told me that I was funny, that I was a writer, and who began the task of teaching me what the hell I was doing. He even paid for my A. F. T. R. A. initiation fee. These things are not forgotten.”
To which Dick replied: “Dear Doug, Thank you so much for the dedication. I never remember being that nice or generous, or anything else unless it pertained to me, me, me. Seriously, I am very flattered. Incidentally after studying the picture in the back of the book, I must say that each year, you are more and more looking like the late Gore Vidal. I think he too would have been very proud of you, and probably hate me for getting the dedication and not him. I should mention that the only other dedication I have had was from a driver on the 101, who shouted over to me in the next lane after I cut him off: 'Go f**k yourself!' Now you can understand why I am so pleased. The best of luck with Tallulah, of course, and to you, my fifth child. Dick"
To find, read and, hopefully, buy McEwan’s new book, go to the publishers web site for information at www. ElectricNoggin.com/Tallyho.html. For those of you who are Facebook addicted: www.facebook. com/TallyhoTallulah. For those who are wondering who the hell this Tally (a.k.a. Tallulah Morehead) is swing on over to www.tallulahmorehead.blogspot.com/ and check out her verbal wears. Go, Dougie!
Still no word or evidence of that KGIL Reunion from July, but we did find out about another event that happen JUST a few days ago. Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters had a tributary luncheon on September 16th for many of L. A.'s radio legends, one of them being Sweet Dick Whittington. The luncheon was first announced in the Orange County Register.
Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters were quick with posting details and pictures on their web site of this event, which you can see HERE and HERE.
NOTICE: This site pays a respective, appreciative and, at times, humorous tribute to Sweet Dick
Whittington, what’s left of KGIL and their associates and co-workers. As loudly indicated at the top of this
page, this site is not authorized nor associated with the above party. Any reporting and opinions expressed
in this site is only of that person nor should be confused with Mr. Whittington, ex-KGIL and so on. There’s
no copyright infringed and are owned by their respective writers and owners. If you have any contributions,
comments or questions, you can contact me at oddlystupid at yahoo dot com Thanks!