Ramblin’ Ray

Hello! My name is Ray, and this is my bio. It’s supposed to tell you about who I am.

I was born to a humble sheet metal working man and his woman in West Chicago (that would be Big Ray and Pat.) That’s where I grew up. Living in the suburbs of Chicago was cool. I was far enough in the woods to be able to run through farm fields as a kid, yet close enough to enjoy the greatest big city in the world….Chicago.

My stories are legendary. My nickname with my crew that I used to run with is to this day on the north side of the Wheaton water tower. But that’s all I will say about what I did in my younger days.

Growing up, I worked for my Dad’s company Air Control Heating & Sheet Metal. Every day when I drive to the city, I see the buildings I used to work on. I would work outside when the temperatures would range from sub-zero in the winter, to well over 100 in the summer. It made me want to do something else. I wasn’t smart enough for anything but radio. But working with construction crews, even while I worked part-time here, made me appreciate how hard my dad worked for our family. It also makes me really appreciate the hard working folks of this great town.

My radio career was born at a party for Budweiser beer that happened in Daytona Beach, Florida. Long story short- I ran a party for free beverages, and the Ramblin’ career was launched.

I than knew I had to get into a business where I could have fun. My first real radio job began in Aurora at WAUR-AM 1280. I would do anything there from washing station vans to doing agriculture reports.

Than it was across the hall to WAUR 107.9, where I went from the overnight show to the morning show in two years. I worked all across Northern Illinois back in the day when real people worked in small town radio. Now the small town radio stations are mostly run by computer. And that’s sad!

I met JD Spangler who hired me at US99, and other than a brief “restructuring” of me back in 2001, this has been my radio home.

I’m humbled to be a part of the US99.5 Morning show with Lisa Dent. Every day we just have fun and talk to real people. The reason that WUSN has had such a good run is due to the best listeners anyone could ask for!