'Mr. Chicago,' (longtime columnist) Irv Kupcinet, dead at 91

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 11.10.03 | NEIL STEINBERG

[SAMWolf]

Welcome to FR.

I grew up in the Humboldt Park Neighborhood. Grew up on on Irv, Mauldin and Royko. Married a girl from Niles.

[Charles Henrickson]

I'm 50 (born March of '53). Grew up around Devon & Western. Went to Luther North HS (around Irving/Montrose & Central).

[Lovergirl]

I grew up on Kenmore and Grace. Wrigley field was my neighborhood.

[KC_Conspirator]

I grew up near Harlem and Archer, but moved out to the burbs. Lived in the area from 1970-1987.

[Charles Henrickson]

Wrigley Field was my "second home." Went there every day I wasn't in school--and some days I was supposed to be in school. :-)

[Lovergirl]

LOL. After I got married we moved to McHenry. We raised our kids there and we stayed there for 25 years. I moved to Southern Indiana 5 years ago.

[MinuteGal]

Rest in peace, dear Kup.

I was born and raised in Oak Park.

I'm 39 plus tax and tip.

Leni

[RLK]

We must be around the same age. I'm 55

--------------

Mere kids.

[Charles Henrickson]

Kup's Ping.

[The Brush]

I always read Kup in the paper, he was one of the good people of Chicago.

My first job (in high school) was washing dishes at WGN across from my high school. I had the opportunity to meet all the people I grew up watching and listening to; Frazier Thomas, Ray Rayner, Wally Phillips, Bob Bell, Roy Leonard, etc.
While we aren't talking about him here, Frazier Thomas was one of the nicest people I ever met. On my first day of work I was walking down the corridor and he was walking my way. I decided to pretend it was no big deal and nodded at him. He stopped me, introduced himself and welcomed me to WGN. That was a pretty big thrill for a 17 year old punk like me.
I'm still a punk, just "slightly" older now.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"at WGN across from my high school"

I'm just doing this from memory.
Haven't lived in Chicago since 1971
Did you go to Lane Tech?
I graduated from Prosse June '66

[carlo3b]

I can't recall who said it, but this is what pops up on Google:

July, 1966 Sheng-t'u chih Sheng (Chinese Liahona)
by Van Therald (Robert J. Morris)

The world stands out on either side
No wider than the heart is wide;
Above the world is stretched the sky;--
No higher than the soul is high.

 

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Prosser Voc HS

[The Brush]

Did you go to Lane Tech?

yep, class of '72

[carlo3b]

I've know Kup since 1959. That was the first time I appeared on his radio show from the Pump Room, at the Ambassador East Hotel. He only called me when he needed an emergency filler, if someone noshowed, because my Shop was around the corner.. LOL

His life long love/wife, Essie recently passed, could be about a year, and he hasn't been the same since then. It's been years since he has done his own column, his assistant Stella Foster has been ghost writing for him, she had his style down pat...

He was a nice man, and although I haven't seen him or his wife for several years I will miss him...
 

[Dr. Eckleburg]

It's a line from a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

"The world stands out on either side

No wider than the heart is wide;

Above the world is stretched the sky--

No higher than the soul is high.

The heart can push the sea and land

Farther away on either hand;

The soul can split the sky in two,

And let the face of God shine through.

But East and West will pinch the heart

That can not keep them pushed apart;

And he whose soul is flat - the sky

Will cave in on him by and by."

-- from Renascence

Maybe you remember it from velvet-voiced Franklyn MacCormack's late night radio program. He used to play moody music and recite poetry from midnight till dawn.

http://www.nwfolk.com/franklyn.html

[dglang]

I grew up in Chicago and also attended Harrison Technical High School. During the 30's and 40's there was a large Jewish neighborhood north of the school. The schools most famous graduate was the King OF Swing, Benny Goodman.

During the schools 50th anniversary in 1962, While I was a mamber of the concert band, Benny Goodman played with the band in a concert.

One other grad was the former U.S. Supreme Court justice Arthur Goldberg.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

An empty Kup ping. 8~(

[dglang]

You forgot the great Franklin Mccormak and his all night Torch hour show on WGN radio. Other great WGN'rs would include Lou Boudreau, Vince Lloyd, Lloyd Petit, and Jack Brickhouse who broadcast the Cubs games.

My dad and I would go fishing almost every day during the summer and we always listened to the Cubs games while fishing. Sometimes on trips to upper Wisconsin and even Minnesota, we could receive the broadcasts up there.

One of my very favorite programs on WGN was the great Fifth Army Band which had a weekly radio program which usually aired on Saturday nights. When I graduated from high school, I auditioned for and was accepted into the Fifth Army Band. After a short tour with the Fifth, I was transferred to the 74Th Army Band at Ft Benjamin Harrision Indiana (Uncle Bennies Rest Home).

While in the 74th, my friend who also transferred from the Fifth and I would park under the wires alongside a railroad track just to listen to the Fifth Army Band, they were truely great.

[dglang]

Why do I love you and another real audio song can be found here: http://wgnradio.com/history/75th02.htm#audio