MORRIS – Although legendary WLS disc jockey and radio personality John Records Landecker gained his fame by playing top 40 hits, his middle name is no moniker.

It’s his real name.

His mother’s maiden name was Records. His biography is titled, “Records Truly is my Middle Name.”

Landecker was at the Morris Area Public Library on Saturday, talking about his career and sharing memories with fans. The idea to invite Landecker came from local radio morning host Kevin Schramm of WCSJ/WJDK.

Schramm said he used to listen to Landecker’s show every night and even taped it.

“For me, it was the music and the way he would talk to the post,” Schramm said, referring to the practice of DJs talking during the beginning of a song, up to the point where the vocals begin. “You don’t want to step on the vocals.”

Landecker was one of the most popular DJs not only in Chicago, but across the nation. WLS-AM’s signal was what Landecker called a “clear channel,” with such a strong signal that it reached across the country at night.

He worked nights at WLS-AM in the 1970s, then went to broadcast in Canada before going to WLUP and WAGO. He bounced back to WLS, then to Cleveland and on to WJMK in Chicago, where his show was named, “Best Morning Show in Chicago,” and “Best Oldies Morning Show in America.”

He is now the host at WLS-FM, 94.7, weeknights 8 to 11 p.m.

Ginny Bellamy of Morris enjoyed hearing Landecker’s behind-the-scenes stories. She said she has good memories of her teenage son Jim listening to Landecker in the car in the 1970s.

“My son always wanted to listen to him in the back of the Pinto wagon as I was shuffling kids to games,” Bellamy said. “I think he liked that he was fresh and was on his level and that he could relate to the comments he was making on the artists.”

Bellamy said seeing Landecker in person was a treat.

“I enjoyed him,” she said. “I think he was really down to earth, and it was fun that he shared all of his experiences. ... I think that we all want to be broadcasters.”

Landecker said when he started out, radio had a farther reach than it does now.

“I’m old enough to remember radio as the total entertainment experience,” he said. “I was there at the beginning of rock and roll and rock radio stations. ... When I was at WLS-AM, there was really no FM and no personalities on it. WCFL and WLS were the two choices to listen to music when you were a kid in the ‘70s. ... I had no idea the enormity of what I had.”

Landecker said he only realized the size of his audience when National Public Radio did an interview with him and the reporter said he had between 5 and 6 million listeners.

One of Landecker’s most popular segments was his “Boogie Check” slot during the last few minutes of each broadcast, when he took live calls from listeners – mostly teens – who asked questions or made comments. His replies were quick, witty and irreverent — and listeners loved it.

“Let’s boogie” was a big catch-phrase in those days, he explained, and he combined that with the fact that one of his fellow DJs would check his mustache for “boogies,” and Boogie Check began.

“I had no idea where it was going,” Landecker said. “We took live calls, and we had no delay system. ... Nobody else was doing this. There was no planning. I had the ability to be really quick on my feet, and it was a huge, huge success. ... Later, it was copied and attempted by the other radio stations.”

Syndication has become a downfall of getting good local DJs on the air, he said. Station owners have made stockholders the bottom line, rather than the listeners, he added.

Nevertheless, Landecker said good radio can still be found.

“WLS made a huge impact on the country, on the city and on the business,” Landecker said, “and it’s been a part of everything I’ve done since.”