ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAMEŽ MERCHANDISE & SERVICES




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LULU BELLE and SCOTTY and LINDA LOU
Special honor goes to this fine pair of youngsters, one of the top three in popularity according to votes of listeners. Lulu Belle, who was Myrtle Cooper, faced the microphone for the first time at WLS. Scotty, Scott Wiseman, came from North Carolina, and they met here. Linda Lou was born January 3, 1936. Lulu Belle was voted National Radio Queen in 1936. Below, a duet with Lieut.-Gov. Schricker of Indiana; a stick of gum to Gov. Horner of Illinois.




 


   

Originally,
the Sears station was licensed to south suburban Crete.  This was the dawning era of radio and Sears knew they could get in on the ground floor by not only selling radios, but providing programming and farm service as well. As stated in the 1925 Sears Catalogue, "WLS was conceived in your interests, is operated in your behalf and is dedicated to your service.  It is your station."    Broadcasting several hours a day, the station's slogan becomes "Bringing The World To The Farm." According to accounts, in little more than four years, WLS went from being an obscure signal to a Midwestern powerhouse.  It was even rumored to be heard as far away as New Zealand!  The station aired speeches from President Calvin Coolidge, Ralph Stockton's sermons, the comedy of Pie Plant Pete and  the wit of Will Rogers.  WLS hosted a 1925 Military Tournament as well as Chicago's reception of Colonel Charles Lindbergh.




WLS was originally housed in the Sears-Roebuck headquarters on Homan Avenue

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