The Book – WGN Radio
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A Note From STEVE KING & JOHNNIE PUTNAM All-Night Hosts. WGN-Radio 720AM
Karma–believe in it? This book was written by a man fulfilling his karma.
Wayne Jancik was destined to write this book from that preteen summer
when he was confined to bed while running the gamut of childhood illnesses.
The only thing that made the chicken- pox itch a little less or the measles a
little less annoying was the sound of each new 45 Wayne’s dad brought home
as a present for his ailing son. Some thing about the then-new rock-and-roll
records Wayne heard not only helped him to feel better but seemed to be
opening up a whole new world that he just had to explore.
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As time and illness passed, Wayne accumulated more and more 45s and was soon thoroughly caught
up in the excitement of Elvis, the Beatles, and the many individuals who followed them to achieve rock-
legend status. But it wasn’t just the legends; it was the music that was important. And as Wayne soon
discovered, unlike Elvis and company, many of those who made some of the most memorable music
that found its way into the upper reaches of the charts were able to accomplish that feat only once.
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As an adult, Wayne might have left his childhood toys behind but not his records. He continued to
accumulate more and more and more records (approaching 200,000 at last count!). But he has
matured into a man who is capable of making extraordinary sacrifices for his wife, Charlene (make
that “Saint Charlene”). Why, just recently, he allowed one complete room of their house to be totally
without records, and he gets the shakes only a little when he walks through it quickly.
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For the past several years, starting shortly after the publication of the first edition of One Hit Wonders,
Wayne has been a monthly guest on our radio show. We’ve come to understand that this is a man who
doesn’t just write about and enjoy the artists and the music; he is PASSIONATE about them. He wonders
about the stories–the hows, the whys, the accidents, the jokes, the loves, the frustrations –whatever it was
that resulted in that one hit. Somewhere in the deep recesses of Wayne’s mind there is probably a juke-
box that needs this information in order to be able to play the final chorus of each song.
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This book is the result of Wayne’s fascination with the music and the people who made it. These are the
stories of those who had a single moment in the spot light. In a way, this book is also a diary of Wayne’s
passion and the artists who supplied the soundtrack to it. If you are a child of any of the rock-and-roll
generations, then this soundtrack is yours, too. So, sit back, relax, pop a quarter into the jukebox of
your mind, and let the pages, the records, and the memories start turning.
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