A phenomenal increase in subscriptions parlayed him into the job of copy boy when he graduated from High School in 1943 at the age of 17. In 1944, while taking evening classes at Macalester College, he became a copy editor (he also took film classes at the U of M). In 1948 he became a Sunday movie columnist. In 1950 he was promoted to movie editor with his column “Look and Listen.” His radio career started in 1948 at WMIN in the Hamm Building in St. Paul.
Diehl left WMIN in January 1950, and in the summer of 1950 he did a movie gossip show on KSTP-TV called “Screen Stories” which he wrote, produced, and presented. KSTP wanted him to stay but he wanted to keep his Pioneer Press job. He went back to WMIN in the fall of 1950 and stayed until early 1956. There he had shows called “It’s Your Diehl” and “Diehl’s Caravan,” where he played pop tunes, Broadway hits, and the songs of the day. He worked mornings, and also on Sundays from 3:30 to midnight.
WDGY: Bill frequently gave away records at concerts that he promoted.In the fall of 1956 he moved to WDGY, where he did the afternoon Top 40 show. WDGY had become the first rock ‘n’ roll station in the Twin Cities earlier that year, and Diehl was the station’s star DJ. He was also the music director from 1957 to 1961 and got consistently top ratings. He mostly brought in his own records, because the station’s were “too scratchy.” Diehl was known for his phenomenal record collection, which he and his wife Helen bought mostly from Phil Moe at Pyramid Records on 11th Street in Minneapolis.
Bill & the Underbeats.As a promotion, in November 1958 Jim Ramsburg cooked up the Radio Wonders basketball team (below). WDGY Jocks teamed up with professionals Ed Kalafat, Bobby Cox, Jim Springer, and Corky Devlin, possibly former Minneapolis Lakers.
Jack Thayer holding the ball. Clockwise from Jack are Bill Diehl, Don Kelly, Dan Daniel, Stanley Mack, and Ramsburg.Diehl also M.C.’ed national acts as they appeared in the Twin Cities. One was the Winter Dance Party, starring Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper, when they appeared at the Kato Ballroom in Mankato on January 25, 1959 and the Prom Ballroom in St. Paul on January 28. The three stars died in a plane crash six days later. On the day the musicians perished, Diehl did a three-hour show on WDGY playing nothing but songs by the three young stars.
Bill Diehl "Pepsi Tune Time" over WDGY airwaves, July 7, 1963.[ LISTEN ]
Bill takes requests from callers, plays the "Mystery Voice", and reads some dedications. Pepsi commercials. King Curtis does the Monkey. Also included is a news and sportscast. A nice slice of WDGY in '63.. (8:35)
In 1965 he played a part in bringing the Beatles to Minneapolis. On the air, he promoted the Beatles event with phone-ins with George’s sister, Louise Harrison Caldwell. He traveled to Chicago to see the concert there and took numerous home movies. Diehl M.C.’ed the Minneapolis show, and was hailed with boos when he announced that the concert would end if the audience rushed the stage.
As rock ‘n’ roll changed, so did Bill, and he jumped to WCCO Radio on September 1, 1967, starting at the State Fair broadcast center. In 1974 he did a weekly series of “Sunday Specials” for WCCO Radio, including a series of 50th anniversary specials. In 1988 he was removed from the weekday shift. He turned down Saturday or Sunday nights, and focused on doing commercials and special projects. He left WCCO in 1996.
Bill at WCCO in 1982.In the fall of 1969 he began a series of commercials for Wally McCarthy’s Lindahl Olds on Highway 494 and Penn Ave. He did remote broadcasts from the dealership every Saturday morning, and the promotion became incredibly popular, making lots of money for McCarthy. Diehl would continue to be “Bill Diehl for Oldsmobile” until he left WCCO in 1996.
Diehl passed away on July 19, 2017.
Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Twin Cities Music Highlights, Twin Cities Radio Airchecks.
