EDITOR'S NOTE: This post will be updated as further details come in. Many thanks to Bill Merkel of EvansvilleWatch for his gracious help in getting this story together and to Wendy Bredhold and the Evansville Courier & Press for additional information.
It is my sad duty to report that Larry Aiken has died.
Aiken, who was 69, started as a radio DJ who came to local prominence as "Lonesome Larry" on WEOA -- while he was still a student at Bosse High School -- in the 1950s. After leaving Evansville in 1958 for radio stints in Louisville, Pittsburgh and Atlanta, he returned to Evansville in 1963, forming the company that eventually became Aiken Management with his brother, Keith.
The company, which Aiken sold in 1999, eventually became the second-largest presenter of touring Broadway shows in the U.S., according to the Courier & Press. Aiken Management also put on over 1,700 shows during its 36-year run, a remarkable record.
Aiken later became a restaurateur, owning and operating a number of well-known local restaurants, and, in a return to his roots, he bought radio stations WGBF 1280 AM and 103.1 FM in 1987. A former chairman of the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party, he stepped down from that post in 2008, but Evansville City Council member Wendy Bredhold tells me that Aiken retained the position of finance chair for the local party until his death.
The company, which Aiken sold in 1999, eventually became the second-largest presenter of touring Broadway shows in the U.S., according to the Courier & Press. Aiken Management also put on over 1,700 shows during its 36-year run, a remarkable record.
Aiken later became a restaurateur, owning and operating a number of well-known local restaurants, and, in a return to his roots, he bought radio stations WGBF 1280 AM and 103.1 FM in 1987. A former chairman of the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party, he stepped down from that post in 2008, but Evansville City Council member Wendy Bredhold tells me that Aiken retained the position of finance chair for the local party until his death.
Among the many things which Aiken could point to with pride is that, while he owned the WGBF stations, he was the first station owner to sign on with "The Bob & Tom Show" -- which, until the mid-1990s, had been merely a local radio show in Indianapolis. Once Aiken secured the show for 'GBF, though, the show quickly went national and is now on the air in over 150 cities across the country.
One could tell many stories about the life and work Larry Aiken, and indeed many folks did just that in February 2009 as they "roasted" him at Casino Aztar. True to form, though, Aiken agreed -- but only if the proceeds from the event went to local charities, and they did.
One could tell many stories about the life and work Larry Aiken, and indeed many folks did just that in February 2009 as they "roasted" him at Casino Aztar. True to form, though, Aiken agreed -- but only if the proceeds from the event went to local charities, and they did.
Bill Merkel reports that Boone Funeral Home on Washington Avenue in Evansville is in charge of Larry's funeral arrangements, and you'll be able to find more details on services here and at EvansvilleWatch as we get more information.
Rest in peace, "Lonesome Larry." You'll be missed.
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