RAY NORDSTRAND ---the legendary long time head of WFMT-FM radio in Chicago, passed away this Saturday morning, August 27, 2005, after a long and slow health decline. He was 77. This radio station, beside being the premier classical prgramming station in the nation, made room for folk music to also be a centerpiece of it's programming with it's long running program called The Midnight Special. This fine mostly folk show was hosted by Ray Nordstrand and Norm Pellegrini for thirty years in our city. Rich Warreen now is the host of that program. This show made it actually possible for so many of us to lead decades-long continuing viable lives being folksingers !!!

People, as I wrote that last sentence, I was struck by the nearly total absurdity of it---but nevertheless, Ray Nordstrand and Norm Pellegrini and Studs Terkel, by providing us with their grand megaphone, made all of that an actual historical fact.

RAY NORDSTRAND was a giant part of my musical life, and I will most certainly miss his being here. If you go to www.chicagotribune.com I'm sure you will find a good reminiscence and obituary for Ray. Right now I just don't have the words to say all that I felt about this good man...

Art Thieme