John Rook

John Rook
John Rook (in 2013)
Born	(1937-10-09)October 9, 1937 Chillicothe, Ohio, U.S.
Died	March 1, 2016(2016-03-01) (aged 78) Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S.
Occupation	American radio scheduling (broadcasting) programmer and executive Businessman (John Rook & Associates)

John Harlan Rook (October 9, 1937 - March 1, 2016) was an American radio programmer and executive, most known for his tenure in Chicago. Under his guidance in the 1960s, 50,000-watt ABC-owned WLS became the highest rated station in the Chicago metropolitan area, known as one of the greatest Top 40 stations in America. After leaving WLS to form a radio consultancy in 1970, WLS' rival, WCFL-AM, beat WLS in the ratings after retaining Rook's services. Throughout his programming career, Rook won numerous national radio awards and was repeatedly singled out for his ability to pick hit records. He would later own his own radio stations before founding the Hit Radio Hall of Fame, the only foundation that bestows awards on popular performers based upon the votes of the general public.

John Rook's final interview included a comprehensive review of his entire life, and was broadcast on media personality Marcus Singletary's Far Out Flavors Podcast on December 15, 2015. He reflected upon breaking into radio, meeting Eddie Cochran, Mick Jagger, Ted Kennedy, and Jesse Helms, and the emergence of real estate mogul Donald Trump as a viable presidential candidate.

Rook was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, and attended high school in Nebraska, before moving to California in the mid-1950s to take acting classes with Natalie Wood, Nick Adams and Sal Mineo, at the Pasadena Playhouse. This led to bit parts in several motion pictures, as well as a small role in the Wild Bill Hickok television series. He spent much of his time guiding the career of his closest friend, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend, Eddie Cochran, one of the artists on Liberty Records, where Rook worked in the mailroom. At lunch with Liberty Records artist Ross Bagdasarian who was on the label as David Seville, they encountered Bagdasarian’s friend, performer Tennessee Ernie Ford. Upon being introduced to Rook, Ford asked what he did at Liberty. When he heard Rook was packing records to send to disc jockeys, he suggested that Rook would have a better career being one.