WOPA and "Big Bill" Hill

[Mm9775]

Anybody got any info on WOPA radio or Big Bill Hill?

[Twist Turner]

WOPA was a small radio station out of Oak Park, Illinois if my memory is
correct. I remember seeing Big Bill Hill broadcasting live at a place
called the Michiagan Ave. Resterant and Cafe Society in the 23 hundred block
of South Michigan Ave. If I remember right the band that night was King
Edward and Nolan Struck. WOPA had several blues shows. I performed on
seveal WOPA broadcasts myself while I was with Bonnie Lee's band back in
1975, the DJ was a guy named Jimmy Mitchell who several years later was fund
murdered. Big Bill Hill was also found dead in his car around 1981 or
so(not sure if from natural causes or not)

Mm9775 wrote in message <20000514104654...@ng-cv1.aol.com>...

[Mm9775]

> "Twist Turner" twi...@flash.net
>Date: 5/16/00 9:42 AM Mountain Daylight Time
>Message-id: <q%dU4.13493$wb7.1...@news.flash.net>

>
>WOPA was a small radio station out of Oak Park, Illinois if my memory is
>correct. I remember seeing Big Bill Hill broadcasting live at a place
>called the Michiagan Ave. Resterant and Cafe Society in the 23 hundred block
>of South Michigan Ave. If I remember right the band that night was King
>Edward and Nolan Struck. WOPA had several blues shows. I performed on
>seveal WOPA broadcasts myself while I was with Bonnie Lee's band back in
>1975, the DJ was a guy named Jimmy Mitchell who several years later was fund
>murdered. Big Bill Hill was also found dead in his car around 1981 or
>so(not sure if from natural causes or not)
>

Thanks, and you are correct. In fact, the "OPA" stood for Oak Park Arms, as in
Oak Park Arms Hotel, which was at the corner of Madison and Oak Park Avenue in
- you guessed it - Oak Park, IL. Big Bill was on the air for quite some time.
Never heard about his demise. I think he started in the fifties and I recall
hearing Muddy, Magic Sam, and many other artists both live and from the studio.
IIRC, WOPA also had Gospel shows. Anybody else? FYI, there is a web page for
the new station, WPNA, which is owned and operated by the Polish National
Alliance, hence the new call letters. Fittingly, they still have a "Blue
Midnight" program - to maintain the long tradition of blues on that station, or
so their web page says. Since I'm no longer in Chicagoland, I can't confirm
that. Thanks, and I'd be curious to learn more about Big Bill, WOPA or blues
radio broadcasting - especially live - in Chicago in the '50's and '60's.

[billwil...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, May 14, 2000 at 2:00:00 AM UTC-5, Mm9775 wrote:
> Anybody got any info on WOPA radio or Big Bill Hill?

I used to listen to "Big Bill Hill" in the late 50's when I was in high school (Lane Tech). He was broadcasting live from the beautiful CoPa CaBana on west Roosevelt Road. As A blues fan I enjoyed the music and he was quite a character. The "house" band, when I was listening, was "Hound Dog Taylor" and the "Boys in the Band" with "Chicago Slim" on harp. My friend and I actually went to see them one night. The neighbourhood was terrible (looked like WWII bombed out Germany). It was difficult to find the "beautiful CoPa Cobana," as he called it on the radio. We finally took a chance and stopped at one of the graffiti covered building from which the music seemed to be coming. We were the only two white guys in the area and a little uncomfortable. When we got in, we found that Chicago Slim was the only white guy in the place ... It didn't matter. The music was great and Hound Dog Taylor & company were outstanding (as was Chicago Slim). For some reason, I remember a commercial he aired over and over ... "Good credit, bad credit, no credit at all, your credit is good at Washington Automotive" (except he pronounced credit as credic ... somehow, it made it memorable)...I'm pretty sure that was almost word for word (it was a long time ago but I listened often). An interesting sidenote. Thirty five years later, I ran into Chicago Slim at a car show (he was displaying one of his cars ... he had a car collection) ... to make sure, I asked if that was him so many years ago (he collected the cover charge when we entered ... 25 cents each) ...He said, "that was me and I kept the quarters." Interesting enough, Chicago Slim had become wealthy trading in movie posters. We talked about it often. He played with all the big time blues players including Little Walter and others ... Anyway, WOPA Oak Park radio introduced me to the blues and I still enjoy that music today (I'm 75 years old).Sorry to hear Big Bill Hill passed ...