Route 66 Johnny Rabbitt
Sat: 9PM, Sun: 12AM
Follow Route 66 Johnny Rabbitt:
Follow Route 66 Johnny Rabbitt:
Johnny Rabbitt (Ron Elz) is the host of the classic oldies show Rte. 66 on KMOX Saturday night as well as on special assignment talk programs. Since 1992 he’s been conducting a Monday entertainment show at the Argosy Casino Alton that runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s the Belles & Beaus Lunch and bingo party and it holds the record for being the longest running program of any casino in America.
Rabbitt has written two books on St. Louis Trivia, has also penned introductions, forwards or content to another 25+ plus local books, was the daily columnist for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and writes a column for the monthly nostalgia version of that paper. He was Professor of Communications in the ’90 at St. Louis University, and is the history editor of the new website: onstl.com. In addition he’s a member of the board of both the St. Louis Mercantile Library and the Mercantile Art Museum. Rabbitt co-created the Media Archive of the Missouri Historical Society where he remains an advisor, he created The Legacy Room at the Chase Park Plaza, which is the largest memorabilia room of any hotel in the U.S., and he’s conducted trivia nights since 1982. He makes countless speaking and program presentations for organizations of all types.
Rabbitt and his wife Gwen have lived in St. Louis Hills for 40 years. They have two children; Amy who is a producer with Creative Producers Group and Eric who is a show designer for International Technologies Corporation.
FOUR QUESTIONS WITH JOHNNY RABBITT:
What is your favorite St. Louis activity? My favorite activity is writing and you can see some of the things I write on the website antiquewhs.com under Inside St. Louis.
What would you do if you weren't in radio? My dream job would be to direct the largest chain of radio stations in America and help them to all become the type of station we have in KMOX.
Share one random fact. When people ask that tried and true St. Louis question: "Where'd you go to high school?" My answer leaves 99.9% of 'em perplexed as I graduated from The Dodson School which was in a 19th century stone mansion on Lindell Blvd. across from the Cathedral. It operated from 1903 to 1967 and was so small we only had 12 students in the high school.
If you could live anywhere else in the country, where would it be? Well I grew up here on Flora Place but lived in cities such as Boston, Houston, San Antonio, Cincinnati, Kansas City and San Francisco and I turned down jobs in Cleveland, Los Angeles and New York City to come back home. For better or worse, that's what St. Louis is to me...home. But if I HAD to for some reason live elsewhere it'd be Kansas City.
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Johnny Rabbit has the unique disctinction of having several Johnny Rabbitt Specials at area dining establishments. He created them all, an they're all best sellers:
The Johnny Rabbitt Monkey Malt at The Fountain on Locust. It's a dark chocolate/banana creation with whipped cream. Very healthy!
There's the Johnny Rabbitt chicken breast dinner in a lemony cream sauce with a side dish, salad and dessert at Al's Restaurant at 2nd and Biddle north of Laclede's Landing. Al's has been there since 1925.
One of the big sellers for decades at Crown Candy Kitchen on N. 14th St. and St. Louis Ave. is the Johnny Rabbitt Special malt. This is a fresh banana malt with nut and nutmeg blened in and topped with whipped cream. Better be thirsty!
Bacon or sausage, eggs and pancakes make up the Johnny Rabbitt Special Breakfast at Chris's Pancake & Dining on Watson and Southwest. it's reported to be the best selling breakfast dish in St. Louis!
When you go to Ted Drewes, and everybody seems to, just ask for a Johnny Rabbitt. What you'll get in the size you select is the Johnny Rabbitt Chocolate Covered Cherry Concrete and it's really good guys...and gals.
