WGN Plus - The Steve and Johnnie Podcast

Steve King and Johnnie Putman offer their two cents and close out a very musical May with a little blues celebration! Guitarist and Chicago’s very own Dave Specter stops by the studio for a special appearance to talk about his new album LIVE at SPACE! Performed at the venue SPACE in Evanston, we learn a […]

Johnnie Putman and Steve King have all of your favorites for this packed show! Racing, routers and a pair of talented musicians are just some of the things crammed in! Our own Dane Neal stopped by before he covered the Indy 500 to share some of the traditions, superstitions and expectations all racing fans should […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring some more musical mayhem, along with the usual tales from back in the day, car stuff and tasty treats! Suzy Bogguss is the first guest and she is quite the busy bee with lots to talk about! She is one of the inductees at the Illinois Rock and Roll […]

Johnnie Putman and Steve King give you the “mother” of all shows! We have some childhood ‘momisms’, our weekly food jones, weird new tech jargon, and magical music that is both new to us and to the airwaves! We jump right in with Don Drucker and Lisa Berman Drucker, Owners of Superdawg in Norwood Park […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman are back for tons of music, Malort and motor related goodness! Our first guest is Monica Eng, Author and Axios reporter with some real reporting on the Real ID, Chicago’s impending curfew law after an influx of late night “teen takeovers” and the obligatory food jones, if you consider Malort […]

Johnnie Putman and Steve King have another cavalcade of characters on this super stuffed show! Throughout the show, we’re paying tribute to the late legend Duane Eddy ahead of what would have been his 87th birthday. Plus, we have the obligatory food jones. Our first featured friend is Steve Bernas, President & Chief Executive Officer […]

Kick back, relax and crack open a window for this full show with Steve King and Johnnie Putman! After weeks of rescheduling, we finally get to add another hat to the many Jessica Radloff has! In addition to being the Senior West Coast Editor of GLAMOUR Magazine and the author of “The Big Bang Theory: […]

Game show host Wink Martindale, known for programs including “Tic-Tac-Dough” and “Gambit,” died Tuesday at age 91. Earlier in his career, Martindale was a radio DJ. In 1954, Martindale recorded one of the first interviews with Elvis Presley. In this clip from a 2001 interview with WGN Radio’s Steve King and Johnnie Putman, Wink Martindale […]

Johnnie Putman and Steve King are back in Chicago and back in full form with full sized shows! For this first (almost full) show back, we've got tons of TV history tidbits, along with the inside scoop on the latest edition of Watching TV: American Television Season by Season, Fourth Edition. It is coauthored by […]

During their last week at WKGC in Panama City Beach, Steve King and Johnnie Putman introduce you to the latest master of music along the Florida panhandle. Tracy Mick comes to the show for the first time to perform live at the studio and we learn a little about who Tracy is. Tune in below […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman continue their Florida stay with some very special guests at WKGC in Panama City’s Gulf Coast State College. We get to know more about fan favorite Floridians Eli Ingram and Sandi MarLisa, the Florida duo known as Jack and Gin are back on the show to talk about their new […]

Johnnie Putman and Steve King have left Chicago… and are enjoying the Florida weather running the show from Panama City! It may be reduced, but it's still the same great Steve and Johnnie flavor! Patrick Crispen checks in with the latest tech news, hacks, spam and AI updates, with the big headlines covering a major […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring back Steve Dawson for his third appearance on Steve and Johnnie 2.0! We have tons of auditory treats for you to enjoy and some news on how you can catch a live show in April! Stay tuned for visual treats to come on Steve and Johnnie’s blog and YouTube […]

If you thought you missed the show last week, don’t worry, it was just really small! Steve King and Johnnie Putman had a big 5 hour show packed into a little speck of time! We get some anecdotes from the early days of caller giveaways, stories about Johnnie’s favorite instrument, and some big news for […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman are rolling out the red carpet on a show fit for two Kings! We start off with Steve Bernas, President & Chief Executive Officer at BBB of Chicago & Northern Illinois and he brings us up to speed on the latest slew of scams and spams with the big one […]

Johnnie Putman and Steve King invite you to reminisce 40 years after their first show on air together. Along the way, we have a cavalcade of classic characters and a medley of music sure to keep you entertained! John Davis, Host of MotorWeek and longtime friend of the show checks in to highlight some of […]

Steve King and Johhnie Putman bring another shortened show, but still just as sweet with a couple of features you don’t want to miss! With 25 years having gone by since the tragic loss of our very own Bob Collins, there was no better time to join Steve and Johnnie and reminisce on the man […]

Johnnie Putman and Steve King are packed to the brim with a wide range of delicious audibles to kick off February! Between all of the computer, automotive and restaurant talk, we look at how everything is being affected as a new presidential power takes root into all parts of the nation. We start off with […]

Dive deep within yourself and the universe! Steve King and Johnnie Putman have another loaded show to make you feel fulfilled and abundant! Along the way we have a some featured players to keep you up to speed on what’s happening in the world of sports, cars, television! Jessica Radloff has the latest things to […]

Johnnie Putman and Steve King have a shorter show, but one that's sure to keep you warm all the same. We kick it off with the always entertaining Gino Salomone, Entertainment Reporter for Fox 6 in Milwaukee, to look at some of the tougher things in life. They reminisce about the late Bob Uecker, a […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman welcome long time friend and member of New Colony Six for a show full of laughs, fun stories from the early days of NC6 and, despite a number of technical difficulties, some great jams from Ronnie (and the Rockin’ Rabbi)! Patrick Crispen checks in from the west coast for an […]

Johnnie Putman and Steve King are back for another year of fun guests, conversations and stories! Kick up your feet and sit by the fire because, baby, it’s cold outside. Our first guest is the one and only Charlie Meyerson, journalist, editor and most notably former newscaster right here on WGN Radio. He tunes in […]

The countdown begins! Steve King and Johnnie Putman present their last show of the year! Knowing them, it had to be a special one with some special guests! We kick off the show right away with a drive by appearance from Muriel Anderson and her legendary Captain, Bryan Allen! She treats us to some harp […]

Steve King, Johnnie Putman and the rest of the cast bring you a special Christmas show! We’ve got everything you never knew you needed: Christmas music, harmonica, weird tech news and even Elvis himself! The show starts with a crazy Christmas party for the whole cast of characters that make this show possible with gifts […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman are counting down the days as Christmas gets closer, and we have a number of holiday treats to make your spirits bright We start with a genius out of Wisconsin, Peggy Brown, whose incredible innovations with toys and games have put smiles on the faces of many children. We learn […]

As we get closer to 2025, Johnnie Putman and Steve King return with another show to prep you for the holiday! It’s a shorter show, but a great show nonetheless! We catch up with Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at Keck School of Medicine of USC on the latest tech news and phone problems. […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman hop in to the final stretch of 2024 with some iconic hometown heroes and some post Thanksgiving leftovers! Kicking off the show, we have members of The Ides of March, bassist Bob Bergland and drummer Mike Borch in studio to talk about some major updates for the Ides and we […]

It’s a regular-sized show sure to make you feel the need to loosen your belt a few notches! Johnnie Putman and Steve King bring a hefty helping of goodies just in time for Turkey Day 2024 that you can catch throughout the show! Keeping our streak of in-studio performances going are Josh Solomon and Erika […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring you the incredibly rare and super fun-sized show! It’s not much but with some music stories, early days of Him N’ Her and Sports Between the Sheets, it’s the same cattywampus content you know and love! Tune in below to enjoy the shenanigans!

Johnnie Putman and Steve King invite you to a special show with two special performers! Steve Dawson returns to the studio with his equally talented partner in life and performance, Diane Christiansen. They regale us with tales of their tours and we get the Diane side of some stories Steve left us with last time. […]

It’s that time of year! Time to set back those clocks an hour, if you haven’t already! Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring you a show packed to the brim as the time shift gives us a “do-over” hour! Kicking it off is the one and only Dean Richards bringing us behind the curtain of […]

It’s that time of year! The witching hour is close at hand! Johnnie Putman and Steve King are here to scratch that spooky itch with a number of ghoulish goodies to feast your ears on! Music Archivist Don Romano stops in for a series of Halloween songs both ancient and unheard of from some dearly […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman are in the Halloween spirit and what better way than sharing a frightening Halloween poem for everyone! Johnnie also provides instructions on how to spice up any Halloween gathering with ghoulish delight. Dr. Patrick Crispen joins the show to discuss the use of alternative social media platforms such as Bluesky […]

Johnnie Putman and Steve King are back in Panama City Beach to give you a little spooky Southern show from the panhandle! Author Katlyn Jones demonstrates her expertise of all of things spooky in Florida with her book Haunted Florida Panhandle sure to send a shiver down your spine if you’re along the panhandle! Tom […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman introduce you to one WGN’s brand new broadcasters, Charlie Roumeliotis, the latest addition on the Blackhawks Live broadcast taking up the mantle from long-time host Joe Brand. The next big star of the show is Jim Peterik, the main man of The Ides of March, to talk about his show […]

We know you missed them, we did too! It’s been a couple of weeks, but Johnnie Putman and Steve King are back in time to ring in autumn! Suzy Bogguss starts the show with what would have been a recap of Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Sadly, […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman are back from their West Coast weekend off for another show starring a very special musical guest this summer. Muriel Anderson and her amazing harp guitar have made port and stopped by the studio for some enthralling anecdotes from her time at sea with her partner Bryan Allen, along with […]

Think you’ve heard it all? Think again! Johnnie Putman and Steve King are exploring the history of songs both ancient and… wacky. Dr. Don Romano, our resident musical archivist returns to the show after rave reviews! This time we take a turn for the odd, the awful and the downright silliest old songs to ever […]

It’s National Radio Day! Steve King and Johnnie Putman are back again with a whole bunch of fun and not so fun things to talk about! Axios reporter Monica Eng walks over from the DNC kickoff party and airs some grievances with the paths and walkways allowing us to cross Lake Shore Drive safely. Naturally, […]

There goes summer! Johnnie Putman and Steve King are your bookend to summertime and on this show we’ve got air show anniversary anecdotes, bricks disguised as phones, and we’re chatting about old tv and music legends! Jon Provost, star of the classic TV series Lassie, is making an appearance at the Wheaton All-Night Flea Market. […]

Steve King and Johnnie Putman are in for a show you’d have to see to believe! With weather wackiness, new things to watch, tech woes and wizardry and you might learn a thing or two about photography Chris Smith, WJHG-TV’s Chief Meteorologist touches down to teach the class about how a tropical storm develops into […]

Johnnie Putman and Steve King have yet another show stuffed full of a bunch of guests, almost as stuffed as a pierogi! Following the recent birthday for Steve, there is more than enough reason to celebrate! Joseph Crispen and the Crispen Gang (a.k.a. his parents) are in town for the first of a two part […]