Glen Olson, master of the ice fortress, sometime in the early 1970s
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Steve Moravec informs us that Glen “Big Daddy” Olson has passed away.
Olson was well-known for his work at WTTC(AM) in the Twin Cities. He also worked at WCCO and WLTE(FM).
Steve sent along the photo of Olson and the WTTC “ice fortress” promo done for a local bank one winter. That’s Olson keeping warm with the help of a young lady.
Steve provides the background: “He succumbed to our invitation to spend the night sealed in an igloo on the bank’s downtown events plaza as part of a civic salute to the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. After a reasonable quantity of ‘liquid courage’ at the nearby Copper Hearth he was tucked in for the night and the entrance frozen shut. The old Northwestern Bell had installed the first white Princess phone in an igloo … and Glen checked in on WWTC overnight, then doing his show live from his ice fortress the next morning. What a good sport!”
After retiring from broadcast, Olson opened a pizzeria — still operated by his son.
Olson may be visited, Monday, July 22, from 4–7 p.m. at Washburn-McReavy, Eden Prairie Chapel in Eden Prairie, Minn. Services are at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23 (visitation one hour prior), at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie.
Read the Tribute Wall here.
Air checks for Olson from WTTC can be found here.
A large file containing excerpts of WTTC’s last day as a music station can be found here. Olson’s show is included.
Pictures of Glen Olson at WLTE can be found here.
