Longtime WCCO Radio Co-Host Remembers Charlie Boone

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Broadcasting legend passed away this weekend.

For more than 50 years on WCCO Radio, Charlie Boone entertained and informed generations of fans. For 37 of those years, from 1961-1998, he and Roger Erickson hosted WCCO-AM's legendary Boone And Erickson morning show.

For decades, more than half of local radios would tune into Boone and Erickson's morning show. Roger Erickson remembered his long-time partner Monday.

"It was just so wonderful. We would get an idea," Erickson said, "and a lot of times we would be just ad-libbing."

But for all the spontaneity, Boone and Erickson put hours preparing and writing skits for each show including the popular Minnesota Hospital.

More than once there were scrapes with management, but things always seemed to turn out alright for the trouble-making duo.

Current WCCO -AM morning host Dave Lee said Boone and Erickson's success was based on the odd couple mix of Charlie Boone the sophisticate and Roger Erickson the coutnry guy - as well as a genuine humility on air and off.

"There was no arrogance, no condescending attitude," Lee said. "They were stars, but sure didn't act like it."

Boone continued at WCCO-AM until 2010 hosting, among other shows, "Weekly Wine Chats" with his friend of 40 years, Haskell's CEO Jack Farell.

"He had that wonderful soothing voice that no matter what he was saying, you were assured everything was all right," Farell said.

Boone died after a brief illlness Sunday. He was 88 years old. A Memorial service has not yet been arranged