Philly on-air personality Helen Leicht is taking a break from WXPN and radio.
Spend time on Twitter this week and you’re bound to be hit with bad news. And while the larger universe is caving in on itself while watching the Ukraine battle bravely against Putin’s Russian troops, closer to home, something smaller and personal is affecting our morning: the Tweet from WXPN that read, “After nearly 50 years on Philadelphia radio, Helen Leicht @ Leicht Lunch has announced that she will not be returning as midday host. In honor of her incredible legacy, we have decided to make today “We love Helen” Day!”
Yes, it sounds like she’s taking a deserved break to do things she loves outside the studio, so our hearts are with her.
Probe further, at xpn.org, and you can read Leicht’s own letter on the situation at hand and heart.
“To my WXPN family:
It’s been an amazing journey, and I am so grateful to so many.
Almost 50 years doing what I dreamed about as a kid: playing music on the radio… especially the Beatles.
It was the dream when I lived in South Philadelphia where I went to Saint Edmond’s and bought 16 Magazine and every Beatle record. I was raised on the music of WIBG, where my Uncle Joe Conway was the General Manager, and introduced me to the British Invasion, transistors, the Convention Center, and Motown.
I am blessed with the friendships I’ve made, the memories I will keep, the crazy photos I’ve been finding, and the liberty to choose the music and the artists that speak to me and, over so many years, have spoken to you. And I have totally appreciated all your emails and media posts to me since I’ve been off the air.
An amazing journey. I am honored to have worked with some of the most creative, passionate, and beloved DJ’s and programmers in the city and in the industry, past and present. Philly has a rich radio history of loyalty and perseverance, and I’ve learned a lot. We’ve done some good things together, and I’m so pleased to be a small part of all that.
From the early days of Breakfast with the Beatles, to Toys for Tots at the Valley Forge Music Fair with Renaissance in 1984, to the beginning of WXPN Musicians On Call in 2004, and World Cafe Live I’ve witnessed the power of the music, the generosity of our members, and the community spirit built here.
So much fun. I interviewed Paul at the Plaza Hotel. Paul!! I took my children to see him at the Wells Fargo Center and shared our love for the music and concerts. My work always allowed me to bring the kids to the Thanksgiving Day parades, station fund raisers, festivals, and so much more.
So after a good long run on the radio, I’m going to change to walking on the treadmill. Leaving WXPN is hard to do, but it’s time to slow down, be careful, and devote more time to some of the things I haven’t done yet.
Once I’m back to feeling 100% we have been talking about a trip to the UK so we can walk across Abbey Road. We just adopted a rescue dog — Lucy (in the sky with diamonds) —and I will restart my Shine A Leicht podcast. And I’d like to do a show on the Internet. Music, radio, giving artists a platform, going to shows will continue to be a part of my future. And I suspect now, rescue dogs.
The station has invited me to host a band at the Festival in September, and I am looking forward to a much better public health scene for all of us and seeing our listeners in person to say Hello Goodbye.
I miss all the crazy antics of the old days, but I’ve got the pictures. I will still be sharing on social media, Twitter, and Instagram, and I will put some up there.
My dear friend John Flynn, along with his Producer Harvey, another dear friend and radio colleague from the WIOQ years, have written and recorded just the most beautiful song. For me. About me. Here’s the link. I am so touched. Girl With the Blue Transistor.
An amazing journey. I’m so grateful you’ve been here. Hope to see you in September.”
If it wasn’t for Helen Leicht, the likes of Amos Lee, Andrew Lipke, Mutlu and more would have gone unheralded at radio. And remember what she once told me, “My favorite thing to do is work with visionary and crazy and passionate artists who love what they do, and do this above all else.”
Stay passionate, Helen Leicht.
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