Thank You, Lin Brehmer

Our best friend in the world.  The news came as a shock on Sunday morning as I opened my Twitter feed.  I immediately had to log off and just take a few minutes to cry, to text my parents, and reach out to family and friends to share the news.  Lin Brehmer had passed away.  A radio icon for over 30 years on XRT, but Lin wasn’t just a disc jockey hitting the airwaves.  Lin was everyone’s best friend.  I never had the pleasure of meeting Lin, but the stories shared over the years of his wholesome personality and passion for music were still felt through his time on air.  

Growing up, my parents seemed to always have XRT on the radio.  Lin Brehmer’s show was a must listen.  I learned a lot through XRT and Lin about music as a youth thanks to my parents having his show blasting through the house.  As I got older and moved back home from college, I quickly found myself back listening to XRT and Lin on my morning drives to work.  “Lin’s Bin”, his segment where he answered one question from a fan, was always entertaining and loaded with deep info.  I found myself always looking forward to the song he played after every Lin’s Bin and figuring out how it connected with the listener’s question. 

The older I have gotten, I have grown even more appreciative of Lin and his passion for life and love of everyone he seemed to be around.  Lin brightened up every single room he was in without even being physically in the room.  The heartwarming attitude and kindness he had for everyone was felt simply through the airwaves.  One or two tweets didn’t feel right when I was reflecting on how to honor Lin and his life.  Thank you, Lin, for being part of my life, and everyone else’s life in Chicago.  You will be dearly missed, but I know everyone will celebrate your life and the impact that you left.  Don’t take anything for granted.  It’s f’n great to be alive.  

-Brew Hand Luke