Greetings, everyone. Today I will be writing about Joel Daly. He was a news anchorman who worked at WLS-TV Channel 7 in Chicago from 1967 to 2005. My fondest memories of Joel go back to the 1970s when I watched Eyewitness News with Fahey Flynn. They were a classic team of faithfully delivering the news, Monday through Friday afternoon and evening. They entertained television viewers in the Chicagoland area for many successful years.
I remembered seeing the humorous commercials and newspaper ads featuring Fahey and Joel. It started when they did news together in the early days for the TV station’s television ratings and publicity. It worked like a charm, and they didn’t seem undignified doing those publicity stunts. I heard they had a ball. Bill Frink was the sportscaster, and John Coleman was the meteorologist, and the classic foursome was born at WLS-TV Channel 7.
After Fahey Flynn died in 1983, Linda Yu became Joel Daly’s news partner. They were together until Joel retired in 2005. They were great together, but Fahey was better. I remember watching Joel doing the morning newscast in the morning, and there was a cooking segment that featured Mr. Food. I enjoyed it when Joel mentioned his name with such enthusiasm.
After Joel Daly left WLS-TV, he enrolled in law school and practiced law for many years. He had a country music band called The Sundowners, and he was a talented yodeler. When I worked at City Hall in downtown Chicago in the mid-1980s, a co-worker invited me to go to Double R Ranch Club after work. I said yes, and we went there. The Sundowners were performing there. I had no idea that Joel Daly was in the group at the time, and when he yodeled, I looked at him, and I was stunned. I didn’t realize he was a fabulous singer! The man had many talents.
When I heard the news that Joel Daly passed away today, I felt heartbroken. He was on television for a long time. Even though Joel hasn’t been at WLS-TV since 2005, I felt his presence. Now he has reunited with Fahey Flynn in heaven. I bet they are having a good time now. Thank you. Pete Kastanes. Admin for Vanished Chicagoland Facebook page.