Customer Reviews

Top Rock Girly Jock

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Deep in the heart of Chicago radio history is a quiet, unassuming brilliant woman, whose entry into the world of broadcasting began because with no fanfare whatsoever, she dared to dream. The combination of her quick mind, witty conversation style, and faith in the goodness of people roll into one in the book "Top Rock Girly Jock," released this summer. At first read the book takes you into the world of Chicago neighborhoods, some of the best days of radio wars battling for ratings, and some pretty broadminded men, back in the day, who saw her indefatigable spirit and propelled Connie Szerszen into the spotlight so fast it surprised even her. If you've ever been one of those teenage girls who wondered what it would be like to meet Elvis, date Neil Diamond, or hang out with Elton John...Connie has, and invites us all to hear about it. If you are a guy who knew every lyric to every song on the radio back in the day, this is your book, too. Szerszen moved smoothly from radio station promotion to on-air spots and later took ratings notice away from the senior statesmen behind the mike, and is as gracious as she can be in talking about those who might have preferred she not enter their lair at all. After many great years behind the microphone, Connie added "artist" to her list of credits and developed a reputation as a sought-after portrait artist who still finds time to DJ private events in her so-called spare time. A role model for how to be over 50 and be as busy as a 30-year-old, Szerszen's effervescent writing style leaves a good impression. You feel like you went to a great party because you read who all was there, what they were saying, and who talked to whom there. After reading Szerszen's book, my first thought was, I hope there's a part deux in the works. Top Rock Girly Jock, indeed! First-class, fast read.

I read this book over a period of several days. I read it slowly because I wanted to savor it. It is an easy read, but it took me back to those days when AM radio ruled my world. It was where I got my news, my entertainment and the sound track that I still play. I enjoyed trying to recall where I was, what I was doing, even who I was back then ... back when she recounts her stories.

I do not remember the first time I heard Connie on the radio but it was when she was on WIND. However, I do recall how strange I thought it was that she was a DJ. She sounded so sweet, and natural - and I have to admit I thought she had a very sexy voice, but in a G-rated sort of way (if that is possible). After that I followed her around the radio dial.

I suppose I was expecting a more superficial work so I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that she does not hide nor try to minimize her faith. Particularly, I related to how she could sense, and in fact credits, the Holy Spirit for helping and guiding her through the challenges and opportunities that He presented.

I love that about her - she's Polish, she's Catholic - She's Connie. From her earliest days on West Chestnut St., all through school, through all the twist and turns she just seems to keep saying yes to the possibilities as they present themselves. Her faith and trust in God is apparent and is in stark contrast to the offering of today's media elite.


Chicagoans, especially those old enough to remember the original Mayor Daly, will find her story quite interesting, even remarkable. Especially since she tells it with the same style and grace that her fans learned to expect from the "Polish Princess" - Chicago's "Top Rock Girly Jock".

I listened to Connie back in the day too. She has a unique radio voice that sparkles - that's about the only way I can describe it.

This book is an easy read and there's a great flavor of the Northwest Side when she was a kid. Fascinating information about the inside of radio and its air personalities.

As much as the book is about things that happened, the real guts of it are all the people she's known and been friends with over the years.

A must read for any Chicagoan.....

Back when I was in college in Chicago in the early 1970s, I used to listen to the woman DJ doing the early evening spot on soft-rock station WIND. She was wry, clever, and sweet in a way one doesn't associate with rock'n'roll DJs, and certainly not the manic, sound-effect enhanced evening comedians like Ron Britain and Barney Pip. Her name was Connie Szerszen, she billed herself as the Polish Princess, and signed off every night with the affirmation, "Poland Is Not Yet Lost"--in Polish!

Although I didn't realize it at the time--who knew what was going on in NYC or Frisco?--she was something else, too: The first woman DJ with a prime-time spot in a major US radio market. This book is her story, of how she broke into big-time radio and rode the wave until radio became a robotic mechanism with little need for a human voice. Although her career was certainly a feminist triumph, Connie didn't do it by being snarly and confrontational. She did it by quiet persistence, hard work, and being very very good at the game. The book provides a vivid picture of the chaotic nature of broadcast media at that time, of the crazy hours and the minuscule salaries, of the sexist jerks who tried to hold her back ("Women don't know how to be funny!" one screamed at her) and the saner men who did their best to help her. She describes encounters with other famous Chicago DJs and music celebrities including Bobby Vinton, Wayne Newton, Tom Jones, Stevie Nicks, Elton John, and Elvis himself, plus an actual date with Neil Diamond. (Far from being dazzling or obnoxious as you might expect, most of the stars come off sounding...tired.)

Connie has fleshed out her autobiography with a great deal of Chicago color from the years 1965-2000. She took part in station promo events like the annual WIND kite contest in Grant Park, and charitable events at places like Lambs Farm north of the city, where a baby chimp once tried to pull off her blouse. She guest-hosted the slightly peculiar "Mulqueens' Kiddie A Go-Go" local TV show, ad-libbing with the puppets and watching 10-year-olds do the bugaloo. Bygone Chicago institutions like the Chicago American newspaper, Pixley & Ehlers restaurants, and many extinct bars and nightclubs are woven into the story, and if you were a Chicago Boomer, the nostalgia pangs happen every other page. Hundreds of b/w photos, news clips, and station ephemera provide a vivid visual dimension.

The book is written in an informal conversational style that reads much as though Connie were speaking it into the mic. It's not soap opera or celebrity porn; in fact, Connie is a lot more charitable to some of these people than I would have been, to the point where I was occasionally wishing she'd be a little more frank. But overall, it's a quick read and a lot of fun, and if you have any interest in broadcast radio history or the rock music industry as a whole (and especially if you were in Chicago when it all happened) it's a must-have.

Loved this book. If you are not in radio I'm not sure you'll be as into it as I was, but it really is a fun inside look and a great story of her career. If you are from Chicago you'll really get a kick out of much of what she writes. She's had quite a fun career. Some of it seemingly by luck, which may just be her modest look at how things happened. Her life is a sweet story (I especially liked the beginning when she described her life growing up), I'm glad I bought the book. She is also a very sweet lady - I "friended her" on facebook and wrote her a message and she quickly replied with a personal message. Very classy.

My first professional radio job back in the early '70s was answering phones during one of WIND Battle Weekends in Chicago (and why doesn't radio do THOSE anymore?). I remember working with a DJ who wore a wide-brimmed hat and pulled it down over her eyes-- obscuring me, the producer, the engineer and anything but the audience she was imagining talking to. That was my introduction to Connie Szerszen.

Now, Connie has taken off that "lucky hat" and opened up her life and career to us. Her autobiography, "Top Rock Girly Jock," has just been published by Starbright Publishing. Frankly, I loved the book and I'm recommending it to all. It's a nice mix of her life story (not many women would admit to dating such cheating boyfriends), gossipy celebrity items (two meetings with Elvis and a date with Neil Diamond) and lots of photos and radio memorabilia. Whether it's from WSDM (where she was Den Pal Dawn), WCFL (the girl from Ten), WIND (the Polish Princess), WJMK or her personal life (Chicago's Alvernia High or Northwestern University), Connie clearly never threw anything away and we're the beneficiaries. An added bonus are pictures of some of her oil paintings and portraits that prove just how talented this woman truly is.

Connie described the project to me recently as a "fun, nostalgic book and, hopefully, inspirational to young folks." I think she hit a home run in that department.

"Jeszcze Polska Nie Zginela," Connie (her closing line each night-- read the book for the translation). Now, will someone please put this Chicago legend back on-the-air?

Connie was a pure delight to listen to back in the day of Chicago rock radio, and her book is just as delightful. You can just hear Connie's voice in ever line. The stories are great, from her early days at WSDM up to the last day at WJMK. And the pictures just go on and on. I truely enjoyed this book, and if you remember the days of AM radio and rick and roll and Connie's role in all of it you will enjoy it too.