Chicago’s Drive Celebrates 20 Years

• Today, March 15, 2021, Hubbard Classic Rock WDRV (97-1 The Drive)/Chicago celebrates its 20th anniversary! To honor this auspicious milestone, the station is launching a year-long, 20th Anniversary Celebration with a special, all-day feature today.

Rob Cressman, WDRV Director of Content and Branding, explains, “In honor of what is widely recognized as the ‘first day of The Drive,’ we are excited to turn back the hands of time and relive Chicago’s soundtrack from March 15, 2001, precisely as it came out of the speakers two decades ago. We have unearthed the music log from that special day and will endeavor to recreate much of the excitement and enthusiasm that accompanied the launch.”

The festivities officially get underway at 7am CT today on the Sherman & Tingle Show, which will replicate the station’s launch by rolling the iconic “Lakeshore Drive” from Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah. From there, The Drive will mirror the music log from March 15, 2001, straight through midnight. Sherman & Tingle will also welcome WDRV’s inaugural morning host, Steve Downes who will take a personal look back at The Drive’s earliest days. Bob Stroud, the first voice on WDRV, will follow with his own memories of The Drive circa 2001 and the 20 years that have followed. Each hour of the day will include fun surprises, including opportunities to win limited-edition, commemorative 20th Anniversary Drive merchandise.

Cressman added, “We look forward not only to today’s musical retrospective, but also to the year ahead as we celebrate all that has made The Drive synonymous with Chicago over the past 20 years.”