gordon hinkley

Milwaukee’s best-known radio personality, Gordon Hinkley has enjoyed a remarkable career on the air for over 50 years. Throughout his five decades of service at WTMJ/Milwaukee, the respect he has earned from thousands of listeners has led to consistently high ratings.

Gordon Hinkley was born on November 15, 1925, in Port Edwards, Wisconsin.

Hinkley’s career began in 1941, when he was offered his own Sunday piano show as a result of an audition for a talent contest sponsored by WFHR/Wisconsin Rapids.

After three years of military service in Europe, which included some announcing for the Armed Services Radio Network, Hinkley went to work for WSAU/Wausau.

Hinkley joined the WTMJ staff as an announcer in 1950. He soon debuted a mixture of light classics and popular music he called Invitation to Beauty. In 1961, he introduced the popular Ask Your Neighbor program, on which he invited listeners to call and exchange consumer information. Other shows he has hosted include Gotta Minute? and Gordon Hinkley’s Wisconsin Weekend.

Whether interviewing visiting celebrities or just conversing with ordinary folks from the Midwest, Gordon Hinkley has consistently provided engaging entertainment for several generations of Wisconsin listeners.

Gordon Hinkley was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997.

He died on December 23, 2013.