Ray Vecellio

Inducted 2011

Ray Vecellio was meant to be a broadcaster.  As a young boy he used his booming voice to create play-by-play broadcasts of Major League Baseball games.  When he grew up he used that natural talent to get into the broadcasting business, with positions of disc jockey, program and music director, sales, and eventually sales management.

His 39 year career began in 1958 at KDHL in Faribault.  In 1960 he moved to KCUE in Red Wing, and then to KWKY in Des Moines, Iowa a year later.  He joined KSO in Des Moines in 1962, and the persona of “Big Al” was born; complete with dark suit, white tie, black Fedora, sunglasses and violin case.  Ray came to the Twin Cities in 1966 with a four year stay at KRSI, first as a morning personality and then later moving to sales.  In 1970 he moved to WCCO Radio as an Account Executive.  He was named the 1985 Salesperson of the Year, achieving one of the highest individual billings in the history of the station.  He was appointed Local Sales Manager in 1988, and during the nine years in this position he led his department to record setting sales for WCCO.  Ray retired in 1997.

Ray Vecellio passed away on November 11, 2019, at the age of 84.