Showbiz Shelly Interview with Chiataglance

1999 B96 Summer Bash!

For most of us…. let’s head down memory lane back to let’s say middle/high school. One big part of my life was listening to music on the radio and tuning in to hilarious shows hosted by my fav radio personalities. As a native Suburbian/Chicagoan growing up B96 was my FAVORITE radio station! I remember the hilarious morning show pranks and of course looking forward to the B96 Summer Bash each year. The first one I went to was with N’Sync and I had soooo much fun! (see picture…I had bangs!!!) 🙂 Before I start boring you with my trip down memory lane let me get you EXCITED once again because May 2017 Spotlight is featuring the ONE AND ONLY…..SHOWBIZ SHELLY from B96!

Showbiz Shelly

For those of you that don’t know Showbiz Shelly is a cohost on the B96 morning show and also does hourly entertainment updates. You can also find her navigating the TV world on WCIU and Fox. Shelly has been a radio personality with B96 for 12 years, but her total time at the station is close to 15 years. She did 3 years as an intern, but even as an intern she was on the national airwaves getting some practice in.

It’s a huge feat nowadays to be working the same job for a long period of time, but Showbiz Shelly loves what she does. One of her favorite parts of the B96 Morning show is connecting with the audience. “The whole reason we do what we do is to relate to one another. Whether were talking about relationship stuff or pop culture stuff or things that are happening around the city….were just trying to relate to the listeners and create a conversation every morning when we take calls.” Another favorite part of her job is getting to meet and interview celebrities. Of course I had to ask Shelly who her top 5 celebrity interviews are. She was thankful I didn’t ask her for a top 1 cause that would be too hard. I was even nice and let her slide in a 6^th. 🙂

Showbiz Shelly Top 6 Interviews (No particular order)

BackStreet Boys (So nice and she loved growing up with them)

Drake (So friendly and she has a picture of Drake giving her a big bear hug)

Pitbull (Awesome and so down to earth, funny, and nice)

Jennifer Lopez (Nice and just as gorgeous in person)

Brittany Spears (Come on its Brittany….enough said 🙂 )

Taylor Kinney (Funny, Nice, and great personality)

Tavi J. and Showbiz Shelly

I noticed a common theme in everyone Showbiz Shelly loved to interview… “NICE.” It takes a nice person to know a nice person. Shelly is super nice and approachable. She hob nobs with celebrities for a living, but is definitely one of the nicest and most down to earth people I have met. We conversed at a coffee shop and it felt like I was catching up with a friend.

It’s awesome that she gets to do what she love’s for a living! Shelly’s been passionate about the entertainment industry as young as 13 years old. She remembers rushing home after school to watch TRL with Carson Daly. From then on out she pictured herself in that role and worked to make her dreams come true.

Her advice for those wanting to get into the radio broadcast industry is PRACTICE!!! It’s all about practice. Shelly was fortunate to get a lot of practice. She did a radio show for her high school all four years. From High School she attended college at North Western and majored in broadcasting. Shelly also encourages internships and I would definitely second that. It’s good to see if you will actually enjoy the work before you go full throttle at it no matter what industry it is. Shelly interned at B96 for 3 years before joining the station as a co-host for the morning show. Another piece of advice she shared is not to be afraid of the Microphone. It all goes back to practice makes perfect!

Why is Showbiz Shelly of B96 a Chicagoan WE should know?

“I grew up in the North Suburbs and have lived in the city for 12 years. I’d like to think I highlight all the amazing and unique things happening in Chicago. There’s a lot of focus on the negative here, but I hope I bring a smile to people’s faces.”

Showbiz Shelly does an EXCELLENT job bringing a smile to the listeners faces each morning. Even though her job is so much FUN, it still is work and she tries to find time to relax when she can. Her favorite pastime is sitting on her couch doing nothing. LOL. If you see what her schedule is like you would understand why. When she turns the tv on her favorite shows to binge watch are Shades of Blue, The Arrangement on E Television, Shark Tank, and all the Chicago shows (Fire, PD, Med, Justice).

Also, like most of us Shelly is a Foodie! A gluten-free foodie, but a foodie all the same. 🙂 Fortunately Chicago has plenty of restaurants that cater to food restrictions. Two of her favorite places to go are Arbella on Grand Avenue and Meli’s Cafe (Great minds think a like…. Of course, Meli’s…..is one of my favs as well) 🙂 When Shelly has free time she normally sticks to her favorite go to’s because of limited time like volley ball and walking along the beach.

So what does the future hold for Showbiz Shelly? She’s hoping pretty much of the same! She loves Radio and Television and is hoping to make more appearances on TV in the future. She has a bright outlook on both forms of entertainment. In this male dominated industry Shelly loves to lead by example and she tries to be what she wants to see in the industry. She is thrilled with women in radio right now and says the on air women personalities right now are kicking butt, are super strong, and very nice. It’s a close knit community seeing each other at events and the support throughout is amazing.

I have to say that meeting women like Showbiz Shelly is so inspiring. Truly following your passion, living your dreams, and bringing a smile to the faces of the people you meet is what life is all about!

Make sure to check out Showbiz Shelly every morning on B96 and especially at 7:15am on the J Show for the pop culture quiz Showbiz Shelly Smackdown. My fav! 🙂 For more information on Showbiz Shelly head on over to https://www.showbizshelly.com/