Eklektikos Host John Aielli Is Doing Very Well, Thank You

John Aielli celebrating his Austin Chronicle "Best of Austin" win in 2003 (Photo by John Anderson)

Don't be worried about John Aielli.

It's true that the veteran public radio host – who's logged some 70,000 hours on the air, more than 60,000 of those for Austin's KUTX and KUT since 1966 – suffered a stroke in June and hasn't been broadcasting since. How­ever, Aielli reports that he is recovering nicely in his Cher­ry­wood home and actively staying in touch with friends.

KUTX made the news of Aielli's stroke public in an announcement about the station's recent schedule changes. The early morning weekday slot that's been home to Aielli and his show Eklektikos for the past several years is being turned over to Taylor Wallace (see the interview with Wallace in "Faster Than Sound"), with the Eklektikos name being retired. That ends a 50-year run for the program, which for its first 30 years was broadcast from 8am to 2pm Mondays through Fridays, establishing it as one of the most prominent programs at the station and, indeed, on Austin radio.

But Eklektikos going off the air doesn't necessarily mean Aielli will be. In its announcement, KUTX teases the idea that the host and Eklektikos producer Jack Anderson are hatching "new and interesting ways to bring [Aielli's] unique voice and perspective" to the station. It goes on to say, "John is a treasured and valuable part of the KUTX team so you can expect to hear from him – in a different way – when he's ready."

In the meantime, you can picture Aielli at home, sleeping in, curling up with a cup of strong tea and a good book, and, of course, listening to every kind of music imaginable.