Born Rick Kelleher in East Grand Forks, MN, Don Bleu got into radio while a student at the University of North Dakota. His first paying gig was back home in Grand Forks at KILO. After a stop in Fargo, ND, Bleu hit the Twin Cities, where “True Don Bleu” was a star on KDWB for many years.
Bigger markets caught on, and after a stay at KHJ in Los Angeles, Don Bleu arrived in the Bay Area in 1981, taking over the morning slot on KYUU. He switched to K-101 in 1990 and would spent the next twenty years as one of the market’s leading air personalities, staying aboard as K-101 transitioned to “Star 101.3”.
The personable Bleu developed a signature “bit”: “Bleupers”, in which he’d disguise himself on the phone and put unwitting listeners, often set up by family or friends, in hilarious and sometimes embarrassing situations.
Bleu’s last lap on Bay Area radio was as morning host on “Big 103.7” KOSF between 2010 and 2015.
He was twice named National Adult Contemporary Air Personality of the Year by Radio & Records Magazine, and became a TV star, hosting “The Gong Show” as well as programs for the Discovery Channel and HGTV.