Draft:John Aielli

John Aielli, was a popular Austin radio host known for his KUTX show Eklektikos. His mellifluous voice, eclectic music selections, and iconic one-liners, made him a beloved host and frequently recognized in best of Austin polls.

John Aielli (1946 - 2022) helmed the Austin radio show “Eklektikos” for nearly fifty years. He was a unique host who shared his passion for music with the KUT radio audience.

When Aielli began his job at KUT, the station manager, Bill Giorda, christened his show “Eklektikos”, from the Greek word that means “"to choose the best”.

In the beginning Giorda restricted Ailli to playing classical music, but Ailli pushed to add film scores and Indian classical music. Eventually he was allowed to play whatever he chose. A comment by Robert Faires of the Austin Chronicle:

Best of Austin › 1998 › Readers Poll › Media https://www.austinchronicle.com/best-of-austin/year:1998/poll:readers/category:media/john-aielli-kut-90-5-fm-best-radio-talk-show-host/

At 74 Aielli suffered a stroke. In the spring of 2020 Taylor Wallace replaced Aielli in his weekday morning drive time slot after he chose not to return to work regularly.