Chicago's 'Best Friend In The World' Brehmer Dies After Cancer Battle

CHICAGO — Lin Brehmer, the legendary Chicago radio disc jockey who affectionately referred to himself as his listeners' "best friend in the whole world," died on Sunday after fighting cancer for as long as he could, his station, 93 WXRT announced. He was 68.

Brehmer announced last summer that he was taking a break from the XRT airwaves, where he had been a fixture since 1991, after saying the prostate cancer he had been dealing with had spread. Brehmer had recently resumed his show on the station but had not been on the air in recent days before the station announced his death on Sunday morning.

“It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you that we all lost our best friend,” 93XRT announced on Sunday. “Lin Brehmer fought cancer as long as he could. He passed early Sunday with his wife and son by his side.”

Brehmer spent much of his time at 93XRT as a morning drive host before shifting to a midday shift in 2020. He arrived in Chicago in 1984 as 93XRT’s music director before moving behind the mic in 1991, where his personality came shining through in his on-air essays, which he called “Lin’s Bin.”

In a Facebook post last summer, however, Brehmer announced that he had been battling prostate cancer for several years. He said that he had worked through various radiation treatments, biopsies, CT scans, MRIs and drug therapies. “The cancer was caught early, treated early, but it has spread places one would rather it not spread,” Brehmer wrote.

Brehmer announced he would begin a long period of chemotherapy that would require him to step away from his radio show. Brehmer, who lived on Chicago’s Northwest Side, said in November in a television interview that he looked forward to returning to the air after “a long road” of treatment.

After WXRT host Terri Hemmert announced that the station will host a celebration of life for Brehmer on Monday morning, writing, "We’ll hold each other up through this heartbreaking time" as "Lin would want that," she encouraged listeners to "take nothing for granted."

The radio's tribute to Brehmer was scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday.

Tributes to Brehmer flowed on social media on Sunday, including from Breh mer’s beloved Chicago Cubs, who honored him on the Wrigley Field marquee on Sunday. Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called Brehmer “the voice of Chicago” in a tweet on Sunday, adding, “His voice was unique and a perfect way to start the day. An ambassador to the city’s music scene and a dear friend … I’ll miss hearing his voice on XRT. May his memory be a blessing.”