Straight Outta Skokie: The Krockey Chronicles: 1968
About this audiobook
In 1968, Al Krockey was eighteen years old—coming of age in the most culturally explosive era in American history.
But the road to that moment began years earlier in Skokie, Illinois, where a block of co-op apartments and split-level houses felt like an entire universe. From hustling a buck—hawking souvenirs outside Wrigley Field, working odd jobs, and dealing a little weed—to chasing the music that defined a generation, Krockey lived fast and wide open.
Nights at Chicago’s legendary Kinetic Playground, cross-country trips to wild pop festivals, and encounters with unforgettable characters turned 1968 into a year of freedom, risk, and discovery.
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About the author
Al Krockey was born in 1950, and only a few months later his parents settled in Skokie, Illinois. Raised in a working-class Jewish family that often struggled to make ends meet, Krockey learned the value of hard work early on. By the time he was twenty, he had already opened his record store, The Record Shack. His passion for music led him through a whirlwind career in the 1970s—running a store, starting a record label, and even producing music—before leaving the business in the early 1980s.
He went on to build a successful career in insurance consulting, ultimately becoming vice president of a national firm. At 68, he reached the final table of a World Poker Tour event, and at 75, he embarked on a new journey as an author.
Today, Krockey reflects on a life shaped by grit, reinvention, and a love for the hustle—whether in business, music, or cards.
