She was born in
Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in
West Bloomfield, Michigan. Her first professional radio job using her maiden name
Cara Stern was at
95.3 "The New Foxy 95" WCFX in Clare, Michigan while attending college at Central Michigan University. She was hired as a weekend overnight/fill-in personality at WCFX in 1986 and was soon promoted to weekend middays (10 am – 3 pm), then full-time evenings (7 pm – midnight) and eventually middays (10 am – 2 pm) and Production Director. In 1989, using the stage name
Cara Simms on air, she began hosting overnights at
103.9 WABT "The Wabbit" in Dundee, Illinois. Within a year she moved up to evenings (7 pm – 12 am), and within another year began hosting middays (10 am – 3 pm) and also became Assistant Program Director. One responsibility of her position was anchoring the news and being a sidekick on the nationally syndicated
Kevin Matthews Morning Show originating from WLUP studio's in the
John Hancock Building. During her brief time off the air during which spent a great deal of time caring for her toddler son, Carriveau decided to pursue her passion of interviewing entertainers, specifically rock stars. She started her
podcast ''Cara's Basement'' in February, 2007, which she still continues to host. During this time Carriveau also began providing artist interviews for The Chicago Music Guide and providing blog content for The NBC5 Street Team. She returned to the Chicago radio airwaves, working weekends and often filling in weekdays at WTMX beginning in November, 2006. Carriveau was chosen to host middays full-time in July, 2008 after a nationwide search. In 2010 and 2012 she was named "Best Radio Personality, Major Market" by the Illinois Broadcasters Association, winning first place Silver Dome awards. After spending five years hosting middays at
101.9 The MIX, she moved to sister station
Chicago's 100.3 WILV on January 14, 2013, hosting evenings. and was appointed "Music X-Pert" in 2013. On March 2, 2018, Cara parted ways with
WSHE. Cara began hosting middays nationwide on Local Radio Network's classic rock format on April 9, 2018 and joined the air staff at Chicago's 94.7
WLS-FM in July, 2019. ==References==