Frank Allan is America's number one top Jazz D.J. Born and rasied in Brooklyn N.Y. Frank came up in a household where he was exposed to all kinds of music. But growing up with the neighborhood kids on the block, musical peer pressure set in, and to be in with the in crowd he was only allowed to listen to R & B. It wasn't that much of a big deal becuse he enjoyed R & B music as he does today, but in private he would go home and turn on his radio and listen to R & B, Popular music, Rock, Oldies, Gospel, Broadway Musicals, Jazz, Classical and anything that would tickle his fancy. He particularly loved listening to the disc jockey's as they called them back in those days. Jocko Henderson, Jack Lacy, Pete Meyers (Mad Daddy), Hal Jackson, Tommy Smalls (Doctor Jive), Frankie Crocker, Enoch Gregory (The Dixie Drifter), Cousin Brucie, Murray The K. and countless others, all from the 50s and 60s. But the one that really knocked him out was a man who came out of Cleveland Ohio to New York City, Moondog Alan Freed. Frank always said, "This is the man I wanted to be, He's the reason why I got into radio. I studied him like a book. When my mom wouldn't let me stay up late on a school night, I would turn on the radio next to my bed, turn to WINS at low volume, and listen until I fell asleep. Alan Freed was like the Frank Sinatra of disc jockeys, everyone followed him. Alan didn't do a lot of production on his show, he didn't have to. He would occasionally ring that cowbell, pound on that telephone directory, singalong a few bars of the record at the end, mention the name of the record and the label it was recored on, read off dedications, and back to the music. I still get chills up and down my spine when I listen to his old airchecks. As far as I'm concern, there wasn't a disc jockey back then that could match him. And till this day I haven't heard anyone that could match him now". Frank really didn't appreciate the variety of music, and mucical talents fully until he entered college where he majored in music. Frank got fascinated with the trumpet and decided to buy one at a local pawn shop for $50.00. He played in the college orchestra and the neighborhood rock band. While in college, he discovered a radio station in one of the buildings. He immediately joined, continued his musical studies, but put his trumpet playing on hold and became a college radio disc jockey. And as they say, the rest is history. Frank says, "radio like anything else changed over the years, and more changes are on the way for better or worse. As far as quality air personalities go, they're a few still around. The rest either have never been given the chance, have retired from the business or are in radio heaven.
Frank's Radio Career
WNYE Radio & TV: He's presently here working both on the Radio and TV side in the master control rooms keeping things on the air.WWRL Radio: He was doing a veriety of things like voice-overs, board operations and call screening from 12/22/05-12/14/06.WFME Radio: He only spent three weeks working on the air and doing afternoon drive as an announcer and producer from 11/14/05-12/2/05.ESPN Radio: He did mostly board operations for Warner Wolf, and did ISDN play by play events. 12/14/04-11/11/05WOR Radio: He returned to WOR Radio. He board op'd, produced, screen calls for talk shows, He did editing and producing radio spots.
4/6/04-1/7/05WEVD Radio: He worked at WEVD Radio as a board operator. He conducted a morning talk show. His duties were to take responsibility in the flow of the program, injecting commercials, traffic, weather, and working side by side with the producer and host. He started at WEVD 6/26/97-9/28/03.WOR Radio: He worked at WOR in New York City from 2/25/96 - 8/8/97. His duties included on air board operations for local and network broadcasts and behind the scenes production, plus production administration.WNYC Radio: His work span at WNYC in New York lasted from 1/17/95 - 12/28/95. Duties included satellite up linking and down linking, monitoring
AM & FM broadcast, transmitter reading and production.WHCR Radio: He worked at WHCR in New York from 8/89 - 1/95. His position there was the morning Jazz personality. He was conducting a four hour Morning show. In conjunction, He served as Program Director and Production Supervisor.WNWK Radio: He worked at this New York station from 4/89 - 4/92. His duties varied from announcing, news, sports and weather, D.J. music shows, hosting talk shows, board operating and production.WWRL Radio: He worked at this station in New York between 8/84 - 4/89. Duties included voice over’s, board operator and production for commercials and public affairs programs.Skyline Jazz: This was a cable Jazz station in New York that was only heard on Cable T.V. as a back drop. He performed as a summer fill in Lite Jazz Disc Jockey from 5/87 - 9/87.NBN Radio: This was a production studio in New York where syndicated radio shows were produced. His duties were voice over’s, production, and program directing.WHBI Radio: He performed as an R&B and Disco D.J. in New York from 76 - 77.WRLB Radio: This station was located in Longbranch N.J. He worked from 75 - 76 as an R&B Disco D.J. While working there, He was also doing voice-over’s for WOND in Pleasentville N.J.WBNX Radio: This station was in New York, and he was co-hosting an evening R&B radio show as well as doing news and reading live commerial spots. This lasted from 73 - 74.WNYE Radio: He was a fill in talk show host. He did on the street interviews for news reports, back stage interviews and production. He was there from 72 - 73.WCCR Radio: This is were Frank got his start in the broadcast industry. This was The City College Radio Station where he was an R&B D.J. board operator, production, Program Director, man on the street Interview, chief voice over annoucer and on location remotes. Through this, Frank was able to connect himself and also be heard on WOR, WXLO, WPAT and WCBS. All in New York City.
Frank's Creation
In 1989 Frank created a morning radio show called Jazz In The Morning. He got to play the music that even the Jazz historians wonder where he got the product that's been out of print for years and never recoverd? When once asked, why not share your secret? Frank replied: "Look baby, I'm not stupid, I own this stuff, and I'll be damned if anyone will take it from me. Listen and enjoy, record it from the radio, but I'll keep the originals". You may hear Frank's audio work here: http://voices.com/people/frankallanFrank Allan Productions
Tel: 206-279-4434
[email protected]
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This is Sinatra
The Temptations - My girl 1967
