...is it a difficult job?
ez

..."for me, it's a very difficult job but, I'm not very smart!"
da

...a really excellent interviewer...put me at ease right away.

Bob Keeshan,
Captain Kangaroo

...I was impressed with his interviewing skills...also an excellent listener...

Ray Bradbury,
Author

"Zip it!"
Morton Downey, Jr.

Hear Dave Allen
Weeknights on
FM92.7 WDUX

Lori Nelson,
Publicist/Agent

I suppose you get asked this all the time but, how did you get into radio?

"You know, I don't get that nearly as often as you might think: maybe just a few times but, here's the story. I was the keyboard man for several rock bands from about 1957 to the mid 60s.

The Radio Daddio Cooks!

As that Hammond and Leslie seemed to be getting bigger and heavier by the week,  I figured there had to be a better way to make a living and still stay in Show Biz. After having the chance to do a little TV weather in 1960 and the opportunity to host a "Creature Feature" show on local TV a few years later, I told a DeeJay friend that I wanted to get into radio in the worst way! Well, he must have been a genie as, before I knew it, I was in radio in the worst possible way! I became the intern and 'gofer' for Howard Miller, one of the Midwest's best known jocks of his day."

"That was at the end of '66. Man had yet to visit the moon, Disco was still a few years off and Allen -- well Allen was brewing the coffee and spinning the records -- yes real vinyl --  for the one and only uncle Moo Moo!"

"He wouldn't let me say much on the air; he'd basically allow me to respond to a daily 'how ya doing Dave'."

What's the strangest thing that ever happened to you while on the air?

"Oh, this has to be the hands down winner! I was accused of being involved in a serious hit and run accident. At the time, I was being heard over a five state area interviewing the Governor of Illinois on live radio! Despite this, the radio station and I still had to sign sworn affidavits to that effect. Turns out, it was a disgruntled listener. Strange -- and scary!"

Well, Dave Allen wouldn't live in the shadow of Thriller Miller forever. He soon landed several Summer fill-in gigs for jocks off on vacation and then, in the Fall of '75, became the afternoon personality, music director and chief engineer for an AM station owned by legendary Cubs Sportscaster, Jack Brickhouse. The station was later sold to -- OH NO -- Howard Miller!

"It was kismet! Allen and Miller together again. 'Thriller Miller' did a morning talk show and I stayed on as afternoon man for a couple more years. It all end abruptly when I took over Howard's morning talk show while he was on vacation. On his return, the sales staff told him I received almost twice the calls he ever did, made the front page of The Chicago Tribune and was invited to be on a couple of TV talk shows. I was out the door that week! Talk about gratitude"

So what is the proper title now days -- DeeJay, announcer?

"Well, DeeJay stands for Disk Jockey and implies we jockey disks. I suppose that's a bit obsolete as we rarely use disks anymore. Most everything's on computer now! CDs are there only as backup and, aside from requests, we'll rarely spin an LP or 45; I really miss 'em. A little aside here; some time ago, while conducting a tour at an ABC affiliate, a young visitor asked, as he pointed to an old turntable,  "What is this thing for?" I explained that, many years ago, before computers and even CDs, we used these to play records. With a confused look, he asked, "What's a record?" Man, that made me feel old! As far as what we want to be called; I suppose "Broadcaster" covers it all but you can call me anything; just don't call me late for dinner!"

"Well, after cruising 'round the Midwestern radio circuit for more than 3 decades, I thought it might be a good time to move up to Waupaca, retire and take it easy. The best laid plans of mice and men, right? After a couple of years of being foot loose and fancy free, WDUX was recruiting me for another tour of active duty!"

Do you get recognized a lot when you're out shopping?

"From my TV shows - yes, but for my radio work: rarely. I'm just an anonymous voice on the air. What's weird is; my wife is recognized all the time! She's taught school for decades and she's always getting mobbed by her former students who are now mommies and daddies. Me - I'm just a DADDIO!"

Rumored by some to have sipped from the Fountain of Youth, the forever young Allen is in his 5th decade behind the mic -- maybe one day they'll allow him to get in front of it!

 So when will The Radio Daddio actually retire?

"That's the one I keep getting asked! I think they're all after my job! I guess I'll keep on keeping on until it stops being fun -- I reckon that to be another 50 or 60 years. Right now I'm having way too much fun to call it quits!"

Allen developed and hosted several "Swap Shop" shows around the Midwest incorporating the then new digital "catch-up" delay system. Dave Allen has also served several tours of duty on TV: as producer and host of "FOCUS" and "THE PSYCHIC ZONE" and as the slightly dead but cute "MORTIMER" on "SCHLOCK THEATER".

Dave earned his BA in Mass Communication and Journalism and has a Master of Science degree. He is in his 5th decade of broadcasting.