Radio legend’s death is a tough blow

Legendary Philadelphia disc jockey Gene Shay died of complications of COVID-19last week at age 85.

Just recently we mourned the loss of singer-songwriter John Prine to COVID-19. We’re heartbroken again, this time due to a death that hits even closer to home.

Legendary Philadelphia disc jockey Gene Shay died of complications of COVID-19 last week at age 85. He will be remembered as a tremendously influential figure in the music scene, broadcasting and our community as a whole.

To have lost Shay so soon after Prine is tough to take. Prine was exactly the sort of performer Shay championed — brilliant but quirky and utterly original. And both were beloved in this region’s musical community.

Berks County musician Jack Murray, who appeared twice on Shay’s weekly Sunday night “Folk Show” on WXPN in Philadelphia, noted the tragic timing.

“John Prine was such a huge loss all by itself,” Murray said, “and Gene Shay, they were almost comparable. They were giant figures of the folk movement.”

Shay co-founded the immensely popular Philadelphia Folk Festival in Upper Salford and served as its emcee for decades. In recent years he hosted a series of folk performances at the Landhaven Bed & Breakfast in Huff’s Church.

But he’s best remembered as an enduring presence on the radio for more than a halfcentury. His weekend folk music show bounced around from one Philadelphia station to another, but it endured. Shay enjoyed his longest run on WXPN, where he worked for 20 years until the show’s conclusion in 2015.

“He was a giant in terms of his impact on artists and the music,” WXPN station manager Roger LaMay said. “And to do it for close to 60 years is extraordinary.”

To understand just how extraordinary Shay’s career was, just consider that he played a major role in introducing Philadelphia to a rising young folk singer named Bob Dylan back in 1963.

Shay was fond of recalling that he brought Dylan to town for a show at the Philadelphia Ethical Society in May 1963, before the release of the singer-songwriter’s second album. About 45 people turned out and Dylan made $150. Within a few months, Dylan was on his way to stardom.

Or look back to 1967, when a 23-year-old Joni Mitchell went on Shay’s show on WDAS and played what would become one her most beloved songs, “Both Sides Now,” just days after having written it. Richie Havens and Tom Rush also were among the stars he helped introduced.

Indeed, one of the biggest reasons Shay was so beloved among musicians is that he gave exposure to so many of them and was incredibly generous with his support. Most of the people who appeared on his show did not become all that famous, but he still made a big difference for them.

“Growing up in the Philadelphia original music scene, trying to get your foot in the door anywhere was impossible, said local musician Daniel Bower. “There was no access to any radio or any DJs anywhere — except Gene Shay.”

Bower appeared on Shay’s show numerous times with local bands such as Frog Holler, Tin Bird Choir, Hinton Bower Jones and the Manatawny Creek Ramblers. For performers like him, radio appearances are precious, and Shay shared his air time generously.

Shay’s influence also was felt on Philadelphia airwaves. He helped inspire major radio personalities such as David Dye, Ed Sciaky and Michael Tearson. But he’ll be best remembered for the music he so zealously supported.

“I think there are a lot of musicians out there who probably wouldn’t still be making the music they are making without him,” said Raph Cutrufello of the bands Hezekiah Jones and Hinton Bower Jones. “Being invited onto his show and having someone like him appreciate what you’re doing makes you feel like what you’re doing has some worth. He validated them, and they might have given up if not for him. I know I would’ve if I didn’t have somebody like Gene kind of egging me on or letting me know that what I’m doing means something.”

It’s hard to imagine a better epitaph for this remarkable man. May he rest in peace.