Revered Folk DJ Gene Shay Retires

Gene Shay, who has brought folk music to radio listeners in Philadelphia and beyond for more than 50 years, signs off as host of The Folk Show on WXPN 88.5 FM on Sunday, February 1. His last show airs live from 3-6 p.m. EST (with a rebroadcast at 8 p.m. EST) and streams online at xpn.org. Shay will be feted one month later during a March 1 gala musical celebration produced by his friends at Sing Out! and featuring performances by artists who have appeared on his show.

Hailed as “the dean of American folk DJs” by the Philadelphia Daily News and “the godfather of American folk” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Shay has hosted and produced weekly folk radio shows in Philadelphia since 1962.

Prior to moving to the University of Pennsylvania-based non-commercial station WXPN in 1995, Gene Shay had hosted and produced The Folk Show on a succession of Philadelphia area radio stations – including WHAT-FM, WDAS-FM, WMMR-FM, WIDQ-FM and WHYY-FM. A weekly two-hour version of the show has also streamed on FolkAlley.com for the past several years, while Shay was also formerly featured on XM Satellite Radio’s The Village.

Shay, who worked for a number of commercial advertising agencies over the years, was first exposed to broadcasting at Armed Forces Radio while stationed outside Frankfurt, Germany. He joined Philadelphia radio network WHAT in 1962 –producing its jazz show before taking the helm of its folk music show.

A co-founder of the annual Philadelphia Folk Festival, Shay has served as a festival emcee since its inception in 1962 and was instrumental in the conception of its smiley face banjo logo. He has interviewed numerous folk luminaries, brought Bob Dylan to Philly for his debut concert in the area in 1963 and wrote the original radio spots for Woodstock. Shay has also been a partner in Sliced Bread Records, for which he produced a number of folk music anthologies – including What’s That I Hear, The Songs of Phil Ochs and the Philadelphia Folk Festival 40th Anniversary Anthology. He also produced albums for Flying Fish and Rounder Records.

A charter board member of the North American Folk Music & Dance Alliance (now Folk Alliance International), Shay was also both a steering committee member and coordinator of workshops for the annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference. He has served on the boards of the Philadelphia Folksong Society and The American Composers Forum and is a voting member of the board of governors of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) in Philadelphia. Shay has also been a board member for the Philadelphia Music Alliance, which inducted him into the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame in October 2013.

Here’s a link to a seven-minute video by Steve Ramm of highlights from the Walk of Fame induction:

Gala Tribute Concert and Celebration Slated for March 1

For nearly two decades, Shay has also been a member of the board of directors for Sing Out!, a nonprofit organization that publishes a quarterly folk music magazine, song collections, sound recordings, folk music books and directories. On Sunday afternoon, March 1, Sing Out! will regale him on the occasion of his retirement and impending 80th birthday. A star-studded concert is set for 3 p.m. at The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. David Dye, host of “World Café” emcees the special event that will feature performances by Tom Paxton, Janis Ian, SONiA, Silk City, Kim & Reggie Harris, John Flynn, Julie Gold, and Full Frontal Folk, among others. Dye, whose nationally syndicated radio program originates from the studios of WXPN, has said he “learned more about music from Gene Shay than any other source.” An intimate meet-and-greet reception with Shay and the performing artists will follow the concert (for those with patron tickets).

For more information and to order tickets, click on this link .

A Few Reflections on Gene Shay

“I can’t think of a person who has been more influential or key to folk music in the region,” says Mark Moss, executive director and editor of Sing Out!, calling Shay “the gateway drug to my life’s passion and work, and one helluva great guy.” While acknowledging that he will miss hearing Shay on the radio, Moss notes: “The fruits of his years on the air are and will be all around us for years to come. Gene Shay ‘is’ folk music in Philadelphia.”

Sharing Moss’ sentiments, Lisa Schwartz, president of the Philadelphia Folksong Society, who has known Shay personally and professionally for some 40 years, told AcousticMusicScene.com:

“It’s hard to imagine turning on the radio and not hearing Gene’s mellifluous voice, especially on a Sunday night. He has this amazing quality to completely disarm someone and make [him or her] feel completely and totally comfortable. Musicians love him because he genuinely appreciates them and their music — and because he’s just such a love.

There is no one who comes close to having Gene’s grasp of folk music. He’s an expert and a genius at recognizing great talent. We have Gene to thank for introducing us to some of the best music that’s ever been made. On a personal level, I feel honored and blessed to call him my friend. He and his lovely wife Gloria attended my wedding and he was one of the first people we told we engaged.” [Lisa’s husband proposed to her at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 2007.]

Reflecting on Shay, Cheryl Prashker, president of NERFA, noted that he has been active with the organization since its first conference 21 years ago. “He has been very instrumental in putting together our conference workshops, not to mention coming up with all their witty titles,” she said. “For many years, Gene hosted a showcase called “Midnight at the Marquis” in which he featured many of his favorite new artists. He is also loved for hosting a ‘covers only’ party in his room on the Saturday night of the conference. We are truly very lucky to have him.”

Prashker expressed regrets that she can’t be at the March 1 gala tribute to Shay since RUNA, the Celtic roots ensemble for which she is the percussionist, will be on tour elsewhere. “As a performer, I have had the absolute privilege of appearing on Gene’s show many times with various artists,” said Prashker, “from my initial appearance with my New York- based group CC Railroad in 2000 to many of the singer songwriters you have heard over the years to my current group.” She described each visit as “special to me, since I knew I was in the room with a true giant in our community. I tried never to take that for granted. He always knew what questions to ask and always made the artist feel welcome and at home and as if we were the special ones.”