DENNIS ELSAS BIOGRAPHY
Dennis Elsas grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens with a
transistor radio under his pillow, listening to the
great New York AM rock ‘n’ roll stations. As FM began
to emerge, so did his broadcast career with the founding
of campus radio station WQMC at Queens College in the
mid-sixties. His first paid on-air job was at WVOX, a
suburban radio station in New Rochelle, New York, where
he created a free-form progressive rock show called
Something Else Again. And, then – just after
midnight on July 11, 1971 – he launched what would be a
25 plus-year career at WNEW- FM (102.7) in New York
City.
 Dennis
was hired at WNEW-FM by the station’s program director,
Scott Muni, one of the legendary DJs he had grown up
listening to. He quickly ascended to the position of
Music Director, and received the rock ‘n’ roll music
industry education of a lifetime. The station was
emerging as one of the premiere rock radio stations and
Dennis was integral to creating its sound. He was also
meeting and interviewing a stream of rock 'n' roll heroes,
including Elton John, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Paul
McCartney and John Lennon.
John
Lennon was his in-studio guest on Saturday afternoon,
September 28, 1974. They had met previously at the
Record Plant Recording Studio as Lennon was finishing
his latest album Walls and Bridges. During the
conversation, Elsas casually invited him to visit WNEW-FM.
When Lennon actually showed up, Dennis was more than a
little surprised. What began as a discussion of the new
album quickly turned into two hours of rare Beatles’
memories, speculation on a reunion, and candor about his
immigration fight. Lennon even took over as DJ, playing
some favorite, obscure 45s he’d brought with him,
reading live commercials, and giving the weather
reports.
 Years
later, excerpts of that historic afternoon were used in
the Beatles Anthology, numerous books, and
various documentaries. The entire show has become part
of the permanent collection of the Paley Center For
Media (formally the Museum of Television and Radio). It
also inspired Elsas to produce, co-write and host the
radio documentary It Was Forty Years Ago Today: The
Beatles Invade America, which won a number of
prestigious awards (e.g. New York State Broadcasters
Association Best Documentary, New York Festivals World
Medal.) It aired on WFUV in February, 2004.
 In May
1976, Dennis took over the prime 6 – 10 p.m. slot on
WNEW-FM, bringing his creative programming of the
station’s vast rock ‘n’ roll record library to the
nighttime audience. Rock ‘n’ roll history was being
made at 102.7, and whether he was in the studio with
Meatloaf, backstage with Bob Seger or onstage with John Mellencamp, Dennis was sharing the experience with his
listeners. In the 1980’s he created the popular Beach
Party program. The station became known as the
place “Where Rock Lives” and Elsas remained there
through 1998.
While
still at WNEW-FM, Dennis expanded his broadcasting
activities to include two years
as the music correspondent
for television’s PM Magazine, and to host
such syndicated radio shows as Rock Today,
Rock ‘n Roll Never Forgets and Billboard
Entertainment News.
Dennis’ voiceover career also grew with numerous projects for HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and The Movie Channel. Corporate and commercial clients included American Express, Time, Lancôme, Proctor and Gamble, and Kraft Foods. He is now featured as the "Voice of Rock History" in the newly opened Museum at Bethel Woods - the story of the Sixties and Woodstock and has been the announcer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame broadcasts and VH1's Concert of the Century at the White House. Dennis was the narrator of Discovery Magazine on the Discover Network and is the "voice" of the new HD Smithsonian Channel.
But his
abiding passion is to be on-the-air; programming music
that blends old favorites with new discoveries,
interviewing artists,
and interacting with his
listeners. Presently, he gets to do that twice
a day.
Since the summer of 2000 he’s been
hosting weekday afternoons (2-6PM)
 on New York’s
WFUV
(90.7 FM, and streaming
at
WFUV.org). With
an
eclectic mix of rock, folk, jazz and blues and, guests
in the studio that have included Elvis Costello, Ben
Folds, Patti Smith,
Edie Brickell
and Ringo Starr, Dennis continues the
tradition of progressive radio he helped to create.
Weekday
mornings (6-10AM) with his show on
Sirius Satellite
Classic Vinyl (14), he shares his Classic
Rock
knowledge
and memories
 with
a
national
audience,
many of whom grew
up listening
to him.
Dennis’
daily Beatles Fab
Foursome segment (9AM) is one of the station’s most
popular features.
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