This has been SUCH a year of loss for the industry and I’m sorry to report that industry vet Hank Spann has passed. I was shocked to discover Hank worked in Buffalo with all the other radio greats at WUFO decades ago. He was truly one of the most down to earth people I had ever met in the industry and I’ve been on a couple of panels with him at various industry conferences. Hank, who has been ill for a while, started as a dj and also had an illustrious career in records. Remember these ets from the radio Radio Stations in the 60s and 70s when DJs were stars? Retail worked with radio and put these lists in the record stores with the Radio Station ‘s top songs. One of my greatest childhood memories as a music lover was my mother and father used to take me on separate trips to Audrey’s and Dells to buy 5 and get 1 free whenever I asked and WBLK had this et with a promotion called the Blk Pick of the Week. I found this et on eBay with Hank’s pic, someone is selling it. In addition, hear Hank open his show on WWRL here
. Looking at this et makes it so hard for me to believe how homogenized urban radio has become thanks to the corporations and how the craft has been so watered down and disrespected. These guys were truly the last greats.
