Cover Stories

The Man Behind the Voice

Dave Allen, host of ‘Syracuse’s Morning News with Dave Allen,’ has been a staple in local radio for nearly a decade

By Tim Bennett

 

Dave Allen is a supporter of The American Red Cross and often donates and encourages other people to donate blood.

I bumped into Dave Allen for the first time at a political rally in Syracuse. I didn’t know he was the Dave Allen from the “Syracuse’s Morning News with Dave Allen!” radio show because the coat tag only had his name with no affiliation. I guess that’s the advantage of being on the radio — your fans may not recognize you. But I had to be sure. This could be a rare moment to meet the man with one of the best voices on radio.

“Oh, are you the guy who works at WSYR?”

“I am,” he said.

“Nice. I enjoy your show.”

Immediately I shook his hand and introduced myself. He is one of the few radio personalities I enjoy listening to because of his kind and velvety voice that always puts me at ease. In person, it had the same effect. Of course, after some small talk, I had to ask him, “Have you ever been interviewed by 55 Plus magazine?”

When he replied “no,” I asked the obvious question and he said, “Sure,” without hesitation, smiling broadly, maybe thinking what took you so long?

Allen turned 60 on Dec. 16 and has lived in Syracuse for almost 30 years. He has hosted “Syracuse’s Morning News with Dave Allen!” from 5 to 9 a.m. on WSYR 106.9 FM since 2016. On his program, Allen has interviewed a wide variety of politicians and newsmakers, as well as kept Central New Yorkers abreast of current events. He is active in the community and has won several awards from local organizations such as The American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.

The interview took place at the Syracuse iHeart Radio studio in Franklin Square just before Thanksgiving.

 

Q: Is radio something you always wanted to do as a kid?

A: This is a fun story because my mom has pictures of me when I was 6 years old walking around talking into an ice cream scoop like I was on the radio. Growing up, my family always had the kitchen radio playing with the news in the morning and music throughout the day. So, it’s true, from a very young age, I always wanted to be on the radio. By the time I was 16 I was working on a professional radio station. I initially started out doing a Sunday morning show playing religious tapes that came into the station. Eventually, I got to DJ on the weekends during my last year in high school in Dayton, Ohio. It was an evening show at a country station. I used a different name because I didn’t want anybody to know I was on the radio. My biggest fear was that my voice was going to change and I was going to sound different. I still sounded like a kid at that point. Finally, I started using my real name and I’ve been Dave Allen for quite a few years now.

Q: So, you started your radio career in Ohio. How did you end up in Syracuse?

A: Yes, I started in Dayton, Ohio, which is a good-sized market — a little bit bigger than Syracuse. My goal, though, was to end up in Cincinnati. By the time I was 19, I was in Cincinnati and having a blast. I bounced all around the country for a long time — seems to be the nature of the business for many of us in radio. I worked in Dallas, Texas; north Michigan; and Toledo, Ohio. I then came back to my hometown of Dayton to raise my two older boys. My parents and grandparents were still around so it was nice to be back there. I thought I was done moving when I got a call in 1998 from Jim Leven who had just purchased Syracuse Lite105.9 FM, an adult contemporary music station in Syracuse. He wanted me to come here, do the morning show and be the program director. My first thought was, I have no interest in moving to New York state.

Q: Why not?

A: Like many people, when I thought of New York I thought of the city. It’s a great place, but I did not want to live there. I had never visited Upstate New York. Leven said, “Why don’t I fly you up and you can see what it’s like?” So, on St. Patrick’s Day in 1998, I came and I had a wonderful time. People were excited about the big parade and I got to feel the energy of the city. Then I did a little research and thought it might be a good opportunity after all. I figured I’d be there for a year or two. But, after six months, things started to click for me. The morning show took off and it did very well in the ratings. Then I started to get connected to a lot of community nonprofits and I fell in love with Syracuse. I was at that station for 10 years until 2008 when we had that economic downturn. I wanted to stay in Syracuse so I accepted a role as the spokesperson on TV and radio stations for nonprofit organizations, such as The Salvation Army and Meals on Wheels, which lasted for eight years. I was offered the job at WSYR in 2016 and I’ve been there ever since.

Q: You’ve spoken with many types of people for your morning show. What were your favorite interviews?

Dave Allen with actor William Shatner — Captain Kirk from the original Star Trek show — in January of 2020

A: One year we had Fred Grandy who played Gopher in Love Boat in town, which was a big thrill for me. When I was a kid, Love Boat was such a big hit TV series and they had so many great stars on it. He also began acting in some of the theaters across the country and got connected with the Red House Arts Center here in Syracuse. He had so many great stories to share and I loved it when he’d talk about Ethel Merman who played his mother on the show.

I also got to moderate the night with William Shatner — Captain Kirk from the original Star Trek show — in January of 2020, just prior to the pandemic. It was billed as, “An Evening with William Shatner” and they played “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” at the Civic Center. People watched the movie and then I brought out William Shatner on stage, introduced him and interviewed him in front of a sold-out crowd of maybe 2,500 people. That was kind of surreal, sitting with Captain Kirk, just the two of us and having a conversation. He was so funny and so engaged. This was before he took that rocket ride into outer space a year later.

I’ve met many people over the years from singers to comedians to actors. Some people just have big personalities. I try to treat all my guests with respect no matter who they are. For example, I may have a politician on and may not agree with what they have to say, but I want to hear it. A lot of people are just focused on their own political views, but I like to get perspectives from both sides. That’s how I learn and understand what everybody is thinking and why people believe the way they do.

Q: Do you have any kids at home?

A: I have been a single dad for quite some time and I am the father of three boys. Two are grown and away. My youngest is in college right now.

Q: What is coming down the line in Syracuse?

A: There are three news stories I am following that I would like to see finalized. Of course, there is the Route 81 project. There is so much construction going on in this county and I hate to say it, but it’s only going to get worse. I’m sure the mayor and the county executive don’t like me saying that, but when 81 comes down and there is construction work all around the city, it’s going to be a challenge for commuters in the morning. Even now, I used to have a 12-minute ride home when I got off at 9 a.m., but now it can take me 45 minutes.

Q: When do they expect that to be done?

A: They started out saying it was a five- or six-year project. But we had a similar construction project in Dayton and it was supposed to be a five- or six-year project and it ended up taking 11 years. So, we’ll see how long it takes. I am also excited about Micron and I do buy into that. I think it is great for this community and I hear there are other companies coming here as well. I hope everything plays out successfully.

Q: What is the third story you’d like to see finalized?

A: The third thing I want to see is the Columbus statue staying put. I’ve talked with Mayor Ben Walsh numerous times on the air about this and I’ve talked with others who do not want the statue to be moved. I can see both sides. I don’t want to criticize the mayor, but I think it’s silly that this has become a main focus in recent years. That statue has been there a long time and I think it should stay where it is. It means so much to so many people in this town and it really hurts the Italian community that some people want to take it away. I hope they leave it alone and we can focus on other things.

Q: What kind of hobbies do you have?

A: My sons call me an “outdoor enthusiast.” And they are the same way and we like anything outside — hiking, biking, camping. Probably the smartest thing I’ve ever done was to buy the annual Empire Pass that gets you into all the New York state parks. We have many great parks in New York state and I like to visit as many as I can.

Q: What are some other things you like to do?

A: I also like being involved with a number of nonprofit groups. I think it is great to volunteer for organizations and sometimes I wish I had more time to do that. Helping Hounds used to be on the east side of town and it was very convenient for me to go over and walk the dogs. Now that they are in Clay, it does not work for me. I rescued a dog from them a number of years ago. He is a Border Collie mix and definitely a herder. We have these enrichment toys for him, like stuffed animals and he enjoys putting them all in the center of the living room as if he’s rounding them up.

Another thing I do is promote the annual radiothon for Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. We actually do the broadcast from the lobby of Upstate and it is not so much the amount of money we have raised over the years, but the stories we hear from the kids who have had cancer or serious illnesses or surgeries where they have survived, married and now have kids of their own. We are very lucky to have a children’s hospital in this town.

Q: What would you want your listeners to know about you that may not come out on the radio?

A: I would like to think that who I am in real life is who I am on the radio. People who get to know me — my long-time friends, colleagues and co-workers — they all say that, “Dave is who he is on the radio in real life.” I am flattered by that and I take it as a compliment. I never wanted to be something on the radio who I wasn’t in real life.