|
|
Joe Frank was born in Strasbourg, France on August 19, 1938. After numerous setbacks following surgery in October 2017, Joe passed away on January 15, 2018. He is dearly missed.
An American radio icon, Joe is known best for his engaging, often philosophical, monologues and radio dramas. Joe’s radio programs are at times dark and frequently funny. Adding to the absurd atmosphere of his monologues and dramas are loops of percussive music over drones.
Joe Frank started his career at WBAI in New York, and later served as a co-anchor for the weekend edition of National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. In 1986, he moved to Santa Monica, California, to work at KCRW, where he wrote, produced and performed in weekly hour-long radio programs in the series, “Joe Frank: Work In Progress.”
Joe continued to work at KCRW until 2002. His shows evolved as evidenced by the diverse series he produced, starting with Work in Progress, then In The Dark , followed by Somewhere Out There, and finally The Other Side.
While at KCRW, Joe received many honors, including a Peabody Award, the most coveted and distinguished award in radio and television broadcasting. He also received an Emmy Award for public television’s broadcast of “Joe Frank: Storyteller.” He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Third Coast International Audio Festival. Joe is also a Guggenheim Fellow.
Joe Frank’s body of timeless work (over 230 hours) continues to be aired on many NPR stations in the United States.
Other:
Ira Glass and David Sedaris discuss Joe’s influence (Stream | Download)