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Lee Alan, a native of Detroit, was born in 1934 and grew up in the city. His passion for broadcasting sparked at the age of 14 while he was an avid fan of WXYZ’s serial, “The Lone Ranger.” After graduating from Cooley High School, he pursued his interest in broadcasting by enrolling at Wayne State University.
His journey in radio began at WCAR, located in Pontiac, followed by a stint at WJLB. Despite a brief period of service in the Army, Alan returned to WJLB for a short time, handling the overnight shift. In 1959, he secured the all-night slot at WJBK, occasionally filling in elsewhere. However, in December of that year, he parted ways with WJBK due to what management described as “simple economics.”
Alan then joined WKMH, where he hosted two shows. In 1962, he departed Detroit for Cincinnati. Shortly after arriving there, Alan received an unexpected call from WXYZ, offering him a new broadcasting opportunity back in Detroit. At one point, he juggled roles in both television and radio, serving as the host of “Club 1270” in 1963 and later transitioning to “The Swingin’ Kind” in 1966, both on WXYZ-TV. Lee Alan concluded his radio career and retired in 1970. For decades thereafter, after opening his own ad agency, his voice was heard on countless car dealership commercials on radio and television in Detroit and around the country.
Today we are presenting Lee Alan’s WXYZ show-opening theme. From 1958 – ZING! WENT THE STRINGS OF MY HEART – by Les Elgart & Orchestra. One of the best remembered, if not the best, themes heard on Detroit radio in the past 60 years.
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Audio digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
Great Memory