Frank Beckmann, who spent nearly five decades on Detroit radio, is being remembered for his long-running work on “New Talk 760” WJR and as the voice of the Detroit Lions, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Pistons, and, for 33-years, the Michigan Wolverines, during his long radio career. Beckmann died Saturday. He was 72.
Beckmann retired from WJR in March 2021 from WJR where he had been hosting late-mornings (9 am-12 noon) on the talk outlet until his final broadcast.
“I will be forever grateful to WJR for helping all of my boyhood dreams to come true. As a youngster growing up on the east side of Detroit, I always imagined sitting behind a microphone, announcing Lions and Tigers games,” Beckmann said last year when he retired. “It was surreal for me to actually have been able to do that, along with experiencing the other great opportunities this radio giant known as WJR provided me.” Beckmann said he had looked forward to more time on the golf course during his retirement.
Two weeks ago Beckmann’s family shared the sad news that he was he was entering hospice after several recent strokes. Last June, just months after his retirement, Beckmann was diagnosed with vascular dementia, a rare brain disease, after his started exhibiting unusual behavior. His wife, Karen, had told The Detroit News earlier this month that doctors give him days to live.
“Frank was a giant. Not only in stature, but in the world of broadcast radio too, said WJR’s Chris Renwick of his 6-foot, three-inch friend. “Frank always did it his way, and always kept us the best informed audience in all of radio,” said Renwick, noting Beckman also helped raise tens of millions of dollars for Detroit charities.
German-born Beckmann first signed on to WJR in 1972. In 1981, he succeeded Bob Ufer as the University of Michigan football play-by-play announcer, calling games for 33 seasons. He was honored as “Top Michigan Sportscaster” numerous times, and was been cited for his work as the only person to broadcast games for all four of Detroit’s major sports teams and the creation of “Sports Wrap” in 1981, recognized as Detroit radio’s first sports talk show.
In 2014, Beckmann received the Chris Schenkel Award from the National Football Foundation, making Beckmann a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 and was also been inducted into the Michigan Associations of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and named “Best Midday Personality” by the group.
In Beckmann’s honor, his family is asking instead for donations to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which is creating the Frank Beckmann Center for Journalism. Get details HERE.
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The above article published by InsideRadio, Monday, February 14, 2022. Credit and article is courtesy of insideradio.com (Atlanta, GA)
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Motor City Radio Flashbacks extends our deepest heart-felt condolences to the entire Frank Beckmann family, to his beloved radio audience and friends, and to the entire staff of WJR.
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