Joe introduced at the Institute of Chicago performance in 2004
Born in Stasbourg, France on August 19, 1938, Joe Frank fled Nazi Germany with his mother when he was just an infant. (A month earlier, his father went to New York City and made arrangements to reunite there.) Joe grew up in Manhattan; when he was a teen his family moved to Long Island.
In October 2017, Joe underwent surgery to excise a cancerous tumor – the fourth time in his life he was diagnosed with cancer. Following the successful surgery, he experienced several setbacks over a period of three months culminating in his body succumbing to sepsis.
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 in 1977 at WBAI in New York. In 1978 served a short stint as co-anchor for the weekend edition of National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. From 1979-1984, he produced 18 radio shows for NPR Playhouse.
He tested the waters at KCRW in 1985 with a show called “Joe Frank at Midnight” where he aired eight one-hour monologues. In 1986, Joe was hired by KCRW in Santa Monica, California, to write, produce and perform in weekly hour-long radio programs for 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. Work in Progress, was followed in 1993 by In The Dark. In 1996, he created a new series Somewhere Out There, and finally, in 1999, 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,” and two Corporation for Public Broadcasting Awards for “Excellence in Performance,” and “Excellence in Arts and Humanities.” He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Third Coast International Audio Festival. Joe Frank 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.
Listen:
Ira Glass and David Sedaris discuss Joe’s influence (Stream | Download)