Sid Mark – Legendary Disc Jockey
Nina Simone. Frank Sinatra. Al Stauffer. Duke Ellington. Count Basie. Jack Benny. Milton Berle.
Philadelphia disc jockey Sid Mark’s rubbed elbows with all of them!
In an interview with AllAboutJazz.com, Sid remarked on how he’s actually responsible for Nina Simone
“She started her career in Philadelphia. In her autobiography, she said the reason for her success was a white Jewish disc jockey, Sid Mark. She said, ‘If I knew him today, I don’t know if I’d kiss him or smack him in the mouth!’ (laughter.) That’s a quote. We had a hell of a relationship!”
Of course, his story about meeting Frank is much better. You can tell by his words how much he absolutely admired that man, and to this day you can hear it on the radio, on Philadelphia’s WPHT 1210 AM, every Friday night from 7-10pm during “Friday with Frank”. A show that Sid’s been doing for over 50 years.
When AAJ asked him if he’d ever write a book about Frank, he said,
“I did. Just as recently as two months ago, my daughter set me up with a literary agent. He said the book would make a lot of money. He asked me to come up with a title, so I thought of something Frank often said when he left you, “If Anybody Hurts You Call Me.” But when we got down to the nitty gritty, I found that I just couldn’t do the book. Frank used to say to me, ‘I like you because I know you’ll never write a book about me.’ That just stuck in my head. [...] I think it was because when you are invited into someone’s inner circle, you become a friend. You should be discrete and not write books about friends.”
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3 Comments
Sid Mark is one of the finest Jazz disc jockeys.
Though he was originally heard on WHAT-FM later to be WWDB in Philadelphia, I believe the company that orginally owned what was WFIL-TV and Radio, Triangle Publications, Inc. distributed a two hour version of Sid Mark’s Mark of Jazz program that was heard in the Baltimore-Washington area over what was former stations WBAL-FM in Baltimore, MD and WMAL-FM in Washington, D. C. I was able to hear both stations, so if I missed the broadcast on one I was to here it later on the other station.
Sid Mark in what he said was jazz in a modern vein introduced me to many famous jazz performers and their recordings during the 1960’s.
What Sid knew about jazz was mostly what he read on the backs of albums.
Does Sid Mark still play Frank Sinatra on the local Philly or NJ radio station? If so what station is he on and when.