Update: Gene Shay, Longtime Philadelphia Folk DJ And Co-Founder Of The Philadelphia Folk Festival, In Hospice With COVID-19

Prayers For Gene Shay

GENE SHAY, the longtime folk music DJ on PHILADELPHIA radio and co-founder of the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL, is in hospice care suffering from COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS complications. While his former station, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Triple A WXPN/PHILADELPHIA, reported on WEDNESDAY morning that SHAY had passed away, confirming a report from the FOLKSONG SOCIETY and reported on that basis at ALL ACCESS, SHAY's family later reported that he had not yet passed but was in hospice care.

SHAY (born IVAN SHANER) was on the air with folk shows from 1962, when he launched a SUNDAY night show on the old WHAT-F (now WTDY), through 2015, when he retired after 20 years at WXPN. He also hosted at WDAS-F, WMMR, WIOQ, and WHYY over the years. SHAY co-founded the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL in 1962 and emceed the event through 2015, and promoted BOB DYLAN's first PHILADELPHIA concerts. He also worked as an advertising producer and copywriter for many years and is credited with naming WXPN's long-running syndicated show "WORLD CAFE."

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