Sitting alone behind a microphone every weekday afternoon at Fordham University’s WFUV, legendary radio host Dennis Elsas has a method for connecting with his radio audience.
“It’s like a grid in my mind,” said Elsas, who’s been sharing music there for 25 years, following a celebrated 25-year run at 102.7 WNEW-FM. “Subconsciously, I see you driving, working at your desk, preparing a meal, picking up your kids, exercising — all these different people are listening. And hopefully, what I say strikes some of them in a particular way.”
“What I love most is the one-to-one connection,” he added. “Radio is still intimate. You’re talking to one person, wherever they are. You’re sharing a moment.”
Elsas, who has lived in Greenhaven for about 30 years, shares many moments with listeners all over the country. In addition to his daily gig on WFUV, he hosts a weekly call-in show on Sirius XM’s The Beatles Channel and another on Classic Vinyl. He’s widely considered the voice of rock history, whose interviews with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Jerry Garcia, Pete Townsend, and a host of other rock legends distinguish him from other radio DJs who simply play top hits.
“I got to meet my heroes,” Elsas said of his encounters with rock royalty. “I interviewed John Lennon, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Joni Mitchell.” From there, the list goes on: Elton John, Jerry Garcia, Elvis Costello, Mick Jagger — and still barely scratching the surface. “I was always aware that they were at the station with me to promote their latest album, book, or concert. But once we accomplished that, they would often open and share more about their past, and we could really get a conversation going.” (Visit denniselsas.com to explore the interview archives.)
One of his most unforgettable interviews was with John Lennon on Sept. 28, 1974 — originally booked to discuss Lennon’s new album, “Walls and Bridges” — it unfolded into two hours of Beatles memories, reunion speculation, and candid talk about his immigration fight. Lennon even took over as DJ for a stretch, cueing up favorite obscure 45s he had brought with him, reading the live commercials, and giving the weather. That broadcast became a cultural artifact, now part of the permanent collection at the Paley Center for Media. It was used extensively in the PBS American Masters documentary film “Lennon NYC” and is posted on John Lennon’s official website.
Not bad for a guy who grew up in Queens. Elsas launched his broadcasting career while he was a student at Queens College, where he helped form the school’s campus radio station, WQMC. Following graduation, he began working professionally in 1969 at WVOX-1460 AM and 93.5 FM in New Rochelle.
“I loved being on the radio,” he said. “I was teaching school during the week, and on weekends I’d drive up and do a few hours on air. The station was real middle-of-the-road music on AM. But I convinced the owner to let me do a more experimental program on the FM side in the evenings.” That show, “Something Else Again” (inspired by a Ritchie Havens album title), enabled him to craft what would become his signature style, mixing music and commentary that reflected the changing sound of FM radio.
His move to WNEW-FM in 1971 came during a reinvention of the medium. The late 1960s and early ’70s were a turning point: FM frequencies were shifting from duplicated AM programming to the progressive, free-form rock format that Elsas helped shape. He eventually became that station’s music director.
“Everything came together at once — album-oriented rock was emerging, the social scene was changing, protest music, the Summer of Love, Woodstock,” he said. “It was all happening, and suddenly FM had space to experiment. I got to do exactly what I loved, and I learned on the job.”
Elsas moved to Westchester in 1982. He and his wife, Nancy — a former actress and recently retired real estate agent — first settled in Mamaroneck, then in the mid-1990s moved just across Boston Post Road into Rye’s Greenhaven neighborhood. Their two children grew up in the Rye Neck school system.
“It’s a beautiful area — you can see the sky, the trees, the water. It’s just a lovely, easy place to live. I very much consider myself both a Rye person and a Rye Neck person,” he said. Today, two of their four grandchildren live within walking distance. “It’s quite nice. I have my daughter and son-in-law close by, and two terrific grandkids. We see them all the time.”
You might spot Elsas on Purchase Street (where his daughter works), browsing at the library, dining in local restaurants, or volunteering at the Mamaroneck Food Pantry. A longtime supporter of local arts, he collaborated with the Rye Arts Center in 2010 on a rock photography exhibit that turned his radio interviews into a multimedia presentation. The event, “An Evening with Dennis Elsas,” sold out — and later evolved into his “Rock ’n’ Roll Never Forgets” series, which he has since toured across the Tri-State A`rea.
As music director at WNEW, Elsas had a front-row seat to the rock world. But he has a special love for the Beatles, and that inspired his award-winning radio documentary “It Was Forty Years Ago Today: The Beatles Invade America,” which led to him co-hosting “The Beatles Fab Fourum,” a weekly live talk-and-call-in show on the Beatles Channel on SiriusXM (18). “What an honor and thrill to be on the Beatles Channel,” he said. His recent guests have included Paul McCartney, Julian Lennon, Giles Martin, and members of Ringo’s All-Starr Band. He also hosts “Classic Vinyl” on SiriusXM (26) every weekend, sharing stories and insights with classic rock fans around the world.
Does he still listen to the radio himself? Absolutely. But in his own words, he’s “a dial puncher” — moving between news, sports, and music — still admiring the stations where the person behind the mic lets listeners hear a little of who they are. “It’s kind of crazy when you think about it,” he said. “You’re sitting alone in a room, very often without a window, then you flip that mic on and suddenly you’re talking to thousands of people.”
Elsas has no plans to retire; he loves what he does and plans to keep doing it.
Technology has changed — digitized boards, satellite channels, Spotify streams — but the heart of it hasn’t.
“When the microphone is open, you’re really present,” he said. “You’re thinking, reacting, being in the moment. That’s what makes it fun and keeps it alive. If I say something that connects with even one person, it’s worth it. At the end of the day, the pleasure is talking one-to-one. That’s the gift of radio. That’s what I fell in love with, and it hasn’t changed.”
