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Allan Stagg, the Chicago DJ who hosted “Sanctuary,” an homage to the days of underground FM radio, died Monday night in Battle Creek, Michigan, (last item) due to complications from pneumonia.
Stagg started his radio career in Chicago at WCKG in 1987 after living the life of the itinerant radio jock throughout his home state of Michigan, where he was known as George Stagg, George Jay and other noms d'air. He later moved on to WLS-FM 94.7, which later became CD 94.7 and was the birthplace of Sanctuary, a late-night radio program featuring album tracks and recreating the progressive FM radio sound. After yet another format change, Stagg moved to WDRV 97.1 FM, where he was later fired, in his words, “over wording on a tongue-in-cheek photo tour … a few quips made in jest didn't sit well with Bonneville's programming department.” Recently, Stagg worked as morning show host and program director of WWKN-FM in Battle Creek, Michigan. (More information on his career can be found under his entry at 440.com.)
Though Stagg spent years here as a radio personality, many more listeners heard him as a voiceover artist for commercials and station IDs (Stagg was also the voice of KINK-FM in Portland). While CBS-2 is running a picture of Stagg looking particularly grandpa-like, we remember him as sporting the leather and shades look found in most of his head shots and proclaiming himself to be an “aging teen idol.” If radio is truly theater of the mind, then Stagg was one of the best artistic directors we ever heard.
You can hear some of Stagg's work on his Web site as well as episode 37 of Schadenfreude's radio show from 2004.
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I can't believe Allan is gone. I first became friends with him during his Sanctuary which I would listen to driving home from work. He was friendly with his listeners and would always say hi to them and where they worked on the radio.......during many exchanges I invited him to get tattooed at our shop. He came to the 100th Harley Anniversary where we had our mobile shop and got his palm tattooed. Yes the palm of his hand. We became friends and he and his wife visited our shop. He is on our answering machine at the shop to this day.................Burning Image Tattoos in Portage IN............From all of us at the shop .....we will miss you.........Lady Di
As a marriage proposal to my girlfriend (now wife) I put together a video that showed all of the places in the city that we'd visited on dates with a soundtrack of concerts we'd been to. I arranged a screening at the Brew and View but needed a Voice Over talent to narrate.
Allan had the greatest voice in Chicago.
On a whim, I called Allan and left him a voicemail asking him to record a view lines for the project. He happily and enthusiastically agreed to help and sent me a taped recording the next day.
In my brief experience with him, I was really impressed with Allan. He seemed like a good-hearted, generous man.
OMG I just heard last night. I used to live in the suburbs of Chicago and listened to him every night on my car radio. I live in Springfield and I used to be in contact with Juri when he was on the WDRV-he always did shout-outs to me. We stayed in touch until he stopped working there. He was a nice man, and I'm sorry he's gone.
Feeling nostalgic, I decided to look up some of my favourite names from my childhood while growing up in Windsor, Ontario. One of the first names that came to mind was Allan Staqgg. I fondly recall listening to him on WABX in Detroit. His shows always kept me smiling. To say I was shocked to hear of his all too early passing would be a great understatement. I now feel as if part of my youth is missing and gone forever.
Say "HI" to Cosmo for me.
Allan Stagg & I became friends via e-mail. I used to listen to him on Internet radio broadcast from White House, TN when he was with The Drive in Chicago. Sending pictures of our families back & fourth via e-mail.
Allan was a true professional and his creation, "The Sanctuary" was one of a kind. His talent will be missed. My prayers are with his family and friends.
Thanks Allan for good memories!