Spencer Eads Danes
1925-1999
My father was Spencer E. Danes. Broadcast Pioneer, Newsman, and Radio personality with large and small radio stations during his long career in broadcasting. Before I get into the Biography of my Dad let me state that few sons can claim to have a really cool father who was also their best friend. Later in life we parted briefly do to my wife's illness but he attended her funeral and also passed away from Cancer in 1999.
His career after serving in the US Merchant Marine in WW 2 was varied until he settled into what was to become a long and well favored broadcast en devour.
We all start out in life wondering what we will be, A fireman, a policeman, or perhaps taken to farming as had our father, grandfather and their fathers before him. All needed services to the betterment of mankind.
Some in the second half of the twentieth century and with new technology coming along, moved into the field of Radio or TV. In my fathers case he had a naturally sounding, but ear-catching voice that was perfect for radio. I hope to bring the reader that voice here on this site along with his many photos, accomplishments, travels, interviews and his life-long love of Broadcasting . See Resume to the left of page.
Starting with his his service in the US Merchant Marine during WWII. He worked ships in both Atlantic and Pacific areas shuttling combat troops to distant shores.
Returning to Ohio after the war, he soon started working at WLW in Cincinnati, OH, then WKBV in Richmond Indiana just across the Ohio border in 1954. This intro to broadcasting was the beginning of a long love affair with radio and news reporting. He married my mom and had me in 1957 just as the world started to really change. He covered the early years of the 1960's at NASA interviewing the likes of astronaut John Glen.
Later through the coming years he was there throughout the space program including Apollo and took me to a news conference that had Frank Borman who had walked on the moon. In the seventies he remarried for a short time and moved to N. Virginia. Later, divorced he reestablished a true love with Adele Espreche Danes, now his widow.
Of all the people he had known in his life and 2 marriages, he truly felt great love for Adele.
Spencer and Adele Danes, just married outside the Alexandria courthouse.
During the days of radio there were what was called "Bloopers". These were on-the-air mess ups that were recorded for posterity. My Father made a rather good one called "The Buzzard" Enjoy!