Ed Sciaky

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Edward Leon Sciaky (April 2, 1948–January 29, 2004) was an American rock radio disc jockey who spent his broadcasting career in the Philadelphia area.

Early life[]

He was born in New York City and raised in Philadelphia, where he graduated from Central High School, and then from Temple University where he majored in mathematics.

Career[]

Sciaky became known for promoting new talent, helping establish the careers of scores of artists, most notably Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, David Bowie, Janis Ian, and Yes.^[1] Sciaky can also be heard introducing AC/DC on the Live from the Atlantic Studios CD off their 1997 boxset, Bonfire.

He was one of the first FM disc jockeys who thrived when given the chance to choose their own music and play music other than pop hits. Frequently, he would play lesser known songs that had personal meaning for himself or listeners. He was a good friend to many musicians who enjoyed his intelligent interviews and his knowledge of rock-n-roll. One of the biggest stars he was a part of was Billy Joel. Billy, 23, had just released his Cold Spring Harbor album and was looking for promotion for his album. He was featured on a Sigma Sound broadcast with Sciaky.

Sciaky provided the master tape of Yes's live version of The Beatles' "I'm Down" for the band's 1992 Yesyears box set.

Sciaky's broadcasting career, all in the Philadelphia area, covered WRTI, WHAT, WXUR (in Media; unrelated to the modern WXUR), WDAS, WMMR, WIOQ, WYSP, WMMR (again), and finally WMGK.

In 2003, Sciaky's "Sunday With Springsteen" specialty show won a "Best Of Philly" award from Philadelphia Magazine.

The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia [1] posthumously inducted Sciaky into their Hall of Fame in 2005.

Personal life[]

Sciaky lived on the Main Line, Philadelphia. His house was home to a substantial, well-organized music collection, as well as a rather large iguana, perhaps five feet long. The resting iguana would sometimes startle first time guests when it moved slightly and caught their attention.

Death[]

Sciaky died of complications from diabetes on January 29, 2004, at the age of 55.

References[]

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