DJ Al Brady is hanging up his microphone and moving to Seattle. But the popular longtime radio personality – and emcee for Rocky and the Rollers – is leaving something in The Villages.
“My heart will still be here,” Brady said Saturday. He announced his retirement and will be moving to Seattle to be with his family. His last air shift at WVLG radio will be Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Brady has lived in The Villages for the past decade, and has spent nearly 20 years in Florida. His broadcast resume includes stops in New York, New Jersey and North Carolina.
Brady has a vast knowledge of rock and roll music, especially the ‘50s and ‘60s.
In 1987, Brady was hosting and DJing music shows at Orlando’s Little Darlin’s. It included a stint with Wolfman Jack’s “Rock’N’Roll Palace” nationally syndicated television show.
Gerry “Rocky” Seader and his group the Rollers, were the house band at Little Darlin’s. He first met Brady in 1987. The two have been close ever since, on and off stage.
“I was always impressed with his professionalism and knowledge of music,” Rocky said. “We developed an unbelievable professional relationship but, more than that, we developed a strong friendship. Al is my brother.”
In 2008, Brady was in North Carolina and looking for a radio gig. Then Rocky came calling. “He wanted to see if I was willing to work on his cruises,” Brady said. “I said yes.”
Eventually, Brady landed an announcing job here and moved to The Villages. He is a major part of the local music scene on the radio, and onstage introducing concerts.
“Rocky opened a lot of doors for me and helped me revive my career in radio,” Brady said. “I owe Rocky a lifetime of gratitude.”
On stage, Brady displays his musical knowledge. He not only introduces the acts but also offers a detailed musical history of them.
“Al brought a touch of class to our shows,” Rocky said.
And like Rocky, Brady has rubbed elbows with a host of musical legends. The list not only includes such Rock Hall of Famers as Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, but also Muhammad Ali, who came to Little Darlin’s one night.
Brady once described the scene to me this way when Ali came in:
“We played the theme from ‘Rocky.’” I was in the DJ booth and Ali sat right behind me. Then he called me over and said he wanted to meet one of the singers. Dee Clark, who had a big hit in the early 1960s with “Raindrops” was on the bill that night and Ali wanted to meet him.
“I took him over to meet Dee Clark and Ali was thrilled.” He added that Ali invited Brady to Miami where the boxer was honored in a ceremony naming an arena after him. “For me, that was a thrill,” Brady said.
Now, though, Brady is looking forward to a trip out west. “The day after my last show on WVLG, I’m driving to my new home in Seattle,” he said.
Although he will be gone, Brady will still record announcements for Villages Entertainment, and also record some voice work for the local radio station.
“We’re going to miss Al, but we all understand why he’s doing this—for his family,” Rocky said. He added that Al should still be a part of the Rocky and Rollers cruises.
“I wish Al all the best, he deserves it,” Rocky said.
Tony Violanti writes about music and entertainment for Villages-News.com. He was inducted into The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame as a music journalist.