If you have lived in the Rochester area anytime in the last 40 years, you know the name “Brother Wease”. He started his radio career with the classic rock radio station WCMF and reigned #1 in morning talk radio on the “Brother Wease Morning Circus” from 1984 until 2007, when the station was sold. After months of contemplation and negotiations, and waiting out a non-compete clause, Brother Wease (born Alan Levin) took over as morning show host on Radio 95.1 in Rochester, an iHeartMedia station. He was ringleader of the Brother Wease Show at WAIO at 95.1 until last Thursday, when he announced he was hosting his final radio show on air after 40 years in the business. The Rochester-based iHeartMedia station announced that they were rebranding to a rock music format, now known as ROCK 95.1, “Rochester’s Real Rock.”
Following the shocking news, media writers and Facebook followers sent out words of love and encouragement to Brother Wease.
“It was really surreal, hearing and reading the comments from many fans and friends on Facebook. I felt like that episode on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, where Albert Brooks, hides and watches his own funeral, when people heard he was dead.”
“I thought what will they have left to say about me when I die, Wease contemplated.
Aside from his radio years, Brother Wease was a major music promoter and MC, who concert promoter John Scher, called: “One of the greatest DJs in the history of the modern music industry.” Wease was MC at two Woodstock events: 1994 and 1999. He also attended the original concert in 1969.
Recently in an exclusive sit-down interview, the long time music promoter and radio personality reflected on his early life and what has led to his current personal life.
His stories/remembrances are as straightforward and authentic as he has always been.
While he shared news of his nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare form of sinus cancer, diagnosis on air in 2005, he reports that he fought with treatments, changed his diet, and spent two months at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He took on a healthier life style, with the help of his wife of almost 30 years, Doreen, lost weight and kept the cancer at bay. Wease recently mentioned that he has also been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Growing up in the Park Avenue are of Rochester NY, he was raised by Hyman and Beverly Levin. “Daddy” was a printer and a bookmaker. Wease proudly proclaims that his father invented parlay sheets back in the 50s. “I was young, I helped him deliver the parlay sheets to the bookie joints. They were very colorful places, with magazines and candy up front, card games in the back and bets being made.”
Alan Levin was one of three children. He had two older sisters, Elaine Brown of Florida who is married to an FBI agent, and Lois Brennan (who was married to a Miami cop). Lois passed away last year at the age of 85.
Alan attended and graduated from Monroe High School in 1965. Just out of high school, he enlisted in the Army to serve during the war (1965-1968). Brother Wease is a combat veteran with three tours in Vietnam, with enough stories from his time in the service to fill several books.
He began as a paratrooper, whose MOS was 11th Bravo. In his second voluntary extension of tour in Vietnam, he chose to be with the 120th Aviation Company, so he could turn things around and he would be the one pushing the troops out of the helicopter from 6 feet up. “I was tired of being the one pushed.”
His closest friend - til the day he died - was Andre Massa, a Puerto Rican boy from Bedford Stuyvesant, started out in the same platoon when they first arrived in Vietnam.
They were always together, both fighting in the jungle. Andre later got called to guard duty in Saigon, but both kept in touch constantly. Both took 3 extensions of tour. “One reason was that, for every extension you signed up for, they sent you back to the States for 30 days”, said Wease. He admitted that they always pushed the limits. “After the second extension we didn’t report back until 40 days, the third time, it was 45 days. They didn’t seem to really notice. We weren’t worried. What were they gonna do - send us to Vietnam?”
“At one point, after my second extension up, I was assigned to be an Assistant Drill Sergeant at Fort Dix. Me, can you believe it? I was a 22 year old kid, who was supposed to train and encourage kids who were only a few years younger, to fight and be killed in a war that we never should never have been in.”
“When the Drill Sergeant was called to another duty, I was promoted to Drill Sergeant and became their daddy. I would wake them up and put them to bed.”
One day, Wease was carousing and drinking at the Satellite Lounge outside of Fort Dix in New Jersey, he met the bandmates from “Assorted Flavors”, who wanted him to come to Philly to be their manager.
“I left the day after my boys graduated from basic training. I went AWOL. The band and I were living the dream in Philadelphia, PA, in a 7th floor apartment on 40th and Gerard. After gigs, we would get women and get high.”
I remember being so sick one day that I thought I had the Asian Flu. I considered going to the hospital, but didn’t want them to know I was AWOL. I finally just went back to Fort Dix and turned myself in. My former top sergeant told me I was off the books already, and they put me in cell and I was busted. I had to report to the MPs (Provost) and was demoted to Private. By early 1969, I was discharged.
“In the late 60s, early 70s...I had two jobs. First I was a surveyor for a road crew. We goofed off a lot, and worked about 2 hours a day. Soon, I quit that gig and became a mailman working parcel post. I thought, wow, this could be my career. This was in Germantown, PA, and I wanted to get back to Rochester.
Brother Wease is father to five kids: Sachel Jacob Levin, Abby Rose Levin, Dianne Levin, Sammy Davis Levin and Lucille Ball Levin. Two of their kids have rewarded them with grandchildren: Abbie Rose has Lucas and Riley (ages 5 and 2), and Jake has one boy Ronin (also 2). Doreen, who married Brother Wease in 1997, are going on 30 years of togetherness. Doreen and Wease share a lovely French Bulldog named Stevie Nicks and spend their summers in Wayne County, winters in Florida.
His son, Sachel Jacob ‘Jake” Levin, is a media man, running Captivate Media in Rochester on University Avenue, Sammy is a District Attorney. He graduated from Albany Law School. Abby Rose taught in Thailand. She now lives in Bentonville. Arkansas. Lucy is 24, and not yet married. Daughter, Dianne, lives in a home in Philly. “She is a very special girl. She calls us 3-4 times a day.”
After his last show with 95.1, Brother Wease chose to turn down an offer for a two-hour Sunday night talk show on 1180 WHAM. He told listeners: “This is my last show.” The nearly 79-year old told his fans that he was given a of couple good opportunities, “...but I can’t go out that way. I can’t be in the National Broadcast Hall of Fame... and have people that know me all over America and see the headline in the trades tomorrow ‘Brother Wease To Host Weekend Morning Music Show.’ I can’t go out that way. I was up all night. I was gonna do it, I was prepared.” He opted to leave.
Reflecting on what his future may be...Wease, said he plans to launch a podcast with his son “Jake” in January...sort of a “farewell tour”. They plan to bring on many of Wease’s cohorts from his years on the air - Billy, Paulie, Cindy, some comedians and friends.
Wease is a member of the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame since 2009. He was the first Rochester radio personality to be inducted into the Museum of Broadcast Communication Radio Hall of Fame in 2021. Wease also announced that he is working with writer Marshall Fine, originally a journalist with the Rochester Times Union”, now a noted film critic, journalist, filmmaker and author. to write his biography. Wease’s public and private life is certainly fodder for a crazy biography.
“I took after my Daddy in many ways. I was influenced by his humor and his gambling, which I still enjoy. As for other people who have influenced me. No one. I have influenced myself and my career.
Brother Wease’s good works and non profits benefiting kids, like “Wease Cares” and the campaign “Kick Cancers Ass”, where he raised $100,000 to help kids fighting cancer, have helped to offset many crazy acts early on. Colleagues have also praised his mentorship in the music business.
As Wease often says: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” by Patti Holdraker
