Pete Fornatale

This rock 'n' roll expert is heard on Saturday afternoons (4-8pm) and Sunday mornings (7-8am) on WFUV.

You Can Take the Bronx Out of the Guy...

Pete Fornatale

Widely respected rock historian and veteran disc jockey Pete Fornatale helped define progressive rock radio in the early 1970s. But before he made his mark at WNEW and K-Rock, he got his start as a Fordham University student working at WFUV.

Fornatale is the author of several books, including The Rock Music Source Book, Radio in the Television Age, The Story of Rock 'n' Roll, and All You Need Is Love. He was also the primary writer of The Elvis Collection, a 600-trading card series on the life of Elvis Presley, and has written numerous radio and television features, including the syndicated Rock Calendar, several episodes of MTV's Rock Influences, and the international television series Deja View. He co-hosted the 1991 HBO telecast of Paul Simon Live in Central Park and has regularly served as expert guest commentator on PBS specials featuring Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Roy Orbison, Peter, Paul and Mary, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor and others. His work has been recognized with many awards, including the coveted Armstrong Award for Excellence in Musical Programming (1983). He is a board member of World Hunger Year, the organization co-founded by Harry Chapin, and served as co-anchor of the annual Hungerthon broadcasts for many years.

Fornatale grew up in the Belmont section of The Bronx, just a few blocks from Fordham, and graduated from both Fordham Prep and Fordham University. (In fact, he was honored with a Pride of the Bronx award in 2003 by the Riverdale Mental Health Association.) He is the father of three grown sons, and currently resides in Rockaway Park, New York.

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Extra:

Back to Back - John Platt interviews Pete and Vin Scelsa.