Jump to content

Frank Beckmann

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank Beckmann
Beckmann at the University of Michigan's Victors Classic alumni football game in 2012
Born
Frank Carl Beckmann[1]

(1949-11-03)November 3, 1949
Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany
DiedFebruary 12, 2022(2022-02-12) (aged 72)
Clarkston, Michigan, U.S.
OccupationBroadcaster
Years active1969–2021
EmployerWJR
Spouse
Karen Beckmann
​
(m. 1973)​
Children3

Frank Carl Beckmann (November 3, 1949 – February 12, 2022) was a German-born American broadcaster and talk radio host on WJR in Detroit, Michigan. He also was the radio play-by-play announcer for University of Michigan football from 1981 to 2013.

Early life

[edit]

Beckmann was born in Kiel, West Germany, on November 3, 1949.[2][3] His family immigrated to the United States when he was two years old and settled in east Detroit.[1] They relocated to nearby Warren during his sophomore year because Cousino High School had a radio station and offered courses in radio.[1][4] He then studied broadcast journalism at Macomb Community College for two years.[2]

Broadcast career

[edit]

Beckmann started his broadcasting career in 1969,[2] working by himself as news staff in Alpena. He was then employed by WKNR in Dearborn and WDRQ in Detroit for a brief period, before becoming part of WJR in 1972.[5][6] He was recognized with commendation for "Best Coverage of a Single News Event" while covering the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa.[5] He was subsequently chosen to be the primary substitute for J. P. McCarthy, the station's morning host.[6]

Beckmann moved to the sports department of WJR by 1975,[5] and eventually became its sports director. He became part of the radio team of the Detroit Lions in 1979, initially serving as an analyst for Bob Reynolds. He went on to succeed Reynolds as the team's play-by-play voice when the latter retired four years later.[5] Beckmann also replaced Bob Ufer as the radio play-by-play announcer for University of Michigan football in 1981, when the latter stepped down for health reasons.[6] Beckmann ultimately served in that capacity until 2013,[7] and oversaw the team's national championship in 1997.[6] He was also an announcer for the Detroit Tigers from 1995 to 2003.[6]

Beckmann hosted Sportswrap, an all-sports talk show he created in 1981 that was one of the first of its kind.[1][5] It ultimately ran for two decades.[6] He also hosted The Frank Beckmann Show, a daily late-morning talk show on WJR in Detroit, from 2004 till he retired.[8][9] Beckmann told his listeners on January 13, 2021, that he would retire on March 26.[10]

Political activism

[edit]

In 2011, Beckmann considered a campaign for the United States Senate seat occupied by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, but said that the need to register as a Republican and to quit his broadcasting positions led him to decide against a candidacy.[11][12]

Personal life

[edit]

Beckmann married Karen Beckmann on February 2, 1973. They first met at a driver's training class and remained married until his death. Together, they had two children, Jonathan and Tori Kughn (Andrew Kughn), and three grandchildren, Pierson, Brooks, and Sawyer.[1][8]

Beckmann died in the evening on February 12, 2022, in hospice care at Clarkston, Oakland County, Michigan.[1][8] He was 72, had multiple strokes and suffered from vascular dementia prior to his death.[1][5][13]

Awards and honours

[edit]

Beckmann was honored with "Top Michigan Sportscaster" awards by the Associated Press and United Press International and "Michigan Sportscaster of the Year" by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He won the 2010 Detroit Sports Media Association Ty Tyson Award for Excellence in Sports Broadcasting and received the award in a special halftime press box ceremony at the University of Michigan football stadium. He was named a Lifetime Member of the Detroit Sports Media Association. Beckmann was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 for his accomplishments in sports broadcasting.[2][14][15] Four years later, he was granted an honorary Doctor of Laws from Northwood University in May 2012.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Rubin, Neal (February 12, 2022). "WJR's longtime voice Frank Beckmann dies at 72". The Detroit News. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Northwood loses dear friend and long-time supporter, Frank Beckmann, WJR broadcaster". Midland, Michigan: Northwood University. February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  3. ^ Kiska, Tim (1989). Detroit's Powers & Personalities. Momentum Books. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-9618726-1-8.
  4. ^ Horning, Bob (November 29, 2013). "Frank Beckmann contemplates last game as radio voice of Michigan Football". Ann Arbor News. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Dow, Bill (February 12, 2022). "Frank Beckmann, longtime voice of Detroit, Michigan sports, dies at age 72". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Legendary Detroit broadcaster Frank Beckmann dies at the age of 72". WXYZ-TV. February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  7. ^ Horning, Bob (November 29, 2013). "Frank Beckmann contemplates last game as radio voice of Michigan Football". The Ann Arbor News / mlive.com. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Remembering Frank Beckmann". WJR-AM. February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022. Broadcasting veteran and longtime WJR host Frank Beckmann died Saturday night at a hospice center in Clarkston. Beckmann ... started with the station back in 1973 as the newsroom's youngest-ever reporter. ... Beckmann spent the last 17 years of his career at WJR hosting his late-morning talk program, "The Frank Beckmann Show." Beckmann was diagnosed in June with vascular dementia, a rare and untreatable brain disease. ... Beckman had since suffered four more strokes. ... Frank is survived by his wife Karen, son Jonathan, daughter Tori, and grandchildren Pierson, Brooks, and Sawyer.
  9. ^ "On Air - Frank Beckmann". WJR-AM. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  10. ^ Hinds, Julie (January 13, 2021). "WJR radio host Frank Beckmann, known for sports and right-wing talk, to retire in March". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  11. ^ Oosting, Jonathan (June 20, 2011). "It's a no: Detroit media personality Frank Beckmann will not challenge Debbie Stabenow". mlive.com. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  12. ^ "Beckmann Passes On Stabenow Challenge". Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
  13. ^ "Retired radio host Frank Beckmann in hospice care, family says". The Detroit News. February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  14. ^ "About Frank Beckmann". Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
  15. ^ "Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Inductees Archive". Archived from the original on July 9, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frank_Beckmann&oldid=1241143378"