Frank Cody, a longtime programmer, music reseacher, and executive, deemed “The Father of Smooth Jazz”, died on Wednesday, July 19 at the age of 75.
Cody began his career as a teenager in his native Albuquerque was hosting mornings at 1150 KDEF at the age of sixteen. After stints at KDEF, KLOS, and KOB in Albuquerque, Cody would spend most of the 1970s in Colorado where he launched KKFM Colorado Springs and had three stints at KBPI Denver establishing both stations as heritage Rock brands that still exist today, albeit on different frequencies. Cody would move to 95.5 KLOS Los Angeles as Program Director in 1978 and then after another run at KBPI, joined NBC Radio as Program Director overseeing their entertainment networks and “The Source” where he would develop shows hosted by the likes of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Paul Shaffer, and David Sanborn.
In early 1987, Cody would join 94.7 KMET Los Angeles with the intent to either revitalize or conduct research on a new direction for the station. That would lead to the launch of “94.7 The Wave” KTWV and the format that would become known as Smooth Jazz. On his website Cody wrote, “Living in New York City at the time and working at NBC, I was amazed that FM radio overlooked the Grammy
Award-Winning Album of the Year, Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” But that was just a small indication of the wealth of jazz, new age, elegant urban and radio’s fear trying something truly new and revolutionary. We were awash with fresh, new music that was shared by friends, but dismissed by most programmers: David Sanborn, the entire GRP catalog, dozens of Contemporary Jazz artists, Sade, Sting and many more. We believed people our age deserved a spot on the dial for something a bit better than the trite, trivial tunes aimed at the lowest common denominator and repeated over and over. We created three distinctive prototype formats: “The Rock & Roll Adventure,” Contemporary Spanish Language and The WAVE, which ultimately became known as Smooth Jazz. We also positioned the station to be free of endless, inane chatter by declaring ‘…and no disc jockeys.’ Turns out, The WAVE grew to become the top billing station in Southern California and the beginning of the first new radio format in over 30 years: Smooth Jazz.”
Cody would depart KTWV in 1988 to co-found music research and Smooth Jazz programming consultancy Broadcast Architecture where they would help launch other Smooth Jazz stations as well as other brands such as 103.5 WKTU New York. He would serve as CEO until the company was sold to AMFM and absorbed into Clear Channel in 2000. He would then team with Smooth Jazz artist Dave Koz and record executive Hyman Katz to launch Rendezvous Entertainment.
Cody’s husband Terry Rich wrote on Facebook, “Many of you know both me and Frank (Cody). We have been partners for a long time and got married ten years’ ago. I am saddened to pass along the news that Frank passed away on Wednesday (July 19) here at home in Galisteo, New Mexico. He was so many things — kind-hearted, creative, and optimistic. Adventurous. He was a natural leader and ambitious in a contagious way that expressed his enthusiasm for life and work. And of course he loved music. Boy, did he love music. As a teenager, he would create his own world alone in his bedroom, surrounded by the music of Bartok, Dvorak, Bacharach and the songs of Jackie and Roy, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Nat King Cole,Dave Brubeck, Nancy Wilson and so may more! Later there may be a get-together to remember his beautiful spirit and generosity and of course his sense of humor which was always hovering in the ether. In the meantime, you may wish to check out the website I created for him, frankcody.com”
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com