Rocky Allen, the irreverent and high-energy host best known for “The Rocky Allen Showgram” on WPLJ-FM (95.5) in New York City, died on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at the age of 71 following a more than year-long battle with colon cancer.
Allen built a colorful, multi-decade career that spanned major and mid-sized markets, but he became a New York radio legend for his afternoon drive show that blended Top 40 music, celebrity interviews, comedy sketches, pranks, and audience interaction. Longtime co-host and producer Blain Ensley was a key partner in the “Showgram,” helping create a morning-show energy in the afternoon slot.
Career Highlights in New York and Beyond
Allen first joined WPLJ in the early 1990s, hosting afternoons from 1993 to 1998 and returning for another run from 2005 to 2008. His program frequently topped ratings in key demographics and was celebrated for memorable stunts, including live broadcasts and celebrity visits.
Programming executive Tom Cuddy recalled that Allen and Ensley earned a rare in-studio visit from Paul McCartney as a reward for strong ratings.
He also had a brief stint in mornings at WABC (770 AM) in 1999–2000 and earlier success in markets including Buffalo (WKSE), Detroit, Providence, Dayton, and his hometown area of St. Louis, where he began his career.
Allen overcame significant personal challenges. In the mid-1990s, complications from back surgery left him temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. After months of intensive rehabilitation, he relearned to walk and returned to the airwaves, famously telling the New York Daily News that “radio’s more fun than rehab.”