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Rock Continued from Page 17
a little bit back in those days. You’d have
had to catch him playing folk music
on the guitar with Takiff around Penn’s
campus. Wilen studied political science at
Penn, working as the managing editor of
the Daily Pennsylvanian, and once really
thought he would become a lawyer. But
at Penn Law, writing briefs and doing
research, he just couldn’t see himself
doing something he found so ... boring.

He was a guy who took part in the
March on Washington and, in his words,
“thought that rock ’n’ roll was going to
change the world.”
“It was not for me,” he said.

So he ditched law school and started
freelance writing; he’d previously worked
as a stringer for the Philadelphia Inquirer
and, using some contacts he kept there,
he started up again, supplementing that
with work for the Daily News. Leveraging
that, he even got to write a bit for
Rolling Stone.

A Life Plan Community
Wilen pitched WMMR on
producing radio concerts,
to which they quickly agreed.

First on the list was
Paul Fishkin, a
“nice Jewish boy.”
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18 DECEMBER 19, 2019
THE GOOD LIFE
It was around this time that Wilen
found himself at a party at Larry Magid’s
house, listening to Elton John talk about
radio concerts. It hit him right there.

“I said, ‘Holy sh--, I can do this,’”
Wilen said.

Wilen pitched WMMR on producing
radio concerts, to which they quickly
agreed. First on the list was Paul Fishkin,
a “nice Jewish boy,” Wilen said, who was
also Upper Darby native Todd Rundgren’s
manager. Billy Joel’s “Cold Spring Harbor” came
out in 1971 to little fanfare, and was barely
getting played on WMMR. But Wilen had
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



Dennis Wilen at his bar mitzvah
Courtesy of Dennis Wilen
Inspiring happier,
Inspiring a happier,
Inspiring happier,
longer life a just
just takes
longer takes
Inspiring a just
happier, longer
life takes
a a little
engineering. Inspiring
a happier,
little engineering.

just takes
a longer
little life
engineering. his fateful conference room smoke and, a few conversations later,
Joel was sitting at the piano at Sigma Sound Studios on April 15,
1972, for a live radio concert produced by Wilen.

What followed was a masterful live show, punctuated by Joel’s
rendition of a then-unreleased song: “Captain Jack.” It would
go on to be the most requested song of the next two years by
WMMR listeners. Stations all over the East Coast started to play
it, too, and by the time it became the final track on Joel’s next
album, “Piano Man,” buzz had already reached a fever pitch.

Thanks Club at at Shannondell,
Shannondell, Thanks to to the the Model
Model Railroad
Railroad Club
But don’t just take Wilen’s word for it.

Thanks are to always
the Model running
Railroad and
Club on at time.

Shannondell, With more
more “It had a tremendous ripple effect,” Joel told Philadelphia our our trains
trains trains are are always
running and
on time.

time. With
With our
always running
and on
Thanks to the Model Railroad Club at Shannondell, more
Magazine a few years back. “The song just took on a life of its own.” than 1,000
feet of of track,
this impressive hobby
hobby room
room 1,000
this impressive
It’s a feather that Wilen has never stopped enjoying having than than
our trains feet
running With more
1,000 of track,
track, this and
impressive hobby
room Thanks
to are feet
the always
Model Railroad
Club on at time.

Shannondell, in his cap. His mother didn’t care for the song, but that didn’t brings smiles
to to are feet the
of of of children
children and With
adults alike.

than 1,000
of faces
track, this
impressive hobby
room our smiles
trains always
running and on time.

more brings brings
faces adults
smiles to the
the faces
children and and
adults alike. alike.

bother him.

brings 1,000
smiles feet
to their
faces of child
children and another
adults alike.

than of the track,
impressive hobby
room their
inner yet,
another Re-engineering
inner this
child – – – yet,
way way way
“I knew if my mother hates it, there must be something to it,” Re-engineering
Re-engineering their
inner child
yet, another
Re-engineering their
inner child
– yet,
another way
brings smiles
to the faces
of living
children and inspired.

adults alike.

he said.

Shannondell residents
more Shannondell
residents are
more inspired.

residents are are are living
living more
inspired. Shannondell
residents living
inspired. Over the next five years, Wilen kept working for WMMR, Shannondell
Re-engineering their inner
child – more
yet, another
way with some work at WCAU-FM as well. In 1977, Wilen moved
Shannondell residents are living more inspired.

out to Los Angeles for some sun and some palm trees. He didn’t
realize then, but he would end up staying there permanently.

Wilen worked as the national director for Far Out Productions,
Visit Visit shannondell.com
shannondell.com which most famously counted War among its clientele. After a
Visit 800.669.2318
or or call call shannondell.com
800.669.2318 few years, he was on to Mushroom Records, working with Heart,
or call
until Mushroom went bankrupt. He was back to freelancing,
for more
more 800.669.2318
information. Living to Inspire ®
for information.

Living to Inspire ®
doing a bit of writing and producing. It was then, Wilen jokes,
for more information.

Living to Inspire ®
that he came to a realization.

Living to Inspire ®
10000 Shannondell Dr, Audubon, PA 19403
© 2017 Shannondell, Inc.

Living to Inspire ®
10000 Shannondell Dr, Audubon, PA 19403
© 2017 Shannondell, Inc.

longer just takes
a little life
engineering. a little engineering.

Visit Visit shannondell.com
shannondell.com or or call
call 800.669.2318
800.669.2318 for for more
more information.

information. See Rock, Page 20
10000 Shannondell Dr, Audubon, PA 19403
10000 Shannondell Dr, Audubon, PA 19403
10000 Shannondell Dr, Audubon, PA 19403
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM THE GOOD LIFE
© 2017 Shannondell, Inc.

© 2017 Shannondell, Inc.

© 2017 Shannondell, Inc.

DECEMBER 19, 2019
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