# Stephen Capen

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{{Short description|American DJ (1946–2005)}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2024}}{{Infobox presenter
| name       = Stephen Capen
| birth_name  = Stephen Harold Capen
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1946|02|28|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [Cambridge](/source/Cambridge%2C_Massachusetts), [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts), US<ref name="sfgate.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Stephen-Capen-radio-DJ-known-for-parachute-2568310.php|title=Stephen Capen -- radio DJ known for parachute prank|publisher=[San Francisco Chronicle](/source/San_Francisco_Chronicle)|date=19 September 2005|accessdate=28 June 2016}}</ref>
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|2005|09|12|1946|02|28|mf=yes}}
| death_place = [Plymouth](/source/Plymouth%2C_Massachusetts), [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts), US
| station    = [WAAB](/source/WVEI_(AM))<br />[KFRC](/source/KFRC_(defunct))<br />[KMEL](/source/KMEL)<br />[KSAN (AM)](/source/KSAN_(AM))<br />[KSAN (FM)](/source/KSAN_(FM))<br />[KSFX (FM)](/source/KOSF)<br />[KYLD](/source/KYLD)<br />[KSOL](/source/KSOL)<br />[WBZ (AM)](/source/WBZ_(AM))<br />[WFFG (FM)](/source/WFFG_(FM))<br />[KVON](/source/KVON)<br />[KVYN](/source/KVYN)<br />[KFOG](/source/KNBR-FM)
| style      = DJ<br />Comedian
| prevshow   = Futurist Radio Hour
| spouse(s)  = Susan Wu<ref name="sfgate.com"/>
| children   = 6<ref name="sfgate.com"/>
}}

'''Stephen Harold Capen''' (February 28, 1946 – September 12, 2005) was an American [announcer](/source/announcer) and [disc jockey](/source/disc_jockey) whose humor found favor with audiences in several major cities but particularly in the [San Francisco Bay Area](/source/San_Francisco_Bay_Area). In the mid-1960s, he began his radio career in [Caribou, Maine](/source/Caribou%2C_Maine).

==Biography==

===Early life and education===
Capen, the second of four children, was born in [Cambridge](/source/Cambridge%2C_Massachusetts), [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts)<ref name="sfgate.com"/> to Hobart Ashley Capen and Mary Capen ([née](/source/n%C3%A9e) Morgan).{{Citation needed|date=June 2016}}

===Career===

====1960s and 1970s====
[WCSB](/source/Grahm_Junior_College) in [Boston, MA](/source/Boston%2C_MA) (1964).<br />[WFST](/source/WFST) in [Caribou, ME](/source/Caribou%2C_ME) (1965–1966).<br />[WBZA](/source/WMML) in [Glens Falls, NY](/source/Glens_Falls%2C_NY) (1966–1967).<br />[WAAB](/source/WVEI_(AM)) in [Worcester, MA](/source/Worcester%2C_MA) (1967–1968).<br />[WDRC-FM](/source/WDRC-FM) in [Hartford, Connecticut](/source/Hartford%2C_Connecticut) (1969).<br />[WCCC](/source/WCCC_(FM)) in [Hartford, Connecticut](/source/Hartford%2C_Connecticut) (1969–1970).<br />[WGLD](/source/WVAZ) in [Chicago, IL](/source/Chicago%2C_IL) (Afternoons, 1970–1971)<br />[CJOM](/source/CJOM) in [Windsor, Ontario](/source/Windsor%2C_Ontario) (Detroit market) (1970–1972).<br />[WNCR](/source/WGAR-FM) in [Cleveland, Ohio](/source/Cleveland%2C_Ohio) (1972–1976).<br />[WCOZ](/source/WJMN_(FM)) in [Boston, Massachusetts](/source/Boston%2C_Massachusetts) (1976–1979).

====1980s====
[KSAN-FM](/source/KSAN-FM) in [San Francisco, CA](/source/San_Francisco%2C_CA) in (1980–1981) - (Last year of its pioneering 12-year run as a progressive rock station before it switched to a country format) with long time friend and producer, [Hank Rosenfeld](/source/Hank_Rosenfeld).<br />[KSFX (FM)](/source/KOSF) in San Francisco, CA (1981–1982) - "Rock N Stereo" (with [Rosie Allen](/source/Rosie_Allen)).<br />[KMEL](/source/KMEL) in San Francisco, CA (1984–1985).<br />[WXRK](/source/WINS-FM) (K-Rock) in [New York City, New York](/source/New_York_City%2C_New_York) (1988–1989) - Hosted the afternoon drive-time slot that had been vacated by [Howard Stern](/source/Howard_Stern) when Stern moved to mornings and began national [syndication](/source/Radio_syndication) of his show. [Meg Griffin (DJ)](/source/Meg_Griffin_(DJ)) was also at K-Rock until her move to [Sirius Satellite Radio](/source/Sirius_Satellite_Radio).

====1990s====
Capen resisted the media-merger consolidation of radio stations and developed alternative interests in [psychology](/source/psychology), [photography](/source/photography) and travel, writing for publications including ''[San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco_(magazine))'' magazine, ''[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)'', the ''[Pacific Sun](/source/Pacific_Sun_(newspaper))'', ''[Shambhala Sun](/source/Shambhala_Sun)'', ''[Writer's Digest](/source/Writer's_Digest)'', and ''[LensWork Quarterly](/source/LensWork_Quarterly)'', lecturing at the [University of San Francisco](/source/University_of_San_Francisco) and [California State University, Hayward](/source/California_State_University%2C_Hayward), and making pilgrimages to [Cuba](/source/Cuba), [China](/source/China), [Greece](/source/Greece), and the mountains of [Peru](/source/Peru). He filed occasional broadcast reports for [CBS News](/source/CBS_News) Radio and its affiliated network of stations, reported news for [KVON](/source/KVON)/KVYN-FM in [Napa, California](/source/Napa%2C_California), and, in his final radio work in July 2004, commentaries from Boston's [2004 Democratic National Convention](/source/2004_Democratic_National_Convention) for [CBS](/source/CBS) all-news affiliate [KNX (AM)](/source/KNX_(AM)) in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles), [California](/source/California).

*[KFOG](/source/KNBR-FM) in San Francisco, CA (1992 –1993).
*[KDBK](/source/KSOL) in San Francisco, CA (1993 –1994).
*[KUSF](/source/KUSF_(defunct)) in San Francisco, CA (1993 –1997) - "The Futurist Radio Hour" - Interviews with [Alan Arkin](/source/Alan_Arkin), [Paulo Coelho](/source/Paulo_Coelho), [Amanda Plummer](/source/Amanda_Plummer), [James Hillman](/source/James_Hillman), [Paul Theroux](/source/Paul_Theroux), [China Galland](/source/China_Galland), [Isabel Fonseca](/source/Isabel_Fonseca), [Christopher Hitchens](/source/Christopher_Hitchens) and "Jive Radio" with [Ben Fong-Torres](/source/Ben_Fong-Torres) from 91-95.
*[KVON](/source/KVON)/KVYN-FM in Napa, California (1998-2000).

===Death===
Capen died on September 12, 2005, near [Plymouth, Massachusetts](/source/Plymouth%2C_Massachusetts), of [lung cancer](/source/lung_cancer), aged 59.<ref name="sfgate.com"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Capen, Stephen}}
Category:American male comedians
Category:Radio and television announcers
Category:American radio DJs
Category:1946 births
Category:2005 deaths
Category:20th-century American musicians
Category:20th-century American comedians
Category:Comedians from Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Stephen Capen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Capen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Capen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.