Elvis Duran on the magic of radio and his special bond with listeners

If the annual Jingle Ball at New York’s Madison Square Garden is the Super Bowl of holiday concerts, then Elvis Duran is in the role of head coach. From introducing acts like Olivia Rodrigo to meeting pop princesses (“Sabrina Carpenter, everyone!”) to interviewing rock royalty like Cher, this Elvis is king on this day.

But he says being interviewed for television is different for him: “I’m not a cameraman, I’m a radio man,” he said.

If you don’t recognize his face, maybe you know his voice. Since 1996, the 60-year-old disc jockey has hosted “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show,” the country’s most popular Top 40 morning show. “I can’t believe it’s been 30 years because it was just fun,” he said.

Every day, millions of listeners across the country wake up to Duran and his crew talking about music, pop culture, and just about anything that’s on their mind. “I’ve been working with the same people for 25 to 30 years,” he said. “The energy between each other is what makes it work. I don’t need to be the center of attention.”

With 70 markets listening across the country, Duran is a rarity these days – a nationally known radio DJ.

I asked, “Growing up, I remember well-known radio DJs. Now it’s nice of you and Ryan Seacrest. What happened?”

“Radio isn’t what radio used to be,” Duran responded. “Many radio stations have done without personalities; they just wanted to play music, it’s cheaper. This is not good for our business. So I did everything I could to maintain personality on a radio show in the morning.”

And it’s Duran’s personality that has earned him loyal fans over the years, including some of the biggest names in pop music. “Lady Gaga grew up dreaming of hearing her song on our show,” he said. “And when she walked into the room, she was kind of nervous. And I thought, ‘Well, shouldn’t it be the other way around? It’s Lady Gaga!'”

But it’s the everyday listeners with whom Duran feels a special bond. He said: “We are in the friendship business. I think of you when you get in your car in the morning. Either you leave a house that may be in turmoil, or you go to a job with a boss you don’t know.” I don’t like that. But I have you for 20 to 30 minutes and can be your friend.

Duran fell in love with the radio as a child: “I spent the night at my grandmother’s house when mom and dad were out late and I listened to the radio. And I became friends with that voice in the dark.”

He was only seven years old and grew up in McKinney, Texas. “Growing up, I didn’t have many friends. I was a loner. And that’s how I found friendship through the radio.”

And so began his quest to become one of those voices. He even built his own station with a studio in his bedroom closet. “My only listener was the lady next door.”

Duran’s first real job in radio came at the age of 14. After dropping out of college, he spent a decade moving between markets across the country. “In the old days on the radio, you never unpacked, you never took dishes out of boxes because you were always moving,” he said. “But you know what, I was very lucky. I have been with Z100 since 1989. So I’m fine.”

While his show is based in the Big Apple, Duran’s heart belongs in New Mexico. As a child he often visited the “Land of Enchantment”. He says the tranquility of Santa Fe is the exact opposite of New York City. “Of course I need it. Santa Fe is a magical place. And I think, in a way, this city saved my life a little bit. It’s good to be in a situation where you’re forced to relax.” “

Duran and his husband Alex Carr live in a house here, not far from where they got married in 2019. But decades before their first date, they had a chance encounter – where else? – on the radio, in 1998. “I had him there once as a contest winner,” Duran said. “Jingle Ball tickets. How old were you?”

“Eighteen,” Carr said.

“Oh God!”

Duran often hosts his show from Santa Fe. Thanks to a home studio, his commute is short. “Every morning at 2:30 a.m. Santa Fe time, I slide up these stairs and off we go.”

I asked, “Is the Elvis in New Mexico a different Elvis than the Elvis in the New York studio?”

“Oh, absolutely,” he replied. “And everyone in New York has said to me at some point, ‘You’re so relaxed out there. We really like the New Mexico Elvis.’”

Duran can’t say how much longer he’ll be broadcasting (“Being able to do this for so long with this family is a miracle, it really is”), but he’s not ready to mute his microphone just yet. He still has many friends to keep him company.

When asked to what extent this was due to seven-year-old Elvis hearing that voice on the radio, Duran replied: “Everything. You know, I’m not lonely anymore. I never want to be like that again.” And I don’t want anyone who listens to our show to be lonely. That is the legacy we all want to leave behind. I just want them to remember how we made them feel good that day. That’s it.

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The story was produced by Michelle Kessel. Editor: Karen Brenner.