delilah

For over 30 years, Delilah Rene has been, in her own words, “the queen of sappy love songs.”

Born in Reedsport, Oregon, Delilah was still in high school when she began her radio career at local station KDUN. She was 23 when she joined KLSY/Seattle as an evening disc jockey in 1983. It was at KLSY that she had the idea for a show that would not only take requests from listeners but also allow those listeners to share their stories and discuss their troubles to a sympathetic ear. The two-hour Lights Out debuted in 1984 and quickly became the station’s most popular show.

After stints at KLSY and KJR/Seattle, Delilah moved her show (renamed The Quiet Storm) to WVBF/Boston in 1990 and divided the next four years between Boston and Philadelphia. Finally, in 1996, she began syndicating Delilah After Dark and was soon heard on more than 100 stations nationwide. The show’s title was shortened to Delilah but has remained, in the host’s words, “a safety zone where listeners… share their secrets.”

In 2004, Delilah leased the rights for her show to Premiere Networks. At present, Delilah is the most-listened-to-woman on U.S. radio and is heard on more than 150 stations nationwide.

Delilah was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2016.