RADIO
While still in high school in the mid-1980s, Dean Connors began his career in radio and went on to work as an on-air personality and manager at several stations in both small and major markets in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Tennessee. As program director for WASP-FM, a country station in the Pittsburgh media market, he took it to a #1 Arbitron rating and was nominated for the Major Market Program Director of the Year award by Network 40 magazine, a leading radio industry trade publication. Dean’s time in radio was in an era before the days of out-of-market voice tracking and automation—when live radio was personality-driven and local on-air talent was the bridge between the station and its listeners. It was a time when the audience formed a real connection with their favorite local host or DJ. After twelve years in the industry, he left to further his education and enter the business world. Today, he can occasionally be heard as a guest host on WKKX FM-AM, a news and talk station in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Dean is a founding member and manager of the popular ‘80s hair metal tribute band Tongue ‘n Cheek—whose theatrical performances capture the energy of acts such as Bon Jovi, Poison, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Warrant and Skid Row. Tongue ‘n Cheek has shared the stage with a multitude of legendary platinum-selling artists, including opening for top-ten hitmakers FireHouse, Ratt lead singer Steven Pearcy, Great White frontman Jack Russell, as well as backing solo shows for Winger founder and vocalist, Kip Winger. After more than a decade, Dean left the group to found the country-rock band, Zane Run. Tongue ‘n Cheek’s EP, Snatch This Up, is available on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play and iHeartRadio.
ZANE RUN
Born in the shadows of rusted steel mills and shuttered coal mines, Zane Run was founded in 2014 by Dean and guitarist Justin Rector. The band was named in honor of Revolutionary War heroine Betty Zane’s famous run for gunpowder through hostile fire during the Siege of Fort Henry at Wheeling in 1782. The name is an homage to both Zane’s historic feat—and the tenacity and never-say-die attitude that she exhibited—and also to the people of the Upper Ohio Valley, who exemplify those same traits today.
Zane Run’s eclectic fusion of country and rock produces a tenacious, blue-collar sound and energy that must be experienced to be understood. Turning clubs into concert halls, the party starts on the downbeat and doesn’t end until the last sweaty encore. Zane Run leaves it all on the field, and leaves their fans screaming for more.
In 2016, the band released their self-titled debut album, which quickly gained popularity and regional airplay. Most recently, in early 2019, they released the brand new single “If I Don’t Die in West Virginia.” Soon after its’ video debut, the song gained traction throughout West Virginia and a multi-state region, and is poised to go viral. It is currently available worldwide on Amazon, iTunes, Pandora, Google Play and iHeartRadio.
