Michael Tearson

Michael Tearson
Radio personality, television host, author, actor
Birth name	Michael Esterson
Born	1948 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Show	Iradiophilly, Philadelphia's Internet Radio Community
Station(s)	Plateau
Time slot	Saturday, Sunday Shows and then each as Podcasts Monday to Monday
Station(s)	102.9 WMGK Philadelphia
Time slot	Saturday Morning Show
Style	Disc Jockey
Country	United States
Previous show(s)	Sirius/XM Deep Tracks Sirius XM Radio
Website	Radio That Doesn't Suck

Michael Tearson is an American pioneer underground DJ, concert and special appearance host, author, recording artist and actor. Inducted into the Hall of Fame, 2016, awarded by the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia.

During the summer of May 1967, while home from his first year of college, Tearson went to the "15 Below Coffeehouse" to participate in the talent show. "15 Below Coffeehouse" was located in Timonium near the Maryland State Fair grounds. Before his performance, a very young Emmylou Harris, age 19, made her appearance, taking the audience by surprise with her amazing voice and talent. Michael Tearson not being noticed for his performance, realized that he needed to make a change in his lifelong goals. He made friends with Emmylou Harris that night in 1967, not realizing it would be a lifelong friendship.

Michael Tearson obtained a bachelor's degree in political science in 1970 from the University of Pennsylvania. As an undergraduate Tearson had his first appearance on the air with WXPN from 1967 to 1970. This was the very first FM Rock shift on WXPN; the show was entitled "The Attic". In January 1970, Tearson joined WDAS-FM Hyski’s Underground as overnighter. Tearson has been a longtime member of "Broadcast Pioneers", and he has been involved with FM radio in the United States since its infancy.

In June 1970, WMMR hired Tearson as a Music Director and weekend disc jockey. Tearson then moved into the late night personality segment in September 1970 and became a popular on air voice until 1976. Tearson returned two years later to WMMR in 1978 to the 10PM to 2AM time period as “Michael Tearson”. His specialty shows including “Psychedelic Psupper”, “For Headphones Only”, “The Import Show”, Import/Export” and “Gorilla Theatre”. Soon after leaving WMMR, in March 1992 Michael Tearson started an on air show at WXPN, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, which included a free-form hour-long segment called “The Attic”.

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, he was very diverse in his expertise as a DJ, working to develop special programs for WMMR with the “A to Z” broadcast and also redeveloped WMMR’s live concert library in the WMMarchives. Both programs are still very popular at the station. He was also involved with WXPN "Late Nights", which was a diverse and imaginative late-night mix of music. Michael Tearson's studio in his home is called “LynTown Sound”, named after his wife who died from breast cancer on May 10, 1995. The week she died Michael Tearson had an on air interview scheduled with the band Little Feat and against the advice of many of his friends, he went on to do the show on Sunday May 14, 1995, before they appeared at Penn’s Landing, in Philadelphia. Tearson is good friends with Little Feat and mentions in an interview with Geosound that they helped him through that difficult time with losing his wife.