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Frank Carl Beckmann (November 3, 1949February 12, 2022) was an American broadcaster and talk radio host on WJR in Detroit, Michigan. He also was the radio play-by-play announcer for University of Michigan football from 1981 to 2013.
Beckmann moved to the sports department of WJR by 1975, and eventually became its sports director. He became part of the radio team of the Detroit Lions in 1979, initially serving as an analyst for Bob Reynolds. He went on to succeed Reynolds as the team's play-by-play voice when the latter retired four years later. Beckmann also replaced Bob Ufer as the radio play-by-play announcer for University of Michigan football in 1981, when the latter stepped down for health reasons. Beckmann ultimately served in that capacity until 2013, and oversaw the team's national championship in 1997. He was also an announcer for the Detroit Tigers from 1995 to 2003.
Beckmann hosted Sportswrap, an all-sports talk show he created in 1981 that was one of the first of its kind. It ultimately ran for two decades. He also hosted The Frank Beckmann Show, a daily late-morning talk show on WJR in Detroit, from 2004 till he retired. Beckmann told his listeners on January 13, 2021, that he would retire on March 26.
Beckmann died in the evening on February 12, 2022, in hospice care at Clarkston, Michigan, at the age of 72. He had suffered multiple and had vascular dementia prior to his death.
Political activism
In 2011, Beckmann considered a campaign for the United States Senate seat occupied by Debbie Stabenow, but said that the need to register as a Republican and to quit his broadcasting positions led him to decide against a candidacy.
Personal life
Beckmann married Karen Beckmann on February 2, 1973. They first met at a driver's training class and remained married until his death. Together, they had two children, Jonathan and Tori Kughn (Andrew Kughn), and three grandchildren, Pierson, Brooks, and Sawyer.
Awards and honors
Beckmann was honored with "Top Michigan Sportscaster" awards by the Associated Press and United Press International and "Michigan Sportscaster of the Year" by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He won the 2010 Detroit Sports Media Association Ty Tyson Award for Excellence in Sports Broadcasting and received the award in a special halftime press box ceremony at the University of Michigan football stadium. He was named a Lifetime Member of the Detroit Sports Media Association. Beckmann was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 for his accomplishments in sports broadcasting. Four years later, he was granted an Honorary degree Doctor of Laws from Northwood University in May 2012.
Categories: 1949 Births, 2022 Deaths, American Radio Sports Announcers, American Talk Radio Hosts, American Television Sports Announcers, Emigrants From West Germany To The United States, College Basketball Announcers In The United States, Detroit Lions Announcers, Detroit Tigers Announcers, Major League Baseball Broadcasters, Michigan Wolverines Football Announcers, Nfl Announcers, People From Warren, Michigan, Radio Personalities From Detroit, Deaths From Vascular Dementia, Deaths From Dementia In Michigan
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