Article on our father radio announcer " Don Rogers "

 We're all attuned to his rolling r's of Don Rogers

HE SEEMS TO BE able to fit his mouth around the vowels and rolling r's of a classicalmusic title as easily as most of us fit ours around a forkful of linguine or a clump of fettucini.

Don Rogers isn't someone you would recognize in the supermarket, but his voice is as familiar as the nearest radio station tuned to WEAN.

"They refer to me as the dean of Rhode Island announcers now," says Rogers, the narrator for all of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra's commercials on WEAN. His characteristic voice is also heard on the spots for the Providence Opera Theater, the Civic Chorale, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Ocean State Theater. "Anything with a little culture to it," is the way Rogers describes his assignments.

A veteran of more than four decades in Rhode Island radio, Rogers "used to program all the good music on WPJB and WEAN." He was selected to do the first live broadcast of the Philharmonic when it debuted on radio many years ago, and he became the voice of the Rhode Island Philharmonic.

A self-identified old Federal Hiller, Rogers explains that his real name is Domenic Ruggieri and suggests that being able to speak Italian may have helped him pronounce the name of European composers and their works with such apparent ease.

However, he also points out that he is from the old school of radio announcers, and therefore, studied a number of languages. He familiarized himself with their sounds because "if you took an audition in those days, they threw all kinds of foreign terms at you. They'd have you read news items from Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, anywhere."

A protege of one of Rhode Island's radio legends, "Uncle Eddie" Ed Pearson, Rogers began announcing at WPRO while still in high school. He won a scholarship in acting at Emerson College, where he was a fraternity brother and pal of Norman Lear. There was a brief stint in the chorus with the New England Opera Company before settling back in Providence and a career behind the mike.

He claims the current Philharmonic commercials generate a good deal of curiosity and interest. "You'd be surprised how much work is involved," he observes. "You have to find just the right music and fit it into the copy. I spend a lot of time just looking through my personal (record) library and trying out ideas until I hit it. I want to entertain people as well as bring attention to the concerts."

In addition to producing commercials, Rogers is night anchor at the station, reading the news and announcing the programs which air during the wee hours.

When he isn't waxing eloquently about Mascagni or Verdi, Rogers likes to cook. You should hear him list the names of his favorite Italian dishes.

Laurence J. Sasso Jr.

© Copyright © 1982. LMG Rhode Island Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved.