The Nightbird Who Gave New York a Midnight Soul

“The flutter of wings, the shadow across the moon, the sounds of the night… as the Nightbird spreads her wings and soars.”

If you ever tuned into the FM dial late at night in New York City during the late ‘60s and ‘70s, you know exactly who that was. Alison Steele, “The Nightbird,” was more than a radio DJ—she was a storyteller, a poet, and the voice of the city after dark. While most radio personalities worked to entertain, she created an experience. She built a world with her words, drawing listeners into a space where music, mood, and mystery came together in a way that had never been done before.

Her voice wasn’t loud or forceful. She didn’t scream for attention like some of the over-the-top jocks of her time. She whispered, and the city leaned in to listen.

Before She Took Flight

Alison Steele wasn’t born into radio. Her early years were spent working in television, doing behind-the-scenes production work and voiceovers. But the industry fascinated her. She had a presence, an intelligence, and a gift with words. The microphone called to her, and she answered.

In the mid-1960s, New York’s WNEW-FM decided to shake things up by launching an all-female DJ lineup—an experiment in breaking up the old boys’ club of radio. Alison Steele was one of the women hired for the project. But radio, like most industries at the time, wasn’t exactly a fair playing field.

The all-female format didn’t last, but instead of walking away, she refused to disappear. She fought to stay on the air and proved herself in the most unforgiving shift of all—the overnight slot. While other DJs talked fast and hyped up their audience, Steele slowed everything down, softened the tone, and turned the late-night airwaves into something intimate and hypnotic.

Thus, “The Nightbird” was born.

A Sound Unlike Anything Else

Alison Steele’s show wasn’t just about playing records—it was about creating a mood. She treated FM radio like an art form, blending progressive rock with jazz, poetry, and long, dreamy monologues that felt like they came from another world.

She didn’t hit you over the head with high-energy chatter. She spoke in a slow, sultry, mesmerizing tone—almost like she was sharing a secret meant just for you. She made late-night radio feel personal.

Her opening was legendary:

“The flutter of wings, the shadow across the moon, the sounds of the night… as the Nightbird spreads her wings and soars.”

And from there, she would float effortlessly between Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, Genesis, and Jimi Hendrix, weaving it all together with poetic reflections, meditations on life, and late-night musings that felt like they were coming from somewhere between a dream and reality.

At a time when most DJs were trying to out-shout each other, she proved that whispering could be even more powerful.

A Woman Who Paved the Way

Rock radio wasn’t exactly welcoming to women in the 1960s and ‘70s. Steele was one of the few female voices in a male-dominated world, and she didn’t just break barriers—she knocked them down completely.

She became a true pioneer, proving that a woman’s voice belonged on the airwaves—not just in the polite, scripted world of easy listening, but in rock ‘n’ roll radio, right alongside the biggest personalities of the era.

Her impact wasn’t just about gender, though. She redefined what FM radio could be.

Before her, DJs were mostly playing tight, structured playlists, keeping their chatter quick and formulaic. Steele threw out the rulebook and embraced the idea that FM was about feeling. She played full album sides when she felt like it. She told stories. She let the music breathe.

The radio industry took notice. She became the first woman ever to win Billboard’s “FM Personality of the Year” award, and her influence spread far beyond New York.

More Than Just a Radio Star

Alison Steele’s talents didn’t stop at the microphone. She was also a television producer, a voiceover artist, and a businesswoman. She worked behind the scenes on major productions, contributed to music programming on TV, and lent her unforgettable voice to commercials and narration projects.

Even after leaving WNEW-FM, she never really stopped being “The Nightbird.” She kept finding ways to bring that magic to new audiences, making every project feel just as personal and poetic as her legendary radio shows.

The Nightbird’s Final Flight

Alison Steele passed away in 1995, but legends don’t fade—they echo.

Her influence can be heard everywhere—in the way FM radio evolved, in the storytelling style of today’s most intimate broadcasters, and in the voices of the many women who followed in her footsteps.

She wasn’t just a radio DJ. She was a poet, a curator, and a voice that turned the night into something beautiful. She made New York City feel smaller, closer, and more connected, one whispered word at a time.

And even now, if you close your eyes and listen closely, you might still hear her voice on the wind:

“The flutter of wings, the shadow across the moon, the sounds of the night… as the Nightbird spreads her wings and soars.”