Encyclopedia Of Detroit
Allison, Bob
Bob Allison is a Detroit media personality, philanthropist, and host of the Ask Your Neighbor radio program. On February 5, 1962, Allison launched his daily radio show on WWJ-AM. The program consisted mainly of housewives calling in to share recipes and helpful tips with each other. More than 50 years later, Allison and Ask Your Neighbor are still going strong and can be heard weekday mornings on Detroit’s WNZK-AM (690). Allison’s real surname is Allesee, but for ease of audience pronunciation, it was simplified.
By the 1960s, Allison was a local celebrity. In addition to his work in radio, he appeared on TV as the Twin Pines Dairy milkman on the Milky’s Party Time kids show and was host of the popular series Bowling for Dollars.
His light, conversational radio show developed such a following that it continued even after WWJ converted to an all-news format in 1978. The advertisers on Ask Your Neighbor saw success and wanted the show to continue, so Allison bought air time at another station.
Now assisted by his son Rob, who acts as co-host and producer, Allison and his weekday broadcasts have changed little from their early days when listeners called in for long, leisurely minutes to describe a favorite recipe or reveal a house cleaning secret. His show is credited with helping to launch the broadcast careers of modern home improvement hosts Jerry Baker, Murray Gula and the late Glenn Haege. The program is now heard across North America and overseas via the show’s web page.
Today Allison and his wife, Maggie, are known as two of Metro Detroit’s most ardent philanthropists, committing time and millions of dollars to universities, health care organizations, arts groups and other worthwhile causes throughout the region.
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