BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Western New York radio legend Sandy Beach, whose real name was Donald Pesola, died on August 17 following a short illness. He was 86.
A native of Lunenberg, Massachusetts, his radio career spanned over 50 years. He hit the airwaves in Buffalo on WKBW Radio in 1968, then made stops in other markets, but eventually settled in Buffalo. He joined WBEN in 1997, which began the longest chapter of his Buffalo radio career.
He was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2003, was recognized by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, and then he was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2017. He retired from WBEN in July 2020.
