Inducted October 26, 2017, Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Tommy Nast, like so many
others, experienced a life changing moment when he saw the Beatles
perform on the Ed Sullivan Show as a young boy. From that moment
on “Rock & Roll” was emblazoned in his DNA. In the summer of 1973,
fresh out of Los Angeles City College’s presQgious radio/TV/film
department, Nast returned home to Rochester to begin a 10 year run
on the radio at Rochester’s WSAY and WBBF and then WSYR FM 94
Rock in Syracuse, where bands like KISS, Montrose, Van Halen, Slade,
and David Bowie were staples on his playlists.
In 1982 The Album Network trade magazine brought Nast back to Los
Angeles, where he joined the company as Radio Research Specialist
and there was, simply, no looking back. Over the course of a 20 year
career there, Nast eventually rose to the posiQon of Publisher. During
his tenure at Album Network, Nast developed a reputaQon as “one of
the good guys,” a hard and honest worker, who could party with the
best of ‘em, yet sQll show up armed and ready for breakfast meeQngs
with the bigwigs. He worked with and befriended arQsts, industry and
radio professionals alike, and shares fond memories with most.
In 2014 Tommy joined the programming team of Fathom Events.
Based in Denver, Colorado Fathom is owned by AMC, Regal and
Cinemark movie theaters, and is the naQon’s leading creator of Event
Cinema, bringing some of the biggest arQsts in entertainment to the
Big Screen in theaters across the United States.
Tommy Nast
