WXPN folk DJ Gene Shay, 80, told the Daily News in January that, upon deciding whether to retire, he realized he had accomplished everything he set out to do with folk music and had "won about every award there is to get."
Apparently, he spoke too soon.
According to the council, the award, which honors the former director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is given to people who have "achieved national or worldwide acclaim, embodies artistic achievement and serves as an inspiration to the region both as an artist and a leader."
Shay, who's been called the "Grandfather of Philadelphia Folk Music," packed up his mic after 50 years in folk music broadcast. He spent 20 years with WXPN as the host of "The Folk Show," which originally began with WDAS in 1962 -- the same year he founded the Philadelphia Folk Festival.
The awards ceremony will be held May 12, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Previous recipients of the award include Lee Daniels and The Tonight Show band leader Kevin Eubanks.
As for Shay's replacement at WXPN, the radio station previously told PhillyVoice that it was actively looking. Bruce Warren, assistant general manager for programming, told PhillyVoice on Monday that a replacement will be announced in May.