Native Memphian.
In 1990, the pianist and composer was honored by the Memphis City Council by having two of his songs, "In Memphis" and "One Last Bridge", adopted as the "Official Songs of Memphis" in unanimous resolutions. His music manuscripts are in the Library of Congress
David has demonstrated empathy and compassion for those less fortunate, has made special effort to assist in community endeavors for the physically challenged, and has supported community service efforts for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital founded by entertainer Danny Thomas.
David has been a radio personality in Memphis for more than four decades. He started working for the ten watt, campus radio station known as WTGR in 1969 at age 17.
He attended Rhodes College and the University of Memphis.
In 1972, David was a visiting student and guest scholar in the Cambridge, Ma. home of Professor John Kenneth Galbraith (author of "The New Industrial State"). Dr. Galbraith was the United States ambassador to India under President John F. Kennedy and chair of the Department of Economics at Harvard University.
In 1974 he spent a year working and studying in Israel along with students from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Colgate, Baylor and Oxford Universities. In 1975 he was a piano student of Art Bayer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the late Herbert Hermann at the University of Memphis. He's played Steinway Hall in London and New York and included in the Steinway Registry.
David is also a licensed real estate professional and has dedicated himself to addressing the needs of fair housing while aggressively opposing predatory lending.
On August 16, 1977 David was visiting Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, and left shortly before Elvis was found unconscious and taken to the hospital. On January 8, 1993, Elvis' birthday, David was honored by Graceland and the United States Postal Service as the recipient of the first officially canceled Elvis Presley first day cover, recognized by the American Philatelic Society as a great national treasure.
David, along with other students, placed WLYX, Lynx Radio, at Southwestern College at Memphis (now Rhodes College), on the air in 1971. He was a periodic and regular contributor to the station hosting his own program throughout the years 1971 through 1992.
The station was destroyed by a construction accident when an earth mover tore the support wires out of the ground supporting the antenna tower. The antenna cable was pulled through the back of the main transmitter wall. WLYX was a legacy of great entertainment for the Memphis community and surrounding area, and was the voice of Southwestern / Rhodes college for more than twenty years. The equipment was damaged beyond repair and the administration and the faculty abandoned the idea of rebuilding the radio station.
He was honored with a scholarship from Rhodes and returned to college for a brief period of time in 1991.
He was a regular contributor to WLYX, hosting his own show, before Southwestern sold the station's license to then Memphis State University in 1982, and has returned to the University of Memphis.
David Saks is one of WUMR's long-time on-air personalities.
(all the above b.s. is from the University of Memphis
http://www.memphis.edu/wumr/profiles/profile_saks.php)
