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Cruisin' and playing those oldies

When a classic car club wanted to hold a show, it usually called Allan Page to come and spin records at the event.

By MARTY CLEAR
Published October 6, 2006

PLANT CITY - A passer-by might have thought an antique car show was going on. There were dozens of pristine vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s, even a little rock 'n' roll from the period playing.

But it wasn't a car show. It was a memorial service for Allan Page, who died of cancer Sept. 26 at age 57.

"We had his '67 Road Runner there and everyone drove their old cars," said his wife, Sherri Page. "That was exactly the way he would have wanted it."

Among classic car enthusiasts in the Tampa Bay area, and especially in eastern Hillsborough County, Mr. Page was known for his work as a disc jockey at car shows. Whether it was a weekly cruise-in at a burger joint or a major annual show that drew hundreds of cars, Mr. Page was the disc jockey of choice.

He got his start as a DJ through his membership in the High Rollers Car Club, a local group devoted to classic American cars. He joined in the 1980s and would eventually become the club's president.

"He had this '67 Road Runner that he bought when it was new," his wife said. "At that time, to get antique auto insurance you had to belong to a club, and that's why he joined."

The High Rollers hosted a weekly cruise-in, an informal event that's part social gathering and part car show, at the Chick-fil-A in Brandon. The club was paying someone to play oldies, but eventually Mr. Page took over the DJ duties.

Soon other car clubs started asking him to provide music for their shows. One of his favorite jobs every year was a car show sponsored by radio personality Mason Dixon as part of an annual fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Mr. Page lived his entire life in Hillsborough County. He grew up in Tampa and graduated from Hillsborough High School. He enlisted in the Army, partly to avoid being drafted during the Vietnam War era, his wife said. He was stationed in Guam.

When he returned, he began a 22-year career as a technician for Xerox.

"His customers all loved him" Sherri Page said. "Some of them would leave their copying machines broken until he had time to come and fix them himself."

He already had a son from a previous marriage when he met his second wife. They had a daughter and were married for more than 30 years. The family lived for several years near Vandenberg Airport, but had to move as the site expanded. They relocated to Plant City, where they lived until his death.

One of the first people Mr. Page's friends called after he died was Dixon, who has a show on oldies station Q105.

"He announced his death on the air," Sherri Page said., "And then he played that old Righteous Brothers song, Rock 'n' Roll Heaven.

Besides his wife, Mr. Page is survived by his son, Steven; daughter, Wendy Ulizio; a granddaughter; and a sister.

[Last modified October 5, 2006, 06:37:13]