Background and career
Doug Tracht (born August 1, 1950) is a former American radio, television, and movie personality, nicknamed "The Greaseman". A shock jock, on multiple occasions he drew substantial backlash for making racist jokes on the air.
Tracht was born on August 1, 1950, and grew up in the South Bronx with his younger sister, Diana, and parents, Alfred and Gertrude Tracht. His father was a native New Yorker, who sold dental supplies; his mother was a Lutheran immigrant from Germany who stayed home to raise her two children until they were in high school, then became an educator. Tracht attended DeWitt Clinton High School, graduating in 1968. He majored in broadcasting at Ithaca College and landed a job at the college radio station. Tracht got a job at WTKO, a low-power top-40 station in Ithaca. The following year, he had moved up to night DJ at a larger station, WENE, in Binghamton, New York. Tracht graduated from Ithaca College in 1972 and married Marie Massara, who was the sales secretary at WENE.
The Greaseman pseudonym originated while Tracht was in college:
In those days of top 40, everybody who was on the radio was 'cookin'; cookin' with the Temptations, cookin' Four Tops, that kind of thing. Which meant they were really rockin'. One day I said I was cookin' with heavy grease. It was my way of saying I was out-cookin' the other guys. I said it enough times, so one day one of the other deejays referred to me as the Greaseman. Tracht's radio name had previously been Dougie T.
Tracht went through a string of stations including WAXC in Rochester, New York, WRC in Washington, D.C., and WPOP in Hartford, Connecticut. He lost his job at WPOP when that station switched its format from pop music to all-news in 1975. Amid the frequent moves from city to city, his first marriage ended after less than two years.
Tracht found a home at WAPE in Jacksonville, Florida, in August 1975 and became a major radio personality in northeast Florida. While in Jacksonville, his true identity was kept confidential, which the station turned into a marketing ploy. Curtains were hung in the window of the broadcast booth, a TV interview showed only his lips, and Tracht wore a gorilla costume at personal appearances. He was an early shock jock, but Tracht denies the label: "I'm telling jokes. The bottom line — it's a comedy show." "I'm creating characters and stories, I'm weaving a tapestry of humor. The others are just saying nasty things." On May 25, 1979, Tracht gained national attention when he mocked convicted murderer John Spenkelink, who was due to be executed in "Old Sparky," the Florida State Prison electric chair, that day. Tracht aired a recording of sizzling bacon and dedicated it to Spenkelink, telling him to get used to the sound. Tracht remained in Jacksonville almost seven years, then moved in 1982 to WWDC-FM in Washington, D.C., where he replaced Howard Stern. DC-101 was his first FM station. He purchased a home in nearby Potomac, Maryland, continued working out, and overcame his dislike of public appearances. During that time, he was known for a series of publicity stunts, including his "presidential campaign" in 1984.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
