Alan K. Stout

If an event or story is music-related and based in Luzerne County, there’s a good chance that it can be traced back to Alan K. Stout. Whether it’s interviewing a legendary musician or organizing a charitable concert, Stout has been pumping up the local music scene’s pulse throughout his career. His work has enriched the lives of Northeast Pennsylvania residents, thanks to his seemingly constant involvement in all things arts and entertainment.

Stout’s love for music can be traced back to the time he spent listening to songs with his grandfather as a child, and his budding interest in the people behind the tracks. Stout graduated from both Luzerne County Community College and King’s College and, during his college career, played bass in a local band with original material. Each of these formative experiences would serve as inspiration and foreshadowing as he moved into a reporter role at the Times Leader.

At the newspaper, Stout had a knack for sniffing out local angles, and he was rewarded for his efforts. He was routinely named Northeast Pennsylvania’s favorite newspaper columnist throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and was a powerful journalist to boot. He broke the story of the fallout between the Lackawanna County commissioners and Metropolitan Entertainment in the late 1990s, which caused public outcry and triggered the retention of live music at Montage Mountain. For his extensive coverage of the story, Stout won a Keystone Press Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Stout is well-known for his multimedia endeavor Music On The Menu, which began as a column in the Times Leader and later appeared in the Weekender. Over the years, Music On the Menu has been molded to fit a variety of formats beyond print, including radio, television, live performance, and podcasting. The Music On The Menu radio show, launched in 2004, remains on the air over two decades later.

Through each media avenue, Stout has been a complete supporter of local musicians, helping introduce Luzerne County residents to some of their favorite bands and musicians, including the Badlees, Mere Mortals, and Breaking Benjamin. Like every great contributor to the local music scene, Stout has always honored musicians that were from before his time and, in equal measure, kept an eye out for the artists of tomorrow.

Beyond his local connections, Stout has made a name for himself as a respected music journalist in the industry at-large. He has provided credentialed coverage of concerts from Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, and many others. In addition, the high-profile musicians Stout has interviewed include over 40 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, such as David Bowie, Ray Charles, Don Henley, Billy Joel, B.B. King, Steven Tyler and Eddie Van Halen.

As a concert organizer and promoter, Stout has been instrumental in bringing the musical community together for countless shows, including We All Shine On: A Tribute to John Lennon, Maximum Respect: A Tribute To George Wesley, and Concert For A Cause. Stout’s contributions to the latter have included cover songs for the accompanying, annual albums. Stout performed an original tune, “Summer Days,” for the 2003 iteration of Concert for a Cause, and the track received local airplay and acclaim.

Stout’s respect for the local region and its history has always been clear, and he found the perfect role for such interests when he became the executive director of Visit Luzerne County. Stout has also expanded the scope of local initiatives, such as the popular Rockin’ the River concert series and the documentary Agnes, which premiered at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts to a sold out crowd in 2022. Stout has served on the steering committee of the Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame since its founding, and received a Founder’s Award at the second induction ceremony.

Though Stout has had holidays named for him and received lifetime achievement awards, his work in the local arts and entertainment scenes remains prominent. With a work ethic that can match up with anyone from anywhere, the region is lucky to have his community-minded ambition on speed dial. There is no better advocate for the sights and sounds of Luzerne County than Alan K. Stout.