On December 20, 2005 Terry writes:

"Glad Danny Knox remembered me...He was my motivation to become a DJ. I used to call and talk to him all night. I remember one day he and I and Jim Diamond went to the movies in downtown Charleston and he insisted we all sit with an empty seat between us. Why I remember that, go figure. This was when Doug Randall worked 6-9 am, I worked 9-12 noon, Jim worked 12-2 pm, Charlie 'Byrd' Lindsey worked 2-6 pm, Jim came back and worked 6-8 pm, and Danny Knox worked 8-12 midnight and signed off. This was 1965.

"I remember going to Fox music with Danny Knox (who was the Music Director) and buying a copy of 'Save Your Heart For Me' by Gary Lewis & the Playboys because for some reason TMA had not received a copy or needed a fresh one. 'Cue Burn' was a real daily event at that time. I remember our chief engineer Harold Kramer taking new styli and making the points less sharp by using them in the production studio to dull them a bit before putting them into the turntable arms in main control.

"Not mentioned were the TMA evening request takers. There were two. One was a guy named Gary Messenger and another whose name presently escapes me. I think he was 'Paul Playboy.' I worked with them for a short period before I took on the 9-12 noon slot in approximately May of 1965.

"The station also had a taped program of music for Sunday Night instead of a Jock for 8-12 and was called 'Silent Sam' -- music with jingles used in between. I did that recording for awhile, as well."

On June 24, 2005 Diane writes: "In a nutshell, we had great times!

"I left WTMA for the South Carolina Educational Radio Network where I became the first Producer/Senior News Director and was awarded three AP awards for reporting.

"Then I went on to WOMG-FM in Columbia (the Oldies station) where my life changed drastically. Leo Windham and I did the morning show and I was given my own talk show on the AM side. We did many interviews with state politicians and several well-known guests such as Robby Benson, Burt Reynolds, Hootie and the Blowfish, Roman Gabriel and many more.

"The best thing there was I started 'Operation Mail Call' which was a very successful fundraising event for the troops in Iraq during the first encounter. I stated on the air that if someone couldn't afford a stamp, I would gladly put one on so they could get mail to their loved ones! Well, by the time I was off the air, the studio as been deluged with calls and we were off and running. Volunteers popped up everywhere and we did many events in and around Columbia to raise money for postage. Many state senators were involved and helped me maneuver through red tape to get events rolling. The volunteers and myself gave up Christmas to be with the soldiers of Ft. Jackson because they weren't getting a chance to go home for the holidays. We brought in James Brown to entertain them. After this, former Governor Carroll Campbell asked me to help put together a week-long event to welcome home the troops from Iraq. So in conjunction with Ft. Jackson we did so and entertained over 100K people, even had a parade!

"Then I married a soldier from Ft. Jackson and upon leaving was given, from the Mayor of Columbia, a proclamation for 'Diane Beardslee Day.' What an honor, especially since no newsperson had ever received one! Only one since I left!

"Then on to Panama in Central America where I was the Public Affairs Officer for the Navy and traveled throughout Central and South America with Navy Seal Team 8 and Special Boat Unit 26. (4 years in the jungle, that was interesting!)

"On my arrival home, I worked for the Boeing Company in Public Relations. Then it was on to Washington, DC to become the Senior Public Relations Administrator for the Missile Defense Agency at the Pentagon.

"I am now living in Kansas with the same soldier I married in Columbia. He is now a Federal Officer - Bomb Tech - with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

"Today I consult locally for various companies for special events but miss all the fun and on-site promos for the radio station."

This article appeared in the Charleston Evening Post on July 17, 1982:

WTMA's 'Big Mack' Making A Name
By Anne Leland, Entertainment Editor

"I was busted by the FCC."

Connie Neal McPhaul, WTMA-AM Radio's "Big Mack," explains with pride this rather unusual accomplishment. Growing up in Greensboro, N.C., he attended the birthday anniversary party of a friend. "Back in those days, the television station had a show called 'The Old Rebel Show.' Local kids would be invited down and they'd have a party, be given a tour of the station. It was live every day. I became fascinated with all the lights and wires and dials and things.

"I was 9 years old, and , from that moment on, I decided that was what I would like to do," he says, "I decided that I would like to get into broadcasting."

As a Cub Scout, a Boy Scout and eventually an Explorer Scout, he studied basic electricity. Sponsored by WFMY-TV, he started a project with the encouragement of the chief engineer who spotted a talent for working with electronics. "When I was 14," McPhaul says, "I began to build a clandestine radio station. It had 75-foot tower. I was running 250 watts of power and I was broadcasting. Apparently the FCC found out about it and they confiscated all my equipment. They were impressed with what I had done," he adds. "I had built it out of old television sets and I would knock out the stations within a half mile of my house.

"They said they hated to tear down my set-up, but it was interfering with the nearby radio stations. They suggested that I pursue a radio career through legitimate channels."

Following graduation from Walter Hines Page High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, McPhaul was drafted in the Army in 1970. Serving as a warrant officer he saw duty in Vietnam.

Leaving the Army in 1973, he traveled the countryside before settling in Atlanta and operating an independent television and film production company, The Film Factory. In 1975, he became the first black anchor at WRDW-TV in Augusta.

In August 1981, he moved to Charleston as operations manager at WWWZ-FM Radio. According to McPhaul, he left over a dispute with management. With three or four job offers, he chose WTMA as "the station that would offer me the most freedom. The mighty TMA is clearly the most progressive station in Charleston," he said. "The music and personalities make listening to the radio fun again.

"I really want to make permanent mark in Charleston radio," he adds.

"Before WTMA, I worked in News and Promotions at WKZQ in Myrtle Beach, SC.

"After WTMA, I moved to Pittsburgh and got into Radio Sales. I have been in Broadcast Sales ever since. I worked in Radio Sales in Pittsburgh at Steel City Media and Infiniti Radio, and I worked in Radio Sales for Clear Channel in Sarasota from about 1999-2004.

"I came to Comcast as Regional Account Executive in mid 2004, and  I have been at Comcast ever since."

Andreas 'Red' Evans dies at 75
By Andy Paras
The Post and Courier
Monday, January 14, 2008

Andreas "Red" Evans, a former WCBD-TV news director and anchorman who went to Washington as an aide and lobbyist before finally settling down as an antique dealer, fiction writer and blogger, died Sunday after an extended illness. He was 75.

Evans spent 30 years in broadcasting, starting as "The Rockin' Redhead," spinning Elvis and The Drifters records for several Lowcountry radio stations before he joined Sen. Fritz Hollings' congressional staff in Charleston in 1966.

He joined Channel 2 two years later, running the news department and covering local events for a decade. Evans told The Post and Courier in 1997 that his favorite part of his broadcasting career wasn't anchoring the desk or being news director. "The most fun time of my life was working on the street."

Marie Evans, Red's wife of 50 years, said her husband was still recognized for his time on the air. Even in the last 38 days he spent in the hospital, doctors and nurses noticed him, Marie said.

In 1978, Evans left television and joined U.S. Rep. Mendel J. Davis' staff as his press secretary in Washington. He turned to lobbying in the early 1980s and stayed in Washington until 1994, when he and Marie decided to retire to his hometown of Charleston.

Evans wrote three books, including the humorous fiction book "On Ice," published in September.

Marie said they had just received a call from his agent Sunday, saying there was interest in publishing one of his three other books.

"Everybody gets a kick out of the books he wrote," Marie said.

His writing extended to his blog, also called "On Ice."

Evans is survived by Marie and their four children: Dorothy, Herbert, Michael and David. They have 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Arrangements will be announced by Stuhr's Funeral Home of Mount Pleasant.
 

"After doing overnights at WTMA in 1980 and 1981, I went over to WKTM from 1982 to 1984. In 1985 WKTM became country-formatted WXLY (Y102) and I became Assistant PD and Music Director. In 1987 I went to work for rock station WAVF (96WAVE) rock where I remained until 1990. I moved on to WEZL from 1990-1995.

"During my radio career in Charleston, I owned a very successful limousine service from 1985-1998. After I sold it I moved to Albany, Georgia and went to work for WKAK (K-COUNTRY 104) doing afternoons until 2004. I did some part time work for WDEN in Macon, Georgia. in 2006.

"Now I'm General Manager of a hotel in Atlanta, Georgia."

Obituary

GRIFFIN, Tad, passed away on Thursday, September 20, 2012, in Richmond, Va., after losing his battle with cancer. While Tad was born in Vicksburg, Miss., on March 19, 1958, he grew up in Memphis, Tenn., where he found a passion for golf and a love of music. This love began a career in radio at WHBQ. Tad married Kathy and together they traveled the country as he rose in the radio ranks. In Richmond, Tad left radio and worked for a short time for Prevent Blindness before turning to his passion for golf into a new career when he started his Golf Tournament Supply Company, GolfPaper.com. In addition to this, he has written several books on the subject. A Patriotic American, stand-up guy and a compassionate human being, Tad, was loved by everyone. A loving husband and father, Tad is survived by his wife, Kathy; and three sons Reid, Patrick and Chris; his daughter-in-law, Rhianna; and grandson, Keller; also his brother, Lowry; and sisters, Lynda Anders and Donna Puckett. Memorial Service will be Thursday, September 27, 2012, at Sunday Park in Brandermill, at 2 p.m. In honor of Tad, dress code is casual. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, or the charity of your choice.

Published in Richmond Times-Dispatch from September 23 to September 25, 2012

Post & Courier Online Obituary
Early August 2011

Bradley P. Harris HANAHAN - Mr. Bradley P. Harris, 55, beloved husband of Debra Padgett Harris, and loving father of Bradley S. Harris and Breanna P. Harris entered into eternal rest on Thursday, July 28, 2011 in Charleston, SC. The relatives and friends of Mr. Bradley P. Harris and those of his family are invited to attend his memorial service on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at CAROLINA MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME. Interment will be private at a later date. Mr. Harris was the son of the late John C. Harris II and Bettie P. Harris, and the brother of the late John C. Harris III. Mr. Harris' careers included serving as the News Director for WTMA Radio in the early 1980s, then going on to restaurant and hotel management with various restaurants and hotels throughout the Southeast. Above all, Mr. Harris was a devoted family man who adored his wife and children. surviving are his wife, Debra P. Harris of Hanahan, SC, his son Bradley S. Harris and his daughter Breanna P. Harris of Hanahan, SC and his loving dog, Nina. He is also survived by his mother-in-law, Patricia P. Singleton of Hanahan, SC, sisters-in-law Teresa M. Mills (Hoyt) of North Charleston, SC and Judy P. Driggers (Frank) of Hanahan, SC, brother-in-law James F. Padgett of Hanahan, SC, nephew Thomas W. Parson, Jr. (Jennifer) of Hanahan, SC, nieces Jacki Harris and Stacy Harris-Powell (Joe) of Louisiana, Jennifer P. Hollensteiner (Kurt) of Summerville, SC, Kaitlyn N. Driggers of Hanahan, SC and several great-nieces and great-nephews. Funeral services are provided by CAROLINA MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME.

"Bob Mitchell hired me from WAZS, Summerville -- my first station. There was a tall thin kid that went to TMA, he was working at WBER in Moncks Corner. While at TMA, he convinced me to take the job...and I can't remember his name to save me. He went with Bob down to WMBR, our new station in Jacksonville.

"TMA was fun, I was a senior at Charleston High School and did nights on TMA. I couldn't even go to my graduation....I was on the air. There was another TMA guy during 64-66: Johnny Long. He came down here to Miami and recently retired from the Metro-Dade police after working on radio down here for many moons.

"I worked with Dan Moon at WAZS in Summerville -- 1963?

"Remember the old 'good night boys' sign off?"

This article appeared in the Charleston newspaper on January 20, 1965:

'Good Guy Danny' Finds Radio Is 'Fascinating'
By Sally Zalkin

Many of Charleston's teen-agers spend every night from eight to twelve with "Good Guy Danny Knox on the Mighty 'TMA."

Danny, a senior at Charleston High School, is the youngest disc jockey to ever work at the local radio station. He has been "fooling with radio" since he was 10 years old.

"Radio fascinates me," he said. "It always has. I love to mess around with anything electronic."

When Danny was 13, there was a radio station in the bottom of the building in which he lived in Memphis, Tenn. He spent much time around the station and was encouraged by the local disc jockeys.

Shortly afterwards, he came to Charleston, and here he built his own recording station. Danny recorded commercials for local stations. At 15, he began working as a disc jockey at WAZS in Summerville. Because his father is a construction engineer, the family often moves from city to city, and Danny found a new position at a radio station in his new home -- Fort Lauderdale , Fla.

He returned to Charleston in June and went back to work at WAZS. In August Doug Randall of WTMA heard Danny's program and offered him the night shift.

"I love working at 'TMA," Danny said. "A disc jockey has to be on his toes all the time. We queue records, cut commercials, and in addition, each announcer has to fill out complete program logs.
"I love my work because I enjoy talking to people. I've always had a big mouth."

After graduation this year, Danny plans to go into radio full time. "It's the work I love," he said. "There's nothing else I want to do."

"I last saw Dave years ago when he was music director for WGST-AM which later switched to news due to ratings. Don't know where Dave is now, but I do know that he was originally from Opelika, AL. I doubt he's in radio, if there, because I'm there often, and I haven't heard that powerful clean voice of his that I would recognize anywhere.

"I remember that Dave heard me on WBER-AM in Moncks Corner, and called me just about 15 minutes after I thought to myself, 'I wish someone would hear me in Charleston, and kick start my career.' He asked me how long I'd been in radio. I told him 6 months, and he said, 'Well, I'm glad to hear that it's just been 6 months, because maybe, maybe, I can do something with you. You are terrible! Oh, by the way, would you like to work overnights for $450.00 a month?' I said no, but he called a few weeks later, and offered me a better job with better pay.

"That guy had a big voice. His morning show cartoon character was Chesney Beemish, which he did with expertise, back and forth with himself, live, in real time.

"Others who worked there [WQSN] were Joe Lawler, Frank Hunt, Wayne Moon, R.J. Kight (Jim Diamond), Doc Holliday, and Tom Bootle."

"We didn't have much money and worked our little butts to the bone, but I swear we had the best time and made some of the most dear friends that I am still privileged to know."

"At WTMA Ken Moore was doing afternoons and I came on after him. There was also a John Hane who followed me. This sports thing didn't last that long. It was a satellite feed and we inserted spots and weather. Local advertisers were not too wild about it and I remember a lot of negative phone calls. It worked out well because WQSN needed a full timer when I looked into going back. I ended up outlasting about 3 owners, 5 GMs, and 50 or more staffers if my memory serves me correctly. How I stayed there for 9 years is a mystery!

"I left WQSN (aka WGCA) in '84, worked for WXLY for about a year (I was part of the crew that took them from Country to Oldies) and made my final stand in the business as part of Baker Broadcasting/The Breeze Network from 1995 to 2000 where I was one of the last deejays heard before they went dark.

"I might mention here that I first decided I wanted to one day be a deejay when Booby Nash first came to WTMA in the '60s. We would later work together at WQSN when he did an overnight Contemporary Christian show for a local ministry."

This was published in Charleston Post & Courier on August 7, 2009:

John "Johnny" Martin Williams CHARLESTON - John (Johnny) Martin Williams, of Charleston, SC, entered into eternal rest on the morning of August 6, 2009. The relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral services Saturday, August 8, 2009, at one o'clock in J. HENRY STUHR, INC., DOWNTOWN CHAPEL. Entombment, Magnolia Cemetery. Friends may call Saturday at Stuhr between eleven and one o'clock. Mr. Williams was born April 17, 1954, in Orangeburg, SC, the son of Eugene Mood Williams, Jr. and Sarah Sauls Williams. He attended the College of Charleston and was a former Disc Jockey with WTMA and The Breeze, known as J. Martin. He was a member of North Charleston United Methodist Church. He is survived by his Mother of Summerville, SC; one sister: Sally Williams Thackston of Charleston, SC; one brother: E. Mood Williams, III of Summerville, SC; five nephews: Christopher B. Thackston of Charleston, SC, Eric M. Thackston (Rachel) of Huntsville, AL, Bryan J. Thackston of Charlotte, NC, Michael M. Williams (Lori) of Mt. Pleasant, SC and E. Park Williams (Tricia) Charlotte, NC. Memorials may be made to The American Diabetes Association , Memorial & Honor Program, 2711 Middleburg Drive, Suite 108-B, Columbia, SC 29204.

"Before WTMA I worked at KSTP in Minneapolis, Minnesota, WAMS in Wilmington, Delaware, WRNC in Raleigh, North Carolina, and KNAK in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"I left to pursue a totally different career in direct sales, but ended up back in radio, but this time in news-radio as a morning news anchor at KWMS and KDYL in Salt Lake City, and KRNN, WOAI, KTSA and KENS in San Antonio, Texas.

"I am still in San Antonio where I owned and operated a photography/video studio for 15 years. I retired last year."

This article appeared at Chattanoogan.com on November 29, 2006:

Riley, Bob Daryl Christopher
Longtime Radio Broadcaster Was Initial Director Of WAWL At Chat State

Bob Daryl Christopher Riley died on Tuesday, November 28, 2006.

He was born on Feb. 23, 1946 in Cary, N.C. Bob began a radio career at the early age of 15 in Fuquay, N.C. Two years later he moved to the Fort Bragg market and then became the #1 disk jockey at WTMA in the Charleston, S.C. market. From there he brought his family to the Chattanooga area where he put the first computerized radio station on the air for Turner Broadcasting.

In 1980, Bob began what he believed was his true calling. He served Chattanooga State Technical Community College as the initial Director of Radio WAWL as well as teaching at the School of Broadcasting, Chattanooga State Community College. Many of the students Bob mentored at that school have been successful in the area of broadcasting. All who knew Bob appreciated his wry sense of humor and his gifted intelligence.

Bob is survived by his children, Michael, Jonathan, and Amanda, all of Chattanooga; his parents, Robert E. and Frances J. Riley of Cary, N.C., and four siblings, April, Mary-Michael, Barry and Kevin; numerous nieces and nephews and a host of friends, including a special friend, Angie.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday at Christ United Methodist Church at 8645 East Brainerd Rd. in Chattanooga. The family will gather with friends following the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Bob (Daryl) Riley School of Broadcasting Memorial Scholarship, in care of the Chattanooga State Foundation, 4501 Amnicola Hwy., Chattanooga, TN 37406.

Bob writes on February 15, 2007: "My name is Bob Hogan but my air names at WTMA were Bob Scott and for a short time, Steve Canyon (that's a long, funny story). I was doing two shows during the same period of time using both air names. The owner of the station was Mr. Chuck Smith and our studios were located on the second floor of the old Dock Street Theater building.

"Prior to moving to Charleston, SC, I worked the radio market in Norfolk, VA and was friends with Bob Calvert, who at the time, worked at WGH in Newport News, VA. I was never aware that Bob Calvert worked at WTMA until reading your article.

"While working at WTMA, I was in the Air Force assigned to the Charleston Air Force Base. I was actually working two full time jobs but it was such fun.

"I worked at WTMA for approximately five years and had a very strong following. Besides working drive time slots, I hosted the Saturday Night All Request Show which was sponsored by Pepsi-Cola.

1960s WTMA DJs Jim Diamond and Bob Scott (May 2007)

"I can remember signing off the station Saturday night at midnight, sleeping on the sofa in the room directly outside of the broadcast and production studios and then signing on at 6 AM Sunday morning.

"Bob Mitchell was hired as program director after I joined WTMA. Prior to that, Doug Randall was the acting program director. I worked with Doug Randall (Clements), now deceased. I understand that Doug left radio and went into the ministry before his passing.

"I also worked with Jim Diamond and Charlie Lindsey who will remember me well. Harold Kramer was the station engineer.

"After completing my Air Force tour of duty in 1966, I continued working at WTMA full time. A nasty rumor surfaced that the station was involved in a fraud case involving a WTMA employee (cannot remember his name) and there was a possibility that Chuck Smith could lose the station. During this same period, I was offered a position with the General Electric Company in Chesapeake, VA and decided to accept it. I worked there for eleven years until that division closed.

"I am now retired and live in a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, FL (Lauderhill, FL).

"I will be thrilled if you would add any or all of this memo to your WTMA web site. Please tell the guys with whom I worked that I think about them often and the good times that we shared at the 'Mighty TMA'."

Mark writes on November 17, 2008: "I began an exciting but short career at WTMA/WPXI in 1974 reporting high school sports scores via the 'hot line' (556-4301) to WTMA and John Burwell and others just to get air time for my high school. As a reward of sorts John made a studio tour possible for me and encouraged me to get a third class FCC ticket with a broadcast endorsement, and he said he might be able to get me some weekend board work with TMA. So, I got the license in Savannah, GA at the ripe old age of 15!

"True to his word John got me a part-time job on the weekends running the "God Squad" tapes and AT40. Keith Nichols was my 12 noon relief man and then I would return later that evening to rerun the AT40 and then a 2-hour live show, finally shutting down the station at midnight Sunday for repairs.

"After some months of doing this, Lee Richards offered me the all night show (while still doing weekends) as well as the board work for remote broadcasts for Gery London and many others. There are so many memories of those who taught me!

"In August of 1977 I left for college for broadcast journalism at USC Columbia and a job at WNOK AM/FM/TV later to return to WTMA/WPXI as Mark O'Brien until January 1979.

"Now, I'm employed by Kapstone Paper (Westvaco). I'm an instrument/electrical technician/union president for 30 years."

Taken from Obituary Notices; The Post & Courier - Charleston, SC. September 8, 2009:

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH - William M. "Billy" Smith, 67, passed away Monday, September 7, 2009 at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center peacefully following an extended illness.

Billy Smith was born in Marion, SC, the middle of five children. He enjoyed the small-town atmosphere of his childhood, when "downtown" held most opportunities for activity. Billy's family saw every new movie that came to town, and he credits this experience with his love for the movies today. His mother would take the kids to nearby Myrtle Beach on Sundays after church. The pavilion and boardwalk hold special memories for him. After all, it was there that he was first charmed by rhythm and blues music. These early records, played on jukeboxes up and down the boardwalk, caught not only his ear but his intrigue as well. He never heard this kind of music on the radio back home in Marion, and he wondered why.

The local record store in Marion became a favorite after-school activity for Billy. He saved and spent every dime he made from his paper route on records by R & B Doo-Wop groups such as the Cadillacs, Flamingos, and the Five Satins. Today, of course, this music is credited as the precluder to "beach music". Billy also started hanging out at the local radio station, WATP-AM. He was fascinated by Scott Simms, one of the broadcasters. The folks at the station recognized his interest was genuine and allowed him to have a Saturday morning slot. Calls poured in from listeners..."What IS this music he's playing? Why doesn't he play any music by white artists?" After all, they were used to Elvis, Pat Boone, and Perry Como. His controversial career in radio was off to a running start!

Billy's dad, a building contractor, built a miniature radio studio on top of The Dairyette, a local diner in Marion; and Billy began broadcasting his own show, "The Dairyette Show" on Sunday afternoons. Just like a scene from "Happy Days", teens would ride by in their Chevys and hang out in the parking lot. His love for broadcasting was cemented!

In 1964, Billy left Marion for Wilmington, NC and accepted a position at WGNI. A year later he moved to Myrtle Beach and worked at WTGR (Tiger Radio), where he remained for the next six years. He was thrilled when he received an offer to move to Charleston to work at WTMA. It was the largest radio station in South Carolina, and Billy had listened to it for years. Ironically, one of his fellow broadcasters at WTMA would later reemerge as a coworker in another setting...Ted Bell!

Returning to the Grand Strand in 1973, Billy has remained at Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach ever since. He went to work for Bill Norman at WNMB (yes, it's the same building 94.9 the Surf is in today!) where he remained for the next 15 years. He has worked at Power 98, which became Mix 97.7, where his longtime friend Terri Springs was his co-host.

After a 2-year stint at Cool 104.9, Billy joined 94.9 the Surf in 2002. Billy loves his morning slot on 94.9 almost as much as he loves all the lady listeners telling him that they enjoy "waking up" with him every morning! He perhaps laughs the loudest at his comedy bits. As with all the broadcasters at the Surf, he cherishes the phone calls and emails from our servicemen all over the world. He knows how blessed he is to love his work and play the music that captured his attention and heart half a century ago.

In addition to Scott Simms at WATP in Marion who gave him his first professional opportunity, Billy credits "Clarence the Whip" as his mentor. Clarence worked in the 50's at WYNN in Florence. An African-American broadcaster, Clarence used "hip talk" such as "hey baby" and other Ebonic expressions that Billy has incorporated into his own personal style of broadcasting.

Among his favorite interviews are conversations with Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves, and Billy Stewart. He's still waiting for the one he admires and loves most of all...Smokey Robinson.

The recipient of many accolades over the years, Billy received "Beach Music DJ of the Year" award in 1981, the first year of the Beach Music Awards Show, which set the stage for the Cammys (now CBMA). He was selected for this honor again as "FM DJ of the Year" in 2005 by the CBMA. He was inducted into the prestigious SC R&B/Beach Music Hall of Fame by Governor Jim Hodges in 2001. Seems he's not only a legend in his own mind after all.

In his spare time, Billy enjoys meeting his friends for their "Music Club" where they scour the satellite jukebox for old, obscure music. He also enjoys reading and going to movies. He considers life on the Intracoastal Waterway at North Myrtle Beach as "Paradise" and has little desire to travel elsewhere. He and Kay soak in the sunset with their new puppy, Bo Diddley, and watch the boats go by, cherishing each day. "Hello Stranger" by Barbara Lewis remains his all-time favorite beach music song.

Surviving are his daughter, Kimberly P. Longwell (Brian) of Summerville, SC; five brothers and sisters, Betty (Frankie) Johnson of Georgetown, SC, Richard (Jean) Smith of Murrells Inlet, SC, Donald (Cathy) Smith of Murrells Inlet, SC, Levoy Smith of Mullins, SC and Eugene (Lena) Smith of Mississippi; Kay V. Maddox, his girlfriend, with whom he made his home; Bo Diddley his beloved pet; and numerous other relatives. Billy was preceded in death by his parents, Rhedin and Maude Richardson Smith and a sister, Bobbie Smith Ricks.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Thursday, September 10, 2009 at McMillan-Small Funeral Home. Private family services will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family request memorials be made to the Humane Society North Myrtle Beach, PO Box 3369, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582. Kay requests that if anyone has special memories of Billy, please mail them to 94.9 The Surf, PO Box 3689, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 so a Memory Book can be made for his daughter, Kimberly.

This appeared in the Charleston News & Courier in 1978

A Crazy Consistency – Tim St. George’s Trademark
By Stephanie Harvin
Staff Reporter

Do you know what Weird Willie, Granny Grits, Chico, Inspector Crusoe (pronounced with a French accent) and Seymour Butts all have in common? Easy, they are all friends of Tim St. George, disc jockey at WTMA radio. 

Those who are regular fans of the Tim St. George show, aired nightly from 7-12 p.m., have learned to love the crazy antics of Tim’s zany friends who drop in and out of the studio at odd times. 

It does not matter whether he is doing the weather, news, the latest Top 40 hit or just resting between songs, he seems to have no peace from the help that his crazy “friends” give him throughout the show. Tim, a warm, likeable person is extremely funny himself, so it is no wonder that he attracts a broad range of characters. 

Tim feels that everyone should have a good time; he does, and he likes to do crazy comedy. He says that his air time is never planned. “It’s spontaneous. I never know what’s going to happen.” 

A regular visitor on the show is Weird Willie, Tim’s example of the nice but very dumb neighborhood bore. He thinks everybody loves him and that he’s famous already. When asked about an interview he replied, “I knew stardom was just around the corner.” 

Chico is the Goose Creek comedian with a Puerto Rican accent to whom no one in Goose Creek is sacred “but who is very cool, man.” Granny Grits is the 60-year-old grand-mother that everybody would like to have. She has the mind of a 20-year old and likes to disco. There is also an occasional visitor named Cletus McCloud, a reporter who has crashed more helicopters than anyone living. And finally there is Seymour Butts, who knows all the news that no one else ever thought about repeating. 

The result is a brand of comedy that Tim labels as “highly controversial, but never offensive.” He dreams about doing late-night comedy, a la “Saturday Night Live,” where people can see him and relate to the antics as well as the jokes. 

Asked what songs he gets the most requests for he said that it varies according to the audience. Lately there are requests for music from the movies “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever” as well as Andy Gibb songs. Mixed in are Led Zeppelin and Rick Derringer for the 18-34-year-old crowd. He says he tries to play what people want to hear but there is a system of rotation of music to prevent songs from being played too often. 

On the serious side of radio, Tim says there a lot of lonely people who tune in. There are regulars who call every night and a vast number of people that listen and never say a word. His philosophy about radio is that “even if there’s only one person listening, that person deserves to be entertained.” 

So entertain he does. He says that WTMA makes it easy to be crazy because the “jocks” have a lot of creative freedom. Although each is professional, each is zany in his own way, contributing to a kind of crazy consistency that is a trademark of the station. It must work because WTMA is one of the most popular AM stations in the Charleston area. 

Fans of the Tim St. George show often wonder if Tim does all the voices. He isn’t telling. When you hear Weird Willie and Granny Grits walk in and carry on a conversation, you begin to wonder – who are those people?
 

Bob writes on February 18, 2008: "I will always have a soft spot in my heart for WTMA because it was my first job in commercial radio after I was discharged from the Air Force in 1960. George Wilson hired me as a staff disc jockey. Bouncing Bob Townsend, I used to call myself.

"Ever since I was in high school and doing half time announcements at Charleston High School football games for the Charleston Rebel Band, I knew I wanted to be on the radio. I enlisted in the Air Force in 1957 and was assigned to Korea where I discovered the Armed Forces Korea Network (AFKN). I took an audition and was accepted as a staff announcer. I was stationed in Korea at AFKN for a year before going over to Japan for two years at the Far East Network (FEN). There our audience included privates, generals, and the foreign population, so the announcing style was pretty laid back and kind of monotone.

"I got out of the Air Force in 1960 and came back home to Charleston wanting to get a 'real' job in commercial broadcasting but having no idea of what to expect. At that time WTMA was a 'ROCK' station. George heard my audition tape and decided to hire me anyway. But the best advice he gave me was 'turn the mic level way down and yell.' That got rid of my monotone style of announcing. With modification, that advice served me well during my 20-year broadcast career. I will always remember and appreciate what George Wilson taught me.

"After leaving WTMA, I kicked around South Carolina for twenty years winding up at Channel 4 television WFBC in Greenville, SC as a combination on the air anchor and news reporter. I got out of the business in 1981 to go back on active duty with the Air Force and never looked back.

"I had a great time and a lot of fond memories of my time in the broadcast business but the pay wasn’t that great back in the '60s.

"Congratulations on the site and thanks for taking the time and energy to put it together."

Taken from Obituary Notices; The Times-Union - Jacksonville, Florida. November 15, 2008:

On October 18, 2008, the First Coast and the radio world lost an iconic classic. Rick Tracy was born on March 12, 1953 in Buffalo, NY, grew up in Rochester, NY and by 1976 had become a constant fixture on radio stations from coast to coast collecting awards and devoted listeners along the way.

In 1983, Rick came to Jacksonville, FL and for the next 18 years held number one ratings for 'afternoon drive' at the classic rock station WFYV (Rock 105). An avid golfer, motorcycle enthusiast, Rick was best known for his honesty, intellect and dry wit, traits that will endear him to the broadcasting community for years to come.

He is survived by his wife of 14 years, Elizabeth (Liz), his parents, David and Dorothy McKay, two sisters, Susan Stephens and Kathleen Brandt, along with a host of other family, friends and fans.

Memorial contributions can be made to Heartland Hospice, 8130 Baymeadows Way West, Suite 201, Jacksonville, Florida 32256 in honor of Rick.

Arrangements by GREENLAWN FUNERAL HOME, 4300 Beach Blvd.