An Eastern Shore radio legend passed away Wednesday morning. Eddie"Country Boy" Williams died early Wednesday after a short illness. He was 92.
Williams had been at WESR for 42 years starting as the station's first high school football announcer in 1968, the same year WESR FM signed on the air. After the first football season, Williams approached then owner Brooks Russell about a special program featuring the music of the big bands. Thus began his signature Goldie Oldie show on WESR which ran for 40 years.
WESR manager Charlie Russell said, " Eddie and I started here at about the same time. I was 18 and Eddie was 48. His program was very popular in those days. I would come in sometimes on Friday nights and the phones never stopped ringing." Williams played the music of the 30s,40s and early 50s. "It was the music of the World War II era," Russell said. It was the music that got our nation through some of its darkest years. That generation loved the music and its makers."
As time moved on, and that generation passed, the number of calls dropped but many new listeners learned to appreciate the big bands and the mellow music of the Dorsey Brothers, the Ink Spots, Les Brown, Perry Como, Bert Kamfert and many more. His audience became younger as some of the rock and roll generation started listening as their parents had.
Russell said, "Eddie was a faithful long term employee who loved being on WESR. He survived the transition from vinyl to CD, and the computer age." Russell continued, "When we got our first computer system in 1997, I didn't think that Eddie at 79 would be able to adapt to the new technology. He not only learned the new system but learned another one eight years later. I used to kid Eddie that I had made up my pawl bearer list and he was on it."
Meanwhile, Williams became the station's main board operator for various sporting events including High School Football, Virginia Tech Football and NASCAR racing. Russell said," All I had to do was hand him the schedules at the beginning of the season and he took it from there. It's rare to find people who take their responsibilities that seriously. We're all going to miss him very much."
Williams last worked at the station on Sunday July 17 when he operated the NASCAR race on WESR AM.His last Friday night program was in late June.
Funeral services are being completed at the Doughty Funeral Home.
Williams had been at WESR for 42 years starting as the station's first high school football announcer in 1968, the same year WESR FM signed on the air. After the first football season, Williams approached then owner Brooks Russell about a special program featuring the music of the big bands. Thus began his signature Goldie Oldie show on WESR which ran for 40 years.
WESR manager Charlie Russell said, " Eddie and I started here at about the same time. I was 18 and Eddie was 48. His program was very popular in those days. I would come in sometimes on Friday nights and the phones never stopped ringing." Williams played the music of the 30s,40s and early 50s. "It was the music of the World War II era," Russell said. It was the music that got our nation through some of its darkest years. That generation loved the music and its makers."
As time moved on, and that generation passed, the number of calls dropped but many new listeners learned to appreciate the big bands and the mellow music of the Dorsey Brothers, the Ink Spots, Les Brown, Perry Como, Bert Kamfert and many more. His audience became younger as some of the rock and roll generation started listening as their parents had.
Russell said, "Eddie was a faithful long term employee who loved being on WESR. He survived the transition from vinyl to CD, and the computer age." Russell continued, "When we got our first computer system in 1997, I didn't think that Eddie at 79 would be able to adapt to the new technology. He not only learned the new system but learned another one eight years later. I used to kid Eddie that I had made up my pawl bearer list and he was on it."
Meanwhile, Williams became the station's main board operator for various sporting events including High School Football, Virginia Tech Football and NASCAR racing. Russell said," All I had to do was hand him the schedules at the beginning of the season and he took it from there. It's rare to find people who take their responsibilities that seriously. We're all going to miss him very much."
Williams last worked at the station on Sunday July 17 when he operated the NASCAR race on WESR AM.His last Friday night program was in late June.
Funeral services are being completed at the Doughty Funeral Home.
1 comment:
This is very sad. I guess it had to happen eventually, but my family sure will miss the Country Boy. We sail on the western shore and Friday nights will Eddie Williams has been a part of our lives for 30 years or more.
Rest in peace, Eddie.
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