Re: The Dean is dead

[Bob Nelson <raccoonradio@yahoo.com>]

--- "Gary Francis, WCAP" <gary@afternoonlive.com>
wrote:
> Jerry Williams passed away this morning as Mass
> General Hospital......

Horrible news--we no longer have the man who helped
formulate talk radio; the man who kept us company
at home, work, and on the road; the man who affected
politics with his on-air advocacy and "muckraking".

I hope to heck that when Howie mentions this on air
today he won't play the "Ted" laugh...because the Dean
should not be mocked. And it was the Dean who
got Howie into "the business".

How can you sum up the man? I only heard him from
about 1986 on, so I'm sure many of you have memories
of him in the days before that. But here was a man
who put his energy into making an interesting
("I'm not boring"), entertaining, and informative
show, in the days before the medium degenerated into
"Who Do You Want To See Naked On TV". Sure, Howie can
be entertaining, but when it came to serious (or
not so serious) talk radio, Jerry was the man. How
many people out there in the biz can say that Jerry
was their inspiration (for becoming a talk host),
and how many listeners out there can relate their
fond memories of him.

I'm sure there will be many tributes to him, on the
air, in the papers, and so on. Everyone who grew up in
this area (and a few select other areas) has a Jerry
story to tell. It might be about that Vietnam
soldier who told his tale of the horrors of war.
Or the many who assembled for rallies against the
seat belt law or New Braintree. Or, yes, even the
woman who got a kick out of doing you-know-what
on top of her washing machine.

Farewell to the Dean of Talk Radio :(