Larry

[thomas heathwood]

Larry was a friend, and I was delighted to appear a few times on the old WMEX with him in the early 60's playing vintage radio clips and giving out what Larry called "swell prizes" to listeners identifying voices or answering questions about
the old shows. I recall him using hypnosis with the college student who was the overnight board operator who was so tired he didn't think he would be able to go to school.  I watched, with amazement, as Larry hypnotized the young man to feel alert and refreshed. 
Larry loved so many things, so diverse - old time radio, German marches, 5-string banjo music (he even bought one) and, most of all, people.  He was very kind in getting me commercial radio opportunities from time to time.  I supplied a lot of his original "clips"  like "Gunga Din" and vintage radio voices.  
He told me that the first job he had in Boston was at WCOP after he returned from his Army tour in Germany.  He was offered (and accepted for a little while) a job a couple of times a day reading 5 minutes of "Veteran's News" at the old studios at the Copley Plaza hotel. Despite his energy (most nights) and outgoing personality, Larry was
a very kind and unassuming person who sometimes was blatantly honest about things he felt were wrong or unjust in
broadcasting. 
His hypnosis work was both for entertainment and as an adjunct to a local psychologist who worked with patients who had habits (such as smoking) that are amenable to treatment with hypnosis.  A couple of years ago he was working on an idea to record habit-eradication CD's, but this never came to pass.
I am glad I knew him, and had a chance to spend time with him on and off the air.
Tom Heathwood      HeritageRadio@msn.com<mailto:HeritageRadio@msn.com>