National Radio Day: Terrie (TC) Carr and The “Spirit Of Radio”
If you know me, you know I am a crazy Rush fan. “Begin The Day With A Friendly Voice”…words to live by…. I am also and have always been a fan and lover of a medium that has never let me down. Radio. Radio has meant everything to me. As a rebellious kid I would sneak out of bed and put on the transistor and clock radios my dad bought me and listen through the night for dangerous bands, friendly DJ voices and an overall sense of cool and community. From the age of five I wanted to be a part of that world.
I remember listening to “The Nightbird” Allison Steele and the rumor from my dad was that she was the inspiration for the Jimi Hendrix song “Nightbird Flying”- “Come Fly With Me” she would say playing her chimes… …and I did.
I loved long car trips because the radio would be our companion. 77 WABC was the station that everyone listened to for every popular song and legendary talent like Ron Lundy, Harry Harrison and others telling their stories. They were like family. I was never far from my radio.
Fast forward to my first experience “on the radio” …..spinning Christmas tunes on WRAN ironically right next to WDHA in Randolph. Putting on headphones and cracking the mic for the first time was both terrifying and electrifying. I always knew I’d make it to the “WDHA side”. WDHA has always been such a special place for me. I have worked at other stations including WRNJ, WPST, and WHTG and even made a quick pit stop at Satellite but the WDHA listening audience is a special breed and I was thrilled to be able to come back home.
I hope you all know what radio means to us. We love what we do. Some days are harder than others. Reporting deaths of icons like Freddie Mercury, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chris Cornell and more. Losing special listeners who we have come to know as family. Losing members of our own family like Cutis Kay, who has been our backbone for 40 years. Being on the air during the 911 terror attacks live as they were happening. Days we wish we could forget.
But we forge on. Because we are Radio.
We have a mantra…a mission statement. To uphold to you- a sense of community that you can’t get anywhere else. Music for your soul, friendship, a helping hand, family. We are live, we are local and we are free. We are radio. Happy National Radio Day to all! Thanks for letting us into your lives. It’s an honor. –TC
