Subject: Article on Ed Walker
Ed Walker Retires
This article comes from www.wtop.com. To read the full article,
which includes two audio links of Walker and friends, go to
http://wtop.com/entertainment/2015/10/after-cancer-diagnosis-
radio-pioneer-Ed-walker-reluctantly-signs-off/.
After cancer diagnosis, radio pioneer Ed Walker reluctantly signs-
off
WASHINGTON - Ed Walker wasn't ready to hit the off button.
The 83-year-old Radio Hall of Fame host - who dominated
Washington's airwaves in the 1960s as one half of The Joy Boys,
with Willard Scott - has recorded his final episode of The Big
Broadcast, after recently being diagnosed with cancer.
The last show was a real tearjerker for me, Walker told WTOPs
Bruce Alan, who had co-hosted a WWRC talk show with Walker
from 1987 to 1990. It wasn't easy.
Walker invited Alan to visit and conduct an informal interview last
Friday, after making his cancer diagnosis public.
Walker has been the host of WAMUs longest-running program
since 1990, which features vintage radio programs including
Gunsmoke, Our Miss Brooks, and Yours truly, Johnny Dollar.
He confided he wasn't ready to hang up the headphones.
Im sorry it had to end like this, but you never have any control
over that, Walker says. It was a very unhappy moment.
Born blind, Walker says radio has been his companion since he
was a boy. It was everything to me, not being able to seeit took the
place of comic books and newspapers.
Growing up, I wanted to be in broadcasting, but I never thought it
would come to pass.
In 1951, Walker met Willard Scott, when both were students at
American University.
He changed my life the day I met him, Scott told WTOPs Dick
Uliano. Hes the best friend Ive had in my life.
From 1955 to 1972 Walker and Scott were nightly co-hosts of The
Joy Boys, on WRC Radio, owned by NBC.
At the height of their popularity, the Washington Post said Scott
and Walker dominated Washington, providing entertainment,
companionship, and community to a city on the verge of powerful
change.
We never worked a day in our life, recalls Scott. We loved what
we did and we loved each other - we never had a fight in our lives.
The Joy Boys show was a raucous, largely improvised comedy
show.
An hour before the show, we would go in the office and have a
sandwich and a cup of coffee, and write down some ideas, says
Scott.
Scott says Walker coordinated closely with the shows audio
engineer, cued the comedy bits, and created the live sound effects
for the show.
Eddie ran the show, Scott says. I was his sidekick.
Engineer Mike Berry says while doing comic bits Walker was a
master at getting the best sound out of the studio microphone.
Sometimes it was desirable to make it seem like the voiced person
was moving in and out of the studio - Eddie had a small door that
he could slam for a sound effect, says Berry. It was amazing to
watch Eddie work the microphone while doing this.
At the time, Berry says microphones were susceptible to loud
noises. He moved back before doing anything loud, he could
simulate distance in two ways, by moving away from the
microphone or moving off of its primary axis.
The Joy Boys left the air in October 1974. Walkers career includes
stints at WWDC-AM, WMAL, and WOL.
Longtime fan Bob Bybee, who started a tribute website in 2001,
says visitors continue to recount the happiness the show brought.
They stayed on the air for 20 years, and for good reason, says
Bybee.
It was good, clean, enjoyable entertainment, says Bybee. Listeners
could tell that the boys really had fun doing their show, and that
fun came across the airwaves.
After NBC sold WRC, Greater Media changed added a W, and
WWRC became a nostalgic music format.
In 1987, WWRC went back to talk - Walker was hired as its first
morning host, by program director Ken Mellgren.
Without exception, Ed Walker is the most talented radio and TV
personality I have known, Mellgren tells WTOP.
Mellgren teamed Walker with Bruce Alan, who at the time was a
traffic reporter.
Alan had moved from New York to D.C. after The Joy Boys left
the air, but he obviously had heard of Walkers talents.
He was quick, and funny, and great, Alan says. We laughed at the
same dumb jokes, and made the same dumb jokes.
We did have fun, and that was the secret of what I liked about
radio, says Walker. Its ceasing to be fun now, I think.
In the mid-80s, Walker and Alans morning show was competing
against raunchier hosts including Doug Greaseman Tracht, and
Howard Stern in syndication.
We did stuff that was wacky, never in bad taste, says Walker,
before a comic pause. I think.
Walker recorded his final show last week, which will air Sunday
evening, Oct.. 25, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
I made the choice I thought was best by stepping aside from The
Big Broadcast, and letting somebody younger do it, says Walker.
The person who takes over probably will have as much love for it
as I did, and I hope they do.
They probably will, Alan told Walker, but the show wont be the
same without you.
Walkers Big Broadcast engineer for 24 years, Tobey
Schreiner, will miss the conversations he had with Walker while
driving him to the studio for their weekly tapings.
The time spent on those rides, talking about radio, past and present,
as well as what was happening in our lives personally, are
moments I will treasure for a lifetime, says Schreiner.
Schreiner says countless visitors to the station approached Walker
to say they were lifelong fans.
He always took the time to shake hands and chat with them in the
hall for as long as they liked, says Schreiner.
Willard Scott says Walker taught me the meaning of the word
humility, in the truest sense of the word.
He went out like a prince, says Scott. Its the real Ed Walker - heart,
soul, and everything.
Now, for the first time in 60 years, Walker will no longer have a
regular audience to entertain and communicate with.
The memories keep rushing back, says Walker, wistfully. Ill
remember them as long as I live.
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