Ed Walker (radio personality)
Ed Walker | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | October 26, 2015 | (aged 83)
Education | American University |
Occupation | Radio broadcaster |
Spouse | Nancy (1957–2015, his death) |
Ed Walker (April 23, 1932 – October 26, 2015) was an American radio personality. He hosted a weekly four-hour Sunday night program, The Big Broadcast, on
Career
Walker, who was totally
From 1955 to 1974, Walker teamed with Scott as co-hosts of the nightly Joy Boys program, an improvised comedy radio show in Washington.[2] On Joy Boys, Scott sketched a list of characters and a few lead lines setting up the situation, which Walker would commit to memory or note on his Braille typewriter. The program began on WRC-AM, an NBC owned-and-operated station, moving in 1972 to WWDC. In a 1999 article recalling the Joy Boys at the height of their popularity in the mid-1960s, The Washington Post said they "dominated Washington, providing entertainment, companionship, and community to a city on the verge of powerful change".[4]
After the Joy Boys left the air in October 1974, Walker worked on other Washington-area radio and television stations, including WJLA-TV from 1975 until 1980, News Channel 8 in the early 1990s[5] and WRC, hosting radio programs. He was married to Nancy, who is sighted, since 1957; they had two daughters and five grandchildren.[2]
American University has released some of the Joy Boys radio broadcasts of the 1960s on CDs.
Although he rarely made appearances at conventions, Walker was a featured star at the 2007 Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Aberdeen, Maryland.
In 2009, Ed Walker was elected to the
In late 2015, Walker was diagnosed with cancer and retired from The Big Broadcast to focus on his health and spend more time with his family. His last show aired from 7:00 to 11:00 PM on October 25, 2015. It was recorded the week before from his room at Sibley Memorial Hospital where he had been receiving treatment. He died just three hours after that last broadcast concluded.[6][7][8]
References
- ^ "A Lifelong Radio Man Wins New Fans With 'Big Broadcast'". NPR.org. 6 March 2014.
- ^ a b c Hendrix, Steve (July 29, 2009). "Ode to Joy Boy, a Washington Radio Institution". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ISBN 0-6981-1130-3).
- ^ Marc Fisher (1999-09-13). "Washington Comes of Age". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-12-15.
- ^ a b Ed Walker: Host, The Big Broadcast, WAMU-FM
- ^ "Radio Legend, 'The Big Broadcast' Host Ed Walker Dies At Age 83". wamu.org. October 26, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
- ^ Farhi, Paul (October 22, 2015). "Ed Walker spent 65 years on the radio. His last program was unlike any other". The Washington Post.
- ^ Turner, Karne (October 23, 2015). "Ahead Of Ed Walker's Final Show, An Inside Look At Making 'The Big Broadcast'". WAMU. Retrieved October 23, 2015.