Georgia Radio Hall of Fame: 2013

Ms. Braswell was born March 23, 1928, in the Pleasant Hill Community of Macon and graduated from Ballard High School. She earned an A.B. degree at Fort Valley State, an M. AA from Teacher’s College of Columbia University, and an E.D.S. from the University of Georgia. She began teaching at Macon’s Banks Elementary. One morning she heard WBML was looking for a black DJ.  She was hired to host an evening show, and given the name “Honeybee.” Her program was very successful but, Braswell continued to teach. Braswell became known as a trailblazing educator and advocate for poor children. She was the recipient of numerous awards and honors including Who’s Who Among Black Americans in 1988.

James Clarence Dunaway was born July 5, 1926, in Carrollton. He graduated from Carrollton High School, attended the University of Georgia, and graduated from West Georgia College. At age three, he was stricken with polio, leaving his left arm paralyzed. He got his first job at WLBB in Carrollton at 19. His goal was to work at WSB in Atlanta. He worked in radio in Tallahassee, LaGrange, and Douglas. He finally got the call to WSB, first as a reporter. Dunaway was partnered with Bob Van Camp for the early morning show “The Dixie Farm and Home Hour,” on-air at WSB. He was honored by the Georgia Press Association for "excellence in reporting."

Al Evans, Jr. was born in Valdosta on July 20, 1940. While in high school he was recruited to play professional baseball for a national professional team but the call of broadcasting was stronger. Danny's father, who owned stations in Georgia, thought it important for Danny to learn the new Top 40 radio formats. Danny started work on-air as Ken Keen at WAKE in Atlanta and WQAM in Miami, learning from the best. He and his father bought WVLD in Valdosta in 1959 and in the late 60s WVLD moved into new facilities Among the alumni of WVLD, Georgia Radio Hall of Fame board member Bob Harrison as well as 2012 Career Achievement inductee Bill Elder.

Raymond “Royal” Marshall was born March 23, 1967, in Augusta, GA. Upon graduating from Hazelwood East High School, he attended the University of Missouri for two years then the University of Georgia graduating with a BA in Speech. He began his radio career at WXAG in Athens. After graduation Royal was hired by WSB Radio. He moved time slots to join The Neal Boortz Show as engineer. Their on-air banter was very popular and Boortz began the feature “A Minute with Royal T" airing on both WCNN and WSB until January 2005. Outside his radio career, Royal was committed to his family, church, and the community generously sharing his time and talent.

Leonard Postero, Sr. was born in Athens and attended graduated from Athens High School and the University of Georgia. He served from 1943 to 1945 as an aviator for the U.S. Navy. Leonard is best remembered as the creative genius behind ''Leonard's Losers,'' a popular football radio program heard on a number of stations including Armed Forces Radio. From 1958 through 1999, he produced the show and performed the colorful voices of ''Leonard Postosties'' and ''Percy Peabody.'' With the late Jim Koger, he also developed the first full season of the UGA Basketball Network. Postero was a member of many different organizations including the Rotary, the Lions Club, the Elks Club, and The Gridiron Society.

Annie Lee Stagg was born July 8, 1920, in Chicago, but, grew up in Jacksonville. Her radio career began when, at age 12, she read poetry on WMBR in Jacksonville.  She graduated from Stephens College in Columbia Missouri and joined their staff teaching radio engineering. She later worked in radio in Chicago. She moved then to Atlanta and worked as Assistant Production Manager at WSB.  She was Atlanta and WSB's first female announcer. In January 1945 she was named one of the nation’s favorite women commentators by the Atlanta Journal Radio Daily. She married Navy airman James Small and in 1959 they purchased WYTH in Madison. She retired in 1990.

Steve Goss began radio in 1978 interning for Atlanta's WGST. At WPCH, he contributed as an on-air personality, Music Director, and Program Director. He "made the bold move to transition from a Beautiful Music to Adult Contemporary. In 2000, he oversaw the replacement of Peach's AC format to all Christmas music for the holiday season. He was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Atlanta Achievement in Radio and March of Dimes. Since '07 Steve has hosted Morning Edition WABE and holds a master’s degree from Emory. He has been named an Outstanding Georgia Citizen and has received several national awards for his Peach of a City series.

Born in Amsterdam, Georgia in 1934, he was a truck driver by trade. One day after attending a movie at a theatre in Warner Robins, he complained to the owner that he could do a better job than the projectionist at the theatre. The owner hired him to be the theatre manager. The owner of WRPB heard Charlie doing announcements on the PA system and offered him a show on the station.  2012 Legacy inductee Jim Popwell heard Hill on the air and lured him to Hawkinsville where he stayed for 25 years as an announcer, salesman, and station manager. He left to become a partner in WVMG in Cochran. He is retired.

Raised in Atlanta, Kaedy Kiely has been entertaining Atlanta’s drive-time radio audience for 30 years; first as Atlanta’s heritage rock station 96 Rock’s, then at Classic Rock Z93. She has been the Morning Drive Host at The River/97.1 since 2008. She created the "Rock Riddles" game based on her brain teaser radio contest. Four years ago, Kaedy was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. Since her successful treatments, she currently serves as Vice-President of the Eric R. Beverly Family Foundation and volunteers for various charities including The Chastain Horse Park's therapeutic riding programs. She enjoys horseback riding and traveling.    

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Paul Krimsier had a successful 15 career in radio with Atlanta (WQXI Tiger Twins) and New Orleans (WNOE Collins Twins). He went to New York where he worked for WPLJ. He also was the voice-over announcer for national television and radio commercials, and for the ABC network television series “In Concert”. Paul moved into television management and executive positions in New Orleans, Atlanta, and Oklahoma City becoming Vice President in charge of entertainment programming for TBS in Atlanta and preparing for launching TNT. He joined CBN Cable and became Senior Vice President of Programming which became The Family Channel. Paul returned to radio in 2000 with a daily morning Praise radio show with his wife, Chris.

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Tom Krimsier began his career at WQXI Atlanta with his brother Paul as Quixie’s “Tiger Twins”. Tom developed his programming philosophy and The Tiger Twins moved to WNOE in New Orleans. As FM radio began to take hold, Krimsier headed west to program KSFX, the ABC-owned FM station. He returned to New Orleans to program WWL, the legendary talk of the south for 11 years. WBSN, a contemporary Christian station hired Krimsier taking this local station to # 12 in the country (noncommercial Christian stations). Krimsier remains at WBSN New Orleans.

Kelly McCoy was born in Perry but grew up in Hartwell starting his radio career while he was in high school working at WKLY. In 1971 Kelly worked at WDOL FM in Athens. In 1973 he returned to WKLY. In 1976, McCoy returned to Athens, as music director and afternoon drive jock at WRFC. WQXI offered Kelly a job in 1978. He stayed there until 1984. In January of 1985, Kelly moved to WSB FM to do afternoons and was assistant program director and music director. In Kelly’s own words” “Spending 34 years in the same market, allowed me to be a part of so many things.” He retired in 2012.

Nelle Reagan’s radio career began when Jim Mcree from WPLK in Rockmart suggested Nelle had a good radio voice and wanted her to come by WPLK and do women’s news. She fell in love with radio and knew that was what she was meant to do. She won the Associated Press Award for Outstanding Broadcasting for Local News in her first year. Nelle moved to Rome in 1967, to work at WROM AM/ FM. She later went to WLAQ AM as an air personality & assistant program director for 15 years. In 1998 Nelle started “Talk Of The Town,” on WRGA AM, which has since become a staple for the community in Rome. She has been with WRGA for 15 years.

Bill Rice listened to soul radio DJs while attending Tennessee State. When he returned to Toccoa, Detroit Steeples, a local black announcer on WLET helped Rice develop his own style. Roy Gaines, owner of WNEG AM needed a host for a soul music show and asked for a demo tape.  Bill got the job playing the latest releases and took dedications. People would listen if they knew they were going to hear their name on the radio. Rice also dedicated a portion of his program to black gospel music and, eventually, began to play it exclusively. Rice is now retired and is a deacon at Friendship Baptist Church in Toccoa.

In 1996, Mike Roberts formed Roberts Communications Incorporated. In July of 1997, the company purchased WFXM, WXJO, WQMJ, and WXKO-AM in Macon, Georgia. RCI is currently Central Georgia’s only African American-owned radio broadcasting company and still operates WQMJ-FM (Majic 100). He served as PD of V-103 for three years and retired from his morning show in 1998. He was program director of WIGO from 1982 until 1985. Mike served as PD of WBLZ and WCIN in Cincinnati, OH, and WSOQ in Syracuse, NY. He also worked as an announcer at WHEN, WNDR, and WEZG in Syracuse. Mike has received numerous awards and honors. Mike received his Bachelor of Science in Communications from Syracuse University in 1979.

Mark's radio career began at WTHO in Thomson, Georgia in 1978. Brady McGraw hired him at WAGQ Athens in 1979. He went on to work mornings at WBBQ Augusta as part of the Buddy Carr morning show. In 1983 The Mark Summers in the morning show debuted on WBBQ winning the NAB Marconi for a best medium market morning show in 1989. In 1991 Mark began mornings at Savannah's WZNY, Y-105. In 1996 he was hired by Wilkes Broadcasting at Sunny Country. In 1998 Mark joined Beasley Broadcasting’s WSLT Lite 98 for wake-up duties and sales. He joined WBBQ alum John Hall at Hall Marketing in 2002. Mark currently works for Gold Cross EMS in Augusta.