Little Big Voices started back in the 1950s.
Well, not exactly.
The internet was 40 years away and I hadn’t landed on the planet yet, but my Dad, Jerry Caddell, had – and he was running around West Texas starting radio and TV stations back when that stuff was the biggest thing since cars.
I grew up around the KLAW-FM radio station in Lawton, Oklahoma, when my Dad managed it in the ’70s. I’ll never forget staring through the hallway window into the smoky control room, mesmerized by these gods of radio. Those guys were the real deal – that gravelly FM persona – smoking cigarettes on air while they took song requests and dedications, picked out the next record, ripped the AP news off the teletype, and kept us entertained and informed while we worked and played.
My Dad always smiled when he spoke of those days. He was certainly in his element, his happy place, when he could be behind a mic or anywhere near it.
Now it’s my turn – my turn to be in the hot seat – working hard every day to make this show worth your time. My Dad never took who listened for granted – and neither do I. Thank you for listening. Sometimes, it takes all of us together to move a mountain or build a bridge.
I dedicate this podcast to my Dad, Jerry Caddell and my Uncle, Don Couser – two men who helped pave the airways for those of us who find behind the mic – our happy place.
Thanks, Dad.
