Monday, July 16, 2007

What ever happened to Eddie Graham?

Eddie Graham has no a/k/a at KAAY. He was Eddie Graham when it was KTHS and he was studio engineer. He was Eddie Graham when it became KAAY and he became production manager. Eddie was everyone's friend regardless of their ego size. (and we had some big ones) Eddie could fix anything and built a great home out of old Ampex parts. That was just the beginning. Eddie played on the KAAY Komando basketball team and was always a team player. He made the move from the Channel 11 building to the location on 7th street work. From this you might have pigeonholed Eddie as a techie. Not so, he didn't want anything to do with on air work, but Pat Walsh urged him into sales were he displayed the same talents for great work, it the money side of the business. Someone can help me with the total number of years he was with KAAY. He saved his money and bought his own radio station in Arkedelphia, AR. Eddie and his family are the living example of a TV sitcom like Father Knows Best, except Eddie and his family are real. I wish that Pat Walsh could have written this blog. He was probably Eddie's biggest fan.

2 comments:

Richard Robinson said...

First, let me explain my relationship to Eddie Graham. He is my father in-law, as I am married to his daughter, Frances Anne. Pat Walsh once told me that Eddie had an uncanny spell on broadcast equipment. According to Walsh, "equipment would simply refuse to malfunction in his presence." That's true, although sometimes as soon as he left the room, it would fall apart. Carolyn (Eddie's wife) retired from teaching elementary school in the Bryant School District in 2000 and Eddie sold his stations (KVRC AM 1240 and KDEL FM 100.9) and retired in August 2002. They bought another home just outside Arkadelphia, and added on additional space. These days, Eddie and Carolyn are active in First United Methodist Church, the Clark County Fair Board and other organizations. Eddie is a long-time member of the Arkadelphia Rotary Club. He hunts and fishes every chance he gets, which is often. In their spare time, they visit their children and grandchildren. The eldest son, Doug, is married to Margaret, and they have three children - Maddie, age 4, and twins William and Aaron, age 2. They live in Evergreen, Colorado. Fran and I live in Martin, Tennessee. Fran teaches dance classes and I am on the communications faculty at the University of Tennessee at Martin. We have no children together, although I have a daughter from a previous marriage. Larry and wife Gayle live in Franklin, Tennessee (outside Nashville) and have two children, Landon, age 16 and Bailey, age 12. Eddie and Carolyn are quite busy, and have been described as "salt of the earth" people. I know of no one who would disagree.

Richard Robinson said...

First, let me explain my relationship to Eddie Graham. He is my father in-law, as I am married to his daughter, Frances Anne. Pat Walsh once told me that Eddie had an uncanny spell on broadcast equipment. According to Walsh, "equipment would simply refuse to malfunction in his presence." That's true, although sometimes as soon as he left the room, it would fall apart. Carolyn (Eddie's wife) retired from teaching elementary school in the Bryant School District in 2000 and Eddie sold his stations (KVRC AM 1240 and KDEL FM 100.9) and retired in August 2002. They bought another home just outside Arkadelphia, and added on additional space. These days, Eddie and Carolyn are active in First United Methodist Church, the Clark County Fair Board and other organizations. Eddie is a long-time member of the Arkadelphia Rotary Club. He hunts and fishes every chance he gets, which is often. In their spare time, they visit their children and grandchildren. The eldest son, Doug, is married to Margaret, and they have three children - Maddie, age 4, and twins William and Aaron, age 2. They live in Evergreen, Colorado. Fran and I live in Martin, Tennessee. Fran teaches dance classes and I am on the communications faculty at the University of Tennessee at Martin. We have no children together, although I have a daughter from a previous marriage. Larry and wife Gayle live in Franklin, Tennessee (outside Nashville) and have two children, Landon, age 16 and Bailey, age 12. Eddie and Carolyn are quite busy, and have been described as "salt of the earth" people. I know of no one who would disagree.