By TOM WILLIAMS

Walt Murphy died earlier this month.

A public relations specialist in his latter years, I first knew him when we worked together at WOND Radio in the 1960s and 1970s. I hosted the nighttime show and he was sales manager.

I should say, the sales manager with a great sense of humor and memorable laugh. He was especially close to the midday host and general manager of All American WOND – Mike Elliot – who died a few years ago. In fact, of the lineup of personalities who hosted shows on WOND back then, only Tom Lamaine and I are still alive.

Walt loved playing practical jokes.

The morning host – Bob Weems – had a show that was a little different musically from the rest of the day. He basically played “middle-of-the-road” songs on the “Top 40” station. There were certain songs he would never play, no matter how popular they were.

Walt and I conspired to cross him up. I recorded 60 seconds of the Mitch Ryder song, “Devil With A Blue Dress On”, (a song he would never have played) put it on a cart and numbered and labeled it. Walt took the cart, which had the name of a sponsor on the label, and placed it in the studio rack. He then wrote the cart number on the program log during Bob’s show.

We were both listening when he played the cart, thinking it was a commercial, and everybody heard, “Fee, fee, fi, fi, fo, fo, fum – look at Molly now, here she comes” with a blaring guitar in the background. It went on for 60 seconds, then there was brief silence. Bob finally opened his microphone and said, “Walt Murphy, do not return to this studio ever again.”

Walt and I also worked on special tapes that were played at Christmas parties, using outtakes from commercials and other tape to kid around with the people at the party.

When we both left WOND we kept in touch, occasionally getting together for lunch. And he developed an email network where he would send various items about history and many other subjects, including things he’d read elsewhere.

For instance – “I know it’s late notice, but a friend of mine has two tickets for the Super Bowl in Minneapolis, MN at the new U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday February 4th. They are great seats and he paid $3,500 per ticket, which includes the ride to and from the airport, lunch, dinner, a $400.00 bar tab and a pass to the winner’s locker room after the game. What he didn’t realize when he bought them last year was that it’s on the same day as his wedding. If you are interested, he is looking for someone to take his place. It’s at St. Paul’s Church at 3 pm. Her name is Ashley. She’s 5’4″, about 115 pounds, a good cook, loves to fish and hunt and will clean your truck. She’ll be the one in the white dress.”

And – “Today is the birthday of Dolly Parton, born in Sevier County, Tennessee (1946). She was one of 12 kids, born and raised in a little cabin in the Smoky Mountains. She grew up ‘dirt poor,’ in her words, and her father paid the doctor who delivered Dolly with a bag of oatmeal. Parton has never forgotten the poor people in the region where she grew up. Her theme park, Dollywood, is now the largest employer in Sevier County. She formed the Imagination Library, which sends a free book every month to every kid under the age of five. She’s donated money to hospitals and provided schools with much-needed technology. And after a wildfire devastated the region in late 2016, she hosted a telethon that raised 9 million dollars, which she used to financially support families who lost their homes in the fire. The My People fund will give each family a thousand dollars a month for the next six months.”

Or – ” There are people at my rallies, desperate people, desperate because they want jobs,” Donald Trump told his luncheon audience at the Detroit Economic Club. “Once they inherit millions from their father, they will never want a job again.”

Once, when filling i for the legendary Jack Breslin on WAYV he played a song by Crosby, Stills & Nash. “A great song by a classic group,” he said afterward. “But I don’t think they’ve been the same since Bing Crosby left the group.”

Don’t misunderstand, Walt was a pro whether in sales, public relations or during his time on the air. But he was a guy who lived a full life and had a lot of fun. And he wanted those around him to have fun, too. That was his motivation with the email messages, to bring some enjoyment to his family, friends and associates.

Here is one more – “In the afternoon, I went over to the local Bass Pro Shop to get a small 9mm handgun for home/personal protection. When I was ready to pay for the pistol and ammo, the cashier said, “Strip down, facing me.” Making a mental note to complain to the NRA about the gun control wackos running amok, I did just as she had instructed. When the hysterical shrieking and alarms finally subsided, I found out she was referring to how I should place my credit card in the card reader!!! As an intelligent senior citizen, I do not get flustered often. But this time, it took me a while to get my shirt and pants back on. I’ve been asked to shop elsewhere in the future. They need to make their instructions to seniors a little more clear. I still don’t think I looked that bad! Just need to wear underwear more often.” 

Walt Murphy will be missed. He was 88.