Doug Bell

Anyone who ever worked at WBT/WBTV joined a very special family. 

I have good memories of the days when I was growing up in Gastonia, N. C., and became determined to some day work at BT. And I got that opportunity in 1956. I was only 25 and my first time on WBT radio was at eight o'clock one Saturday morning following Grady Cole. There was Grady, a legend long before then. I sat down in the same seat where he had been broadcasting, getting ready to make a station break and do a commercial. Grady was gathering his material. He said, "Are you a bit nervous, son?" "Yes," I replied. He said, "Don’t let it bother you. You are talking to the same people you have been, only maybe a few thousand more." Well, that was encouraging.

Even though it has been almost 50 years ago. I remember it as if it were this morning. There I was, a young fellow working with Grady Cole, Clyde, Jim, Doug, Bob, Fletcher, Jack, Arthur, Alan, Betty, Charles Crutchfield—and those were the on-the-air people. There were so many who played very important parts in making WBT work—they never were on the air or on TV but they were very special people, an extended family.

My wife and I were in Florida one vacation. I had a WBT tag on the front of the car.  I pulled into a gas station. (Remember them? When someone pumped your gas, wiped your windshield, checked your water and oil, and tires—all for the price of the gasoline?) This service station man saw the tag and said, "Do you know Grady Cole?" I answered, "Yes, I work with him." The man was full of praise for Grady, and would not accept any payment for the gas. The magic of the old days of radio!

I see their pictures now…and think…they can’t be that old. Then I look in the mirror and say—oh, yes, we can. I remember how sad Bill Melson was when he became 30 years old. He thought life was at its end. I miss those who have gone before us. I look forward to seeing them again. Some day.

It would be difficult to say just how much being there [at WBT] meant to me….and especially how friendly and nice the people (well…most of them) were. Even though all businesses have changed so much, those days were so special. It was not work, it was a pleasure to just be a part of it then, and I am sure those who work there now will think the same some day.

I am going to look at some of the staff photos and identify as many as I can remember. Lee Kirby had passed on before my days there. I will never forget meeting him in the Wilder Building studios. Kurt Webster…so many others. So many stories and memories…of the "Golden Days" of radio and TV.

We need to share them, there won’t be another time or place to compare with Jefferson Standard Broadcasting.  (Our first son, Kevin, was born in 1957. One evening when my wife came to pick me up, we ran into Grady Cole in the TV control room as he was leaving. He pulled out a huge roll of bills and took a dollar bill and tried to give it to Kevin. Kevin would not take it. Grady laughed and said, "He will learn better." Our second son, Jeff, was born in 1959. His full name is Jeffery Scott Bell. I've always told him JSB was for Jefferson Standard Broadcasting.) 

I have been doing some work with George Townsend, the webmaster for a Perry Como web site.   George tells me he thinks it could be that Perry Como— who had homes in the BT listening area: in Long Island, NY, near Tryon, NC, and in Jupiter, Florida—had a hand in Kurt’s playing the Ted Weems "Heartaches" recording, which helped Ted Weems make a comeback.  (Perry had been a vocalist with Weems in the early 30s.) I only wish I had been able to ask Kurt if that were true.

I remember, on Saturday nights when I would do about three hours of recordings [on WBT], I would get a weekly telephone call from the Miami Police Chief, from his yacht. The first time, I thought it was a prankster.  

Looking over the web site, I am reminded of many events, and people who seemed to be larger than most.

I worked with Paul Marion at WSOC in 1950. He was program director and hired me. He loved smoking a cigarette more than anyone I ever knew.  He would have two burning at one time, and he would take a great big breath an inhale the smoke and slowly let it out—as he scratched the back of his left shoulder with his right hand. He was a great guy. Paul was called back into the Air Force for the Korean conflict. When he returned from service, we were disappointed when he went to BT, rather than back to WSOC.

Larry Walker came to WSOC to get [FCC approval to operate] Channel Nine. I was program director at that time, and we worked very hard on the applications, and the program schedule and the records of public service WSOC had. It was a privilege to be associated with Larry. His wife Pat had sung at the Metropolitan Opera. She and I did commercial programs for Celanese. I always enjoyed Pat, Larry, and his two sisters and his nephew. They went to our church.

Larry had stopped driving at that time. Pat would bring him to WSOC and pick him up to take him home. I lived only a few blocks farther and went past his apartment. Often he would ask me when I was going home, and could he ride with me. I of course said yes, anytime. That gave me an insight. I might never have known of Larry Walker and his past. A most honorable man. Always a smile, and his left arm around your shoulder to say hello or "come in the office." I learned much of his past but was not really aware of all that he had done, [so did not know] to question him further. The Doheneys [Pat's incredibly wealthy family, in Los Angeles]; the Teapot Dome scandal... Mrs. Doheney had a dentist office in their home. She bought a Cadillac, one of the first without a running board. She had an automatic one installed. They had a Japanese gardener who kept the grounds in perfect condition, and many other servants. The Walker mountain home at Blowing Rock. What as nice place, and the view from the porch: Wow...straight down...it would take your breath away.

Nelson Benton was the promotion director at WSOC. He produced a program "Mama Goes Shopping" for Diamond Matches and Texize Cleaner. I was the host. We taped in various grocery stores in the area. Patti Greene made up the question of the day. One program’s question was, ”Do you mind if your husband puts his business before you?” I did not realize the double meaning until I heard the tape broadcast.  

I left to go to WBT in the summer of 1956. My first day at BT was the day of the summer picnic. What a way to work. Crutchfield was in a poolside chair and called me over to introduce himself. He told me not to think every day at WBT was like that one. In a way, it was—a picnic.

The following days and years he relied on me for some of his projects, as he did on so many others.  His stories of how they used to try to breakup the announcers were great. He said, "I would fire them if they did that now." He  had me sit in the studio when he did his editorials. He said he wanted to know if he made any mistakes. HA.

The last time I saw him was shortly before he died. We went to the same clinic. One day he told me the Observer had sent a female reporter to interview him about today’s WBT. With tears in his eyes, he said, "Doug, I worked all my life building that station, and now they are tearing it down brick by brick." He was so concerned about Pee Wee [Mrs. Crutchfield]. His doctor had wanted to perform heart surgery on him, but he refused, saying he had to take care of Pee Wee.     

What a great life I have had. How else would I have been able to know, meet and associate with so many outstanding people. It is true: when you work with better people—as on a sports team—you get better.    

I attend the luncheons at [the Charlotte Cafe, Park Road Shopping Center]. I would very much like to be made aware of the other meetings, at the [Prime Sirloin] steak house, or whatever, at Billy Graham and I-85 . Please have someone put me on the reminder list for those. The Park Road lunches are good for the soul.