Wednesday, October 3, 2012 – Crook & Chase lead the list of country radio personnel going into the 2013 Country Radio Hall of Fame, the CRS Board of Directors announced Wednesday.
Gaylon Christie is the Radio category inductee, and Dr. Don Carpenter, Crook & Chase, Eddie Edwards and Bill "Dex" Poindexter are the On-Air category inductees.
The Country Radio Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of those individuals who have made significant contributions to the radio industry over a 20-year period, 15 of which must be in the country format.
"Induction into the Country Radio Hall of Fame signifies a lifetime of excellence and achievement, and this year's class of inductees personifies those qualities at the highest level," said CRS Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Charlie Morgan.
Christie is a Holland, Texas, native with a 50-year history in the country radio business. His career began as a teen DJ at a Temple, Texas, radio station and included stints as a station manager, executive manager and long-time owner of a country station serving the Fort Hood area. In 2000, Christie sold the station, but continued as a DJ at KUSJ until 2004.
Born in Tulsa, Okla., Carpenter left his career as a veterinarian more than 30 years ago for a career in country radio. His first job came at KFSB in Joplin, Mo., with stops in Tampa, Des Moines and Pittsburgh before landing at Detroit's WOW-FM, which would later become WYCD. In addition to hosting his "Dr. Don Morning Show," Carpenter has written "The Dr. Don Prepsheet" for almost 20 years.
"Crook & Chase Radio" launched in 1987 with the nationally syndicated "Crook & Chase Minutes," hosted by Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase. In 1989, the pair was chosen to host TNN's weekly 4-hour "Nashville Record Review," which aired nationally and internationally in Japan, the United Kingdom and parts of Europe. Now in their 25th consecutive year on national radio, Crook & Chase continue to host "Crook & Chase Countdown," which can be heard on more than 225 radio stations in the U.S. and overseas.
Edwards' radio career began in 1971 and includes work as an on-air personality in 11 different cities, including Nashville, Los Angeles and New Orleans. Edwards has served as a DJ at New Orleans' WNOE for nearly 20 years. He has received the "DJ of the Year" award from the CMA, ACM and the Gavin Report and played harmonica on stage for acts including Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Sawyer Brown and Gary Allan.
A native of Chattanooga, Tenn., Pondexter began his career in high school, but has been part of the US-101 afternoon show since 1994. One of the original hosts of "The Dave & Dex Show," Poindexter currently co-hosts the station's "The Dex & Mo Show" with Melissa Turner. They were honored with the CMA's Radio Personality of the Year Award in 2010, marking his third time receiving the honor.
The class of 2013 will be officially inducted at a dinner ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013 at the Nashville Convention Center. The Country Radio Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony unofficially kicks off Country Radio Seminar each year. CRS 2013 is held Feb. 27-March 1, 2013.
