My mind is flooded with memories from the last 65 years, mostly those of my radio days. This weekend marks the launching of my lengthy radio career at WDOD, Chattanooga’s first radio station.

Prior to joining the WDOD Staff, June 4, 1965, I worked at WAPO radio helping Gus Chamberlain with the Lookouts games and writing some commercials, but mostly performing tasks to assist the staff and loving every minute of it.

The three years at WAPO left this writer with many memories including the night Dinah Shore stopped by the station in the Read House basement to thank the announcers for playing her records. She was staying overnight at the hotel but didn’t want to go on the air. The television star and singer gave all of a kiss and returned to her room.

I was about to graduate from Kirkman Technical High School and didn’t know what the future held. Shortly before graduation from the downtown school, Erwin O’Conner, an employee of WAPO, told me about a job opening at WDOD. He said a friend of his was leaving the station for another market. I asked my father to call Ernie Feagans, WDOD general manager. Dad knew Ernie from their teenage years in North Chattanooga.

Ernie said to dad, “Send Earl over; I think we can find him a job.” The morning of graduation I went to the station. Ernie and his chief engineer Gene Landeau hired me and that’s where the radio memories began.

Our family had a vacation planned to Hot Springs, Ar., but I was more excited about the new adventure that was about to change the rest of my life.

Saturday morning, June 4, I arrived at the WDOD Studios on Baylor School Road about 8:30. My short training was with veteran announcer Tom Hogue. It’s Tom’s fault that I learned where the coffee pot was located and never forgot it. Rev. Gwin Cofield was on the air with his weekly program “Gospel Favorites.” After the 11:00 CBS News, it was my turn. WDOD still broadcast a lot of CBS radio programming, but when they played music it was country.

A lot of announcers changed their name but Mr. Feagans said he wanted me to keep my real name, Earl Freudenberg, because my family was well known in Chattanooga, being in the grocery business on North Market Street since the turn of the century.

After all these years I remember some of the first songs that I played. There was “Blue Kentucky Girl,” by Loretta Lynn, “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail,” by Buck Owens, “King of the Road,” by Roger Miller, “You’re the Only World I Know” by Sonny James, and Jim Reeves', “Is it Really Over.”

The number one song that week was sung by Eddy Arnold but written by the Hamilton County courthouse blind concession stand operator Billy Joe Moore. I played his song, “What’s He Doing in my World?” and before the hour was over Mr. Moore called to tell me thank you. I was very nervous but by noon Mr. Hogue handed me his home telephone number and said, “You have the hang of things, I’m going home, if you have a problem don’t hesitate to call.”

The next six hours, I was broadcasting “alone” on Chattanooga’s first radio station, the station of Chuck Simpson, Ernie Feagans, George Goble, Homer and Jethro, and Archie Campbell.

The next day it started all over at 5:00 and my shift would last until 6:30 that evening. There were several religious programs; some CBS shows and the worship service live from the First Presbyterian Church on McCallie Avenue. After the service ended I had my first conversation with the pastor, Dr. James L. Fowle, one of Chattanooga’s most popular and respected preachers. The telephone call went something like, young man I take it this is your first Sunday at WDOD? Did they tell you our service doesn’t end until I pray and say Amen? I told Dr. Fowle it wouldn’t happen again. I’d cut the service at 11:59:30 and it wasn’t supposed to end until the pastor said amen, no matter how long it ran. It was my second day on the job and I’d messed up big time on the service that was Chattanooga’s oldest radio program. The worship hour had been on the air since the station signed on in 1925.

WDOD had been playing country music for about a year when I joined the team. The summer of 1965 began a trip on my broadcast road that eventually led me to Germany and back. My career included working with some of the best broadcasters in Chattanooga. They included Gaylord McPherson, Luther Masingill, Jolly Cholly Chuck Kraus, Ray Hobbs, Bill Nash, Darrell Patterson, Randy Smith and the list goes on. WDOD’s longtime engineer S. Parks Hall was the best; he kept me on the air almost until the end.

During those early years I worked every weekend; there were Saturday afternoon visits from county music greats, Merle Travis, Crystal Gayle, Jean Shepherd and Lynn Anderson. Ms. Anderson had just recorded her top ten song, “If I kissed you, would you go away.” Thanks to promoter Gene Goforth, the song was introduced to Chattanooga on our Saturday afternoon program. The next thing I knew, Ms. Anderson was singing on the Lawrence Welk Show. As a young announcer, I was as nervous as my guests.

Those early years brought live remote broadcast from just about every car lot on Rossville Boulevard. There was Bert Brown Ford, Parker Warren Chrysler, and used car lots owned by Joe Burcham and Fay Sims.

When announcer Ray Hobbs got sick in the summer of 1967, there was the Sunday live remote from Lake Winnepesaukah. Tammy Wynette was the featured singer and she came by our broadcast table for a short interview. Ms. Wynette was riding high on the charts with a top ten Epic record, “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad.”

There was the time in April, 1974, when Johnny Cash was late for his Tivoli Theater concert and he asked me to park his car. Cash said he’d stopped at George’s Hamburgers; some customers recognized him and ask if he’d get his guitar and sing for them, and Cash did.

I was honored to work at WDEF Radio, and, yes, there was a “Luther and Earl show” after the un-expected death of Jolly Cholly.

News director, reporter, talk show host, announcer-DJ; they were all part of my career.

The U.S. Army C-131 plane landed in Frankfurt, Germany in 1972-73 where I was honored to broadcast over the American Forces Network, Europe. During the 18 months, this writer made many memories, working with some of radio’s top broadcasters.

They gave me a program on the network (Town and Country) without hearing my audition tape. That had to have been a God thing; my mother and grandmother's prayers had followed me to Europe.

Two special Chattanooga friends that helped this writer make memories were the late Clyde Hawkins and his assistant David Johnson, both managers of the Memorial Auditorium - Tivoli Theater. Mr. Hawkins made it possible for me to sit next to America’s favorite clown, Red Skelton, during a Choo Choo news conference in 1979.

Mr. Johnson took me to the Tivoli back stage to the dressing room for an interview with Buddy Murrow. The famous trombone player was in Chattanooga to lead the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra for a Tivoli concert. We talked about his number one song, “Night Train,” the only tune he led the band in outside the Dorsey songbook.

There was the conversation that surprised everyone and what a memory it was. Musician Jay Craven was a very special friend who arranged a special interview with Dave Brubeck. The “Take Five” artist was staying at the Read House before a Tivoli concert with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra.

My favorite memory would be the many hours spent doing research on a Chattanooga connection to Dr. Billy Graham, known around the world for his evangelistic crusades. I found out that News Free Press reporter George Burnham covered Dr. Graham during his Chattanooga visits and later traveled with the evangelist to Europe and they went together behind the Iron Curtain. Special thanks go to Mr. Burnham’s daughter, Lynnne, for providing this writer with dozens of articles about Dr. Graham, written by her dad.

In 2016, WDEF TV weatherman Chip Chapman surprised me when he came to the radio station, telling me Tennessee broadcasters had inducted me into the prestigious Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame. Although I thought I’d unplugged the microphone a few weeks later, during the last 10 years there have been many volunteer hours at WDYN radio. Thanks to station manager Tom Sneed, the station continues to air the “Hey Earl Sunday Morning Gospel Show” from 7-9 a.m. with co- host Hamilton County Trustee Bill Hullander.

During my time at WDYN, I was able to make a few interview memories with some Gospel Legends. They include, Bill Gaither, James Blackwood, Hovie Lister, Ben Speer, Pat Boone, Doug Oldham and Vietnam POW Roger Ingvalson.

I love my broadcasting buddies Jed Mescon and J.R. “Jim” Reynolds. They allow me to share more of my memories on WGOW FM, Talk Radio 102.3.

Although I’ve spent almost a lifetime in radio, several Chattanooga newspaper giants offered me a lot of advice. They include Lee Anderson, Julius Parker, J.B. Collins, Ruth Holmberg, Mike Loftin and Col. John Popham. Several times Mr. Parker invited me to join him at the Quickie Restaurant across from the downtown Federal Building before he’d cover trials. He told about reporting on the famous 1964 Jimmy Hoffa Jury tampering trial. I only wish I’d recorded the conversation. When I needed a good laugh I’d call radio legend turned newspaper man Buddy Hoots.

These newspaper legends raised the money in 1983 to send this news director to the SDX - Journalistic Society convention in Milwaukee. It was CBS' year and we got to meet Walter Cronkite, Eric Sevareid, Dan Rather, Charles Osgood and all the rest. When I shook hands with Mr. Cronkite, he wanted to talk about my German name.

While SDX president, after many telephone calls, former newspaper reporter Tom Griscom brought Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker to one of our meetings to talk about his photography hobby. During President Reagan’s time in the White House, Griscom became a behind the scene person helping this writer in the WDOD news department.

Photographers Tommy Eason, George Moody, George Baker and Cecil Pierce taught me how to line up individuals in pictures for the Forgotten Child Fund and Armed Forces Week Committees, organizations I worked with for over 30 years. Mr. Moody wanted all the tall individuals in the middle.

Television news anchor David Carroll (and radio broadcaster at heart) emphasized many times the importance of saving pictures. It's David’s fault I’ve collected over 28,000 photos since he came by my house years ago looking for pictures for his first book.

Icing on my lengthy career cake is writing stories for the Chattanoogan.com. Publisher John Wilson has printed several hundred of my lifetime memories covering at least six decades. What an honor.

Special thanks go to retired radio station owner Ben Cagle and his late wife Jayne, who have posted a lot of “Hey Earl” conversations on YouTube. Those memories include Country icon Roy Acuff, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Charles Coolidge and General Carl Levi.

Last year, we made a lot of memories when the Chattanooga Bar Association gave this writer the nationally acclaimed Liberty Bell Award. Special thanks go to Judges Clarence Shattuck and Russell Bean.

Most important are the thousands of listeners and readers who have shared with me dozens of their memories. They include the year the Tennessee River at Ross’ Landing froze over and the massive ice storm of 1960.

The memories all started coming together in the summer of 1965 at WDOD, the state’s second radio station; the station located on the banks of the beautiful Tennessee River.

After 86 years of broadcasting, WDOD AM signed off the air in May of 2011. A few years ago I went back to the site where the city’s first radio station was located. The property is now owned by neighboring Baylor School. I told the guard, “The towers and block building are gone, but there are a lot of memories buried under that sod.” He responded, “…and you put a few hundred of them there.”

For the past five years this writer has been sharing memories with friends who use the services of Chattanooga Funeral Home, North Chapel. Some of those memories go back to my elementary school years in White Oak.

I’m reminded of the old hymn, “Precious Memories, how they linger, how they ever flood my soul.” Family and friends pass on, but memories are a gift from God that can’t be taken away. So celebrate your anniversaries and memories connected with them.

As David Carroll told me, “It’s never too late to start collecting pictures and writing stories; making memories that will last a lifetime and beyond." Yes, they are important.