The Detroit Free Press
26 March 2010 -- Just after 9 a.m. today, Dick Purtan signed off into retirement giving his “eternal thanks” while playing his favorite song, “Softly, As I Leave You” by Frank Sinatra.
The final broadcast on WOMC-FM (104.3) ends the hall of fame broadcasting career punctuated by a historic 45-year run on five different AM and FM stations over the Detroit airwaves.
The final broadcast on WOMC-FM (104.3) ends the hall of fame broadcasting career punctuated by a historic 45-year run on five different AM and FM stations over the Detroit airwaves.
In his Ferndale studio with many of his six daughters, including “Purtan’s People” cohost Jackie Purtan, his wife Gail, and some of his grandchildren, Purtan used the last few minutes to thank the many people who worked with him over his career, the media, and his listeners, who he said became family as they followed him from station to station “whether I was playing music you liked or didn’t.”
Purtan started the morning driving to work with his wife, who came to the studio for the very first time in his long broadcasting reign. They were escorted into the WOMC studio by police.
Old friends, regular guests, classic jingles and parodies, and best-of bits and memories filled Purtan’s final week, and today’s show was no different. The final hour included Bob Seger and debonair Channel 2 anchor Huel Perkins.
Purtan played clips from his first Detroit gig at WKNR (“Keener” 13) where the cranked-up verbal barrage was perhaps the only significant contrast to his signature style of today. After playing the clip, Purtan said he didn’t hear “much of a difference, maybe a little faster talking then, but I’m still as confused now as I was then,” he joked.
Purtan, who is credited for mastering the modern morning radio format through a variety of satire, put-on-calls, parodies, characters, and all sorts of improv fun, even spent some of his last minutes humming — horribly — to one of his new favorite musical acts, Celtic Thunder, and its cover of the classic Foreigner song “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
No official announcement has been made about Purtan’s replacement on WOMC, but earlier in the week he said that he expected an interim host to be on the airwaves on Monday.
Purtan made sure to remind fans that although he won’t be waking metro Detroiters up every morning anymore, he plans to stay connected with them. After some sleep and perhaps a vacation “longer than a week,” he said he’s eager to get busy on his Web site, DickPurtan.com where he will be blogging regularly and communicating with fans.
Purtan will also be writing a book about his radio career. Fans can stay up to date on its progress through the Web site. Information on cohosts (Big) Al Muskavito, Purtan’s daughter Jackie, Rebekah Rhodes and Larry Lawson and all of “Purtan’s People” will be available at the Web site, too.
It’s been an “amazing, wonderful journey” Purtan said right before playing Sinatra’s song.
Purtan started the morning driving to work with his wife, who came to the studio for the very first time in his long broadcasting reign. They were escorted into the WOMC studio by police.
Old friends, regular guests, classic jingles and parodies, and best-of bits and memories filled Purtan’s final week, and today’s show was no different. The final hour included Bob Seger and debonair Channel 2 anchor Huel Perkins.
Purtan played clips from his first Detroit gig at WKNR (“Keener” 13) where the cranked-up verbal barrage was perhaps the only significant contrast to his signature style of today. After playing the clip, Purtan said he didn’t hear “much of a difference, maybe a little faster talking then, but I’m still as confused now as I was then,” he joked.
Purtan, who is credited for mastering the modern morning radio format through a variety of satire, put-on-calls, parodies, characters, and all sorts of improv fun, even spent some of his last minutes humming — horribly — to one of his new favorite musical acts, Celtic Thunder, and its cover of the classic Foreigner song “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
No official announcement has been made about Purtan’s replacement on WOMC, but earlier in the week he said that he expected an interim host to be on the airwaves on Monday.
Purtan made sure to remind fans that although he won’t be waking metro Detroiters up every morning anymore, he plans to stay connected with them. After some sleep and perhaps a vacation “longer than a week,” he said he’s eager to get busy on his Web site, DickPurtan.com where he will be blogging regularly and communicating with fans.
Purtan will also be writing a book about his radio career. Fans can stay up to date on its progress through the Web site. Information on cohosts (Big) Al Muskavito, Purtan’s daughter Jackie, Rebekah Rhodes and Larry Lawson and all of “Purtan’s People” will be available at the Web site, too.
It’s been an “amazing, wonderful journey” Purtan said right before playing Sinatra’s song.
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