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Post by John Quincy on Mar 16, 2005 13:23:57 GMT -5
Just got off the phone with former WAKY DJ John W. "Dude" Walker. He's having major surgery on Monday, March 21. Even though the operation is serious, Dude is upbeat and is keeping a positive outlook.
He didn't ask me to write this, but I'd like to ask all WAKY fans to say an extra prayer for Dude and that he makes it through okay.
Dude also checks out this Website on a regular basis, so if you have something to say to him...or about him...I'm sure he'd appreciate it.
I'll start. Dude is one of the nicest, most caring of the ex-WAKY guys I've talked to. He's been one of the biggest supporters of the WAKY tribute site. If there ever was a true southern gentleman (he's from Memphis) Dude is one. He was also one of the best WAKY middays jocks in the history of the station.
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Post by Max on Mar 16, 2005 14:08:42 GMT -5
Dude, I sure don't know what your health concerns are, but if John thought they were important enough to briefly mention them, I assure you I, as all the WAKY faithful, are praying for you. I had sent the Duke a card telling him I was praying for him and the Lord has responded with giving him an improving health. Thanks so much for all you have done to make the Super 79 an irreplaceable legend. It was great to see your pic with Bill and we all look forward to seeing and hearing from you soon!
Max Highbaugh
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Post by Dude Walker on Mar 18, 2005 10:45:37 GMT -5
Just wanted to take thr time to thank John Quincy for everything he has done for me and WAKY. He has done a wonderful job and brought back a lot of great memories. I also want to thank Max for his kind words. I am looking forward to making it through my surgery Monday morning and hopefully have a chance to meet John Quincy and maybe we can have a reunion of all the WAKY jocks, I have no doubt that despite his health problems, Bill Bailey could still do a great show. He had me laughing the whole time I visited him. God bless you all and thanks for caring. Dude Walker
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Post by gary major on Mar 19, 2005 9:55:08 GMT -5
Having gone thru some major health concerns myself, my prayers are with Dude...when I came to Louisville, I moved into apartments managed by his stepfather (i think..i know there was a connection) and of course was on WKLO 6p-10p...Dude also managed the world famous group Monkey Meeks which is referenced on the 1973 WKLO composite...GOOD LUCK DUDE..GOD IS WITH YOU
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Post by dude walker on Mar 19, 2005 11:25:12 GMT -5
Just wanted to thank John, Max and Gary for their thoughts and prayers. Gary is right . My step dad and mother did manage an apartment complex. Unfortunately, they are both gone now. By the way Gary, I never worked a WKLO just WAKY, my favorite radio station of all times. I did, however, manage Monkey Meeks and their record made it to the top 100 in Billboard. Thanks again for you kind words and thoughts. God bless. Dude Walker
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Post by Tom Prestigiacomo on Mar 19, 2005 12:40:29 GMT -5
Hang in there, Dude. We're all pullin' for you.
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Post by Travis on Mar 19, 2005 13:31:55 GMT -5
While I never really got to know Dude Walker all that well, he is certainly well remembered and I'm wishing him the best on Monday. I do have one regret in that I may have upset him back in 1972 during one of his "Help the Dude help Saint Jude" events. The late Kevin Goemmer would often pay me to fill in for him to record high school sports correspondents who were phoning in to report the outcome of games at their respective high schools. On one such night, Dude Walker was on the air raising money for Saint Jude Childrens Hospital. Danny Thomas had even recorded customized promos asking everyone to "help the Dude help St. Jude." I was behind the board in the newsroom and could see Dude at work. As I was waiting for the correspondents (students) to call, I was playing with the mic and a cart machine (recording my voice, playing it back, recording something else, playing it back, etc.) As I looked at Dude with all that money around him, an evil thought came to mind and I recorded another liner onto the cart. The cart cued and just as I fired it to hear the playback, Kevin Goemmer walked into the newsroom and heard what I had recorded. Kevin and I were both 17 at the time and full of mischief. He just had to call Dude Walker on the board (the newsroom and control room communicated through a circuit wired to the cue speakers) and ask him to bring up the newsroom on the board's audition channel. Dude did just that and Kevin fired the cart. This is what I had recorded:
"The Dude skips town with St. Jude's money. Details at twenty past the hour on W-A-K-Y 20-20 news."
Kevin and I were grinning like weasels as we awaited Dude's reaction through the plate glass window which separated the newsroom from the control room. But, it was beginning to sink in that the Dude was NOT amused. He showed no reaction to my bogus news teaser. Instead, he remained facing forward, returned the monitor from AUD to AIR mode and then just looked down. Kevin and I went into the control room and Dude very calmly lectured us on what the consequences may have been if my message had inadvertently got on the air. WAKY was a very popular station in those days. A lot of people listened and if that cart had played on the air... I shudder to think about it to this day.
I've always been grateful to Dude for the way in which he handled the matter. He could have tore me up with that powerful voice of his, alone, but instead handled the situation in a way that fits how he has been described by those who know him well. Johnny Randolph has described him as a very straight ahead guy, very much a family man with good moral and religious fiber about him (WAKY Remembered - 2003) and when I think back to that night in 1972, it's so true. After Dude explained the possible consequences which may have erupted, had my recording got on the air, I felt so bad that I reached into my pocket and gave him the only few dollars I had as a contribution to St. Jude. I was an unemployed 17 year old at the time and that money was intended to get something from Leo's Restaurant later that night, but I just felt that I had to give it to the Dude and St. Jude, after that recording.
By the way, Leo's Restaurant was a 24-7 establishment that was used quite frequently by WAKY personnel; especially, evening, weekend and overnight personnel, because it was about the only place that was OPEN and close by. In fact, if you look at the photo of Mason Lee Dixon at the bottom of Photos-Page4 (second photo up from the bottom) you will see the typical Leo's package. An unmarked white bag (behind Mason's right elbow) and the typical unmarked styrofoam coffee cup, which Mason is about to knock over onto the remote buttons that fire the cart machines. The late, great Jim Miller often referred to Leo's as the Ptomaine Palace, but it was the only place to go.
Again. Best wishes to Dude Walker on Monday. I'll certainly be thinking of him.
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Post by John Quincy on Mar 21, 2005 19:44:48 GMT -5
Just got a call from Dude Walker's son. I'm delighted to say that Dude made it though his surgery okay and is doing well.
On behalf of Dude and his family, thank you for all of your prayers.
(There was a good chance this operation could have killed him. His uncle -- who had similar pre-existing conditions -- had this same procedure and didn't make it.)
Prayer works.
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Post by Max on Mar 22, 2005 8:42:26 GMT -5
Amen to that, brother! Dude, the Duke, and prayer...a winning combination! Two legends that will be around for some time to come!
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gmam680
New Member
Last Program Director of AM1080 WKLO
Posts: 5
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Post by gmam680 on Mar 22, 2005 9:25:29 GMT -5
amen Max...our God is an awesome God!!!
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Post by Dude Walker on Mar 24, 2005 23:13:13 GMT -5
I just wanted to take some time to thank everyone who prayed for me. PRAYER DOES WORK. I am very grateful to everyone for their messages and their prayers. Thanks especially to John Quincy for keeping every one informed. The doctors tell me that if I had not had this operation I would definatley have had a massive stroke. I am still in a lot of pain but because of all the kind words and prayers the pain is something I can handle. I thank God for all your kind thoughts and for caring so much. You are all wonderful people and I am grateful to all of you. My brain should be healed within 6 months. God Bless, Dude Walker
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Post by Travis on May 30, 2005 7:34:27 GMT -5
Dude Walker's 'Talking Letter' from 1972 (located on the FEATURES page) is a must hear for anyone who's ever thought of becoming a radio DJ in hopes of making lots of money and becoming famous.
Granted. There are some who have actually succeeded in doing so, but a great many of us can relate to Dude's words which are just as true today as they were then. I only wish he had written it in 1971 and mailed it to ME!!!
And, believe it or not, Clear Channel Communications did not even exist at the time that Dude recorded the letter. (Just had to throw that in for all you triple-C bashers out there)
Check it out. Dude Walker's '1972 Talking Letter' in Features.
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Post by Dude Walker on May 30, 2005 10:59:06 GMT -5
Thanks Travis. You always hit the nail right on the head. I am very thankful that I got into TV before all of the changes in radio. I wasn't a star but everyone in Memphis knows who I am and the money was very good. I started out in radio making $60 a week and when I left radio I had worked my way up to $45,000 a year. I did radio here in the morning for that amount and then had a great offer from WREG TV where I stayed until my health problems put me on long term disability. Thanks for listening to my letter and I look forward to more of your insights. Dude
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Post by Travis on Mar 21, 2006 4:48:07 GMT -5
Insert Bob Todd stager here: "BOOM! One Year Ago, Today" Yes. It was one year ago today that John W. "Dude" Walker went under the surgeon's knife for a critical heart procedure and... SURVIVED!! I can remember reading John Quincy's initial post (at the top of this thread) and thinking that we may lose him. My thoughts were based on the old adage that only the good die young and the Dude is certainly among the good ones. Described as a man of good moral & religious fiber, and certainly a devoted family man, his work in helping Danny Thomas raise money for Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital (i.e. Help the Dude help Saint Jude) is what I remember most about him. When I first learned of Dude Walker's heart condition (WAKY Remembered, 2003) I was a bit surprised. When I was running the halls at WAKY in '72, it was said that Dude Walker guarded his health. In the refrigerator of WAKY's breakroom there was the usual junk: slices of pizza more than 6 months old, open cans & bottles of stale pop, an assortment of stuff with green hair growing on it (okay, so I'm stretching it a bit). I’m certain I even saw beer in there. But... to one side of the refrigerator there was an assortment of fruits, vegatables & juices. "Don't touch any of that" said Kevin Goemmer, who ran WAKY's public affairs programming on Sunday mornings at the time, "That's Walker's. He only eats good stuff.” Kevin always referred to Dude Walker by his last name and I heeded his advice. Dude Walker was supposedly not one for drinking as well, which played a part in the story of how Johnny Randolph went from being assistant program director to program director. If you haven’t heard the story check out the audio and/or video of the 2005 WAKY-WKLO mini-reunion. Again, I was surprised to learn of Dude Walker’s heart condition, given what I had heard about him during my run of the WAKY studios. But, even the Dude is not perfect. There is clearly a cigarette in his hand in one of the images that can be seen in the photo section of this website (Photos - Page 7, at the time of this writing). That image was taken a year after my findings in the WAKY refrigerator. Still, it’s good to have him with us and I look forward to seeing him again at the upcoming 2006 WAKY-WKLO reunion.
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Post by dudewalker1 on Mar 21, 2006 11:17:08 GMT -5
Travis, you are very kind. Thank you for your comments. My health problems are handed down from my mother's side of the family. I have had three heart attacks, five bypasses on my heart, an artificial artery from my heart to my legs and bypass surgery on my carotid artery in my neck. My mother and her father and two brothers all died at 62 and didn't smoke. I am 62 now and if I make it to april 26th I will be 63 and will have outlived them all. I not only planing on outliving them but I look forward to the reunion on July 22nd. I will see you there. Thanks again for remembering. Best always, Dude Walker
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Post by bruiser on Mar 21, 2006 13:21:12 GMT -5
Dayum!! You go Dude!!!
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Post by Travis on Apr 26, 2006 16:50:18 GMT -5
Happy Birthday to John W. "Dude" Walker. If you look at the second post above, you'll see that John has just set a milestone.
A recent issue of TIME Magazine featured an article which suggested that a baby born today may well live to be more than 100 years of age. While it's true that procedures, such as those underwent by John, are far more advanced than those that may have been performed on his mother, her father and two brothers, I'm sure he will tell you that his faith played a major role in getting him this far.
Happy Birthday, Dude. Keep the Faith.
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Post by bruiser on Apr 26, 2006 19:20:08 GMT -5
Hope you had a Happy Birthday!!!
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Post by dudewalker1 on Apr 27, 2006 16:38:17 GMT -5
I just waanted to thank all of the wonderful people who were kind enough to e-mail me and put posts on here about my 63rd Birthday. I had a great day and am now the oldest living male on my mother's side of the family. Thanks to all of you for making this one of my favorite Birthdays, God Bless, Dude walker
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Post by Tom Prestigiacomo on Feb 7, 2007 17:56:51 GMT -5
Dude Walker was a guest on George Kleins' TV show last week. They talked old Memphis and old Louisville radio. It was great to see two professionals talk (wistfully, sometimes) about those great days of being on the air. JQ, I'll forward a DVD to you when it clears the tube. It's about 6 minutes long.
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Post by John Quincy on Feb 7, 2007 22:16:03 GMT -5
Thanks Tom! Good to see your name on the board again.
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Post by Tom Prestigiacomo on Feb 8, 2007 15:13:08 GMT -5
You're welcome and, you know me; I never write unless I really have something to say.
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Post by dudewalker1 on Feb 14, 2007 11:18:21 GMT -5
I must say that Tom Prestigiacomo is a true professional as well as a wonderful human being. I enjoyed being with him on George Klein's TV show. I t was a delight o see Tom as always. He is my wife's favorite DJ. It's hard to believe when I met Tom I was 26 years old. ON April 26th I will be 64. Where has the time gone? At least I will always have the great memories of having worked at WAKY and the awesome guys that I worked with. Life is good! best always, Dude Walker
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Post by Max on Apr 27, 2007 19:48:00 GMT -5
Not that there is anything significant about this item, but it does bring to mind part of Dude's past...this from Radio Daily News:
"CHUM Radio is introducing the Emerging Indie Artist Initiative, a program designed to bring new Canadian talent to audiences across Canada"
And for the sake of those not familiar with Dude's career, CHUM is the station that finally pulled him away from WAKY (the nerve!).
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Post by Max on Nov 29, 2007 9:52:31 GMT -5
As I am having my morning cup of coffee, I am listening to one of the segments of Dude's Christmas memories on WAKYOnline. I think I've likened Dude to Earl Hamner (The Waltons) and just listening to Dude's demeanor and delivery you can just picture his stories. For me, it has become as much a Christmas tradition to listen to Dude as it is to watch Rudolph and Charlie Brown. Dude is such a grand storyteller that just listening to him brings to mind the simpler times and his recordings have as much a place in Christmas lore as the Christmas variety shows of Bing Crosby, Andy Williams and Perry Como. If you've not heard any of these, go to 79waky.com/christmas.htm or highbaugh.goatley.com/dudechristmas.html . Merry Christmas Dude, my friend...Merry Christmas. And thanks for sharing and being a part of our holiday memories as well.
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Post by dudewalker1 on Dec 4, 2007 10:02:10 GMT -5
Max you are very kind, I don't think that I deserve to be mentioned in the same entry as the people you mentioned but I thank you anyway. The time we have spent together I have found you to be a very caring and wonderful human being. I wish you the best and hope you and your wife and everyone who comes to this awesome site a wonderful Christmas and the happiest of new years. And yes Max you are my friend, God bless, Dude Walker
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Post by John Quincy on Sept 13, 2008 17:42:01 GMT -5
Talked to John W. "Dude" Walker this afternoon. Monday he's going in for heart surgery...a multiple bypass.
He had a multiple bypass 11 years ago, and he tells me they're normally good for about 10 years.
Please keep him and his surgical team in your prayers. The operation is 7:30 a.m. Central time.
He promised to have one of his kin give me a call after the surgery to let me know how the operation turned out.
He'll be playing golf again with Bill Clinton before you know it. (Yes, he and Clinton golfed together.)
If you want to give Dude a call before the operation, e-mail john@79waky.com for the phone number.
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Post by John Quincy on Sept 15, 2008 23:16:14 GMT -5
Dude Walker's wife Cynthia called me early Monday evening to let me know the operation (7 hours!) was a success. It ended up being a quadruple bypass. Now he should be good for another 10 years or more. :-)
Dude will remain in the hospital for about a week.
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