Bill Wilkerson: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|American radio personality and sports announcer}} |
{{Short description|American radio personality and sports announcer}} |
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{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
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|name = Bill Wilkerson |
|name = Bill Wilkerson |
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==Radio career== |
==Radio career== |
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In 1969, Wilkerson got his first job on [[KMOX]] in [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]]. He partnered with [[Bob Costas]] for the first year of [[Spirits of St. Louis|St. Louis Spirits]] ([[American Basketball Association|ABA]]), |
In 1969, Wilkerson got his first job on [[KMOX]] in [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]]. He partnered with [[Bob Costas]] for the first year of [[Spirits of St. Louis|St. Louis Spirits]] ([[American Basketball Association|ABA]]), 1975–76. He served as a radio [[play-by-play]] announcer for [[History of the St. Louis Cardinals (NFL)|St. Louis Cardinals]] ("Big Red") football from 1973 until the team left for [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] following the 1987 season, and returned for one season in 1994, the franchise's first as the Arizona Cardinals. He became the first black to be the main play-by-play man for an [[National Football League|NFL]] team, and the first color announcer when he teamed up with [[Dan Kelly (sportscaster)|Dan Kelly]] to do [[St. Louis Blues]] ([[National Hockey League|NHL]]) games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Caesar |first=Dan |date=2022-11-04 |title=Media Views: Pioneering sportscaster Bill Wilkerson remembered 5 years after passing |url=https://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/media-views-pioneering-sportscaster-bill-wilkerson-remembered-5-years-after-passing/article_3a3c8338-b2ee-53a9-b34b-23cd191ee257.html |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=STLtoday.com |language=en}}</ref> He also broadcast [[Missouri Tigers football|Missouri Tigers]] football from 1976 until 1993. While handling football games, he also co-hosted KMOX's "Total Information AM" (The Morning Show) with [[Bob Hardy (radio)|Bob Hardy]] and [[Wendy Wiese]] for many years. He and Wiese changed stations in St. Louis for rival [[KTRS (AM)|KTRS]] in 1996. He retired from radio in 2006.<ref name=StLPD /> |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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==Death== |
==Death== |
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Wilkerson died on November 2, 2017, at his home in [[Florissant, Missouri]] after a brief illness.<ref name=StLPD /> |
Wilkerson died on November 2, 2017, at his home in [[Florissant, Missouri]] after a brief illness.<ref name=StLPD /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-11-04 |title=Media Confidential: R.I.P.: Longtime St. Louis Radio Voice Bill Wilkerson |url=https://mediaconfidential.blogspot.com/2017/11/rip-longtime-st-louis-radio-voice-bill.html |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=Media Confidential}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:People from Florissant, Missouri]] |
[[Category:People from Florissant, Missouri]] |
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[[Category:People from St. Louis]] |
[[Category:People from St. Louis]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Mass media people from Missouri]] |
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[[Category:Southern Illinois Salukis football players]] |
[[Category:Southern Illinois Salukis football players]] |
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[[Category:St. Louis Blues announcers]] |
[[Category:St. Louis Blues announcers]] |
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[[Category:20th-century African-American people]] |
[[Category:20th-century African-American people]] |
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[[Category:21st-century African-American people]] |
[[Category:21st-century African-American people]] |
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[[Category:21st-century African-American men]] |
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Latest revision as of 17:48, 24 October 2024
Bill Wilkerson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1945 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | November 2, 2017 (aged 72) Florissant, Missouri, U.S. |
| Education | B.A. (Journalism) |
| Alma mater | SIU |
| Occupation | Radio personality |
| Years active | 1969–2006 |
| Spouse |
Margie
(m. 1977; died 2017) |
| Children | 3 |
Bill Wilkerson (1945 – November 2, 2017) was an American radio personality and sports announcer who enjoyed a long career on St. Louis stations KMOX (1969–1996) and KTRS (1996–2006).
Early life
[edit]Wilkerson was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He majored in journalism and received his B.A. at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, where he played football.[1]
Radio career
[edit]In 1969, Wilkerson got his first job on KMOX in St. Louis. He partnered with Bob Costas for the first year of St. Louis Spirits (ABA), 1975–76. He served as a radio play-by-play announcer for St. Louis Cardinals ("Big Red") football from 1973 until the team left for Phoenix following the 1987 season, and returned for one season in 1994, the franchise's first as the Arizona Cardinals. He became the first black to be the main play-by-play man for an NFL team, and the first color announcer when he teamed up with Dan Kelly to do St. Louis Blues (NHL) games.[2] He also broadcast Missouri Tigers football from 1976 until 1993. While handling football games, he also co-hosted KMOX's "Total Information AM" (The Morning Show) with Bob Hardy and Wendy Wiese for many years. He and Wiese changed stations in St. Louis for rival KTRS in 1996. He retired from radio in 2006.[1]
Personal life
[edit]He started MPS Worldwide, a bulk chemical company after he retired from KTRS. He was a longtime board member of Mathews-Dickey Boys' & Girls' Club in St. Louis, and served on the boards of the American Red Cross, St. Louis Children's Hospital, and the St. Louis Zoological Society.[1] He is a member of the Mizzou Media Hall of Fame.[3]
Death
[edit]Wilkerson died on November 2, 2017, at his home in Florissant, Missouri after a brief illness.[1][4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Joe Holleman (November 4, 2017). "Bill Wilkerson, longtime radio news/sports announcer, dies at 72". St. Louis Post-Dispatchl. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- ^ Caesar, Dan (November 4, 2022). "Media Views: Pioneering sportscaster Bill Wilkerson remembered 5 years after passing". STLtoday.com. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ "Former MU football voice Wilkerson dies". Columbia Missourian. November 3, 2017. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- ^ "Media Confidential: R.I.P.: Longtime St. Louis Radio Voice Bill Wilkerson". Media Confidential. November 4, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1945 births
- 2017 deaths
- African-American radio personalities
- African-American sports journalists
- American Basketball Association announcers
- American radio sports announcers
- Culture of St. Louis
- National Football League announcers
- Missouri Tigers football announcers
- National Hockey League broadcasters
- People from Carbondale, Illinois
- People from Florissant, Missouri
- People from St. Louis
- Mass media people from Missouri
- Southern Illinois Salukis football players
- St. Louis Blues announcers
- St. Louis Cardinals (football) announcers
- 20th-century African-American people
- 21st-century African-American people