Captain Marvel at KRIZ, Phoenix, 1965	in November 1965 I got the Dream call to come to KRIZ in Phoenix. I did evenings as Captain Marvel
Tom McMurray died of respiratory failure at his home in Florida on September 14, 1999. He was 56 years of age. He is survived by members of his immediate family and many broadcasting associates who shared his dream and respected his work.

I never got over the awe of being there. I used to look up and try to see the top. . . I never could, it was bigger than life.

McMurray was a first-class programmer and consultant who created a new style of contemporary radio with 50KW WBT in Charlotte, N.C. in 1972. He left radio as a vocation in 1979, but decades later, even after an accident that nearly took his life and resulted in chronic pain, Tom never lost his love for radio. Tom found the Repository and first contributed to this site in 1996.

He has invited us all to share and enjoy the exhibits in The Tom McMurray Collection. TOM & RADIO, BY TOM Tom started an online book about his life in 1996, but never got beyond the first chapter. It must now serve as his autobiography. The Repository has additional exhibits from Tom McMurray that will appear in the future. [Personal, from Uncle Ricky:] I'm very sad to have lost my friend Tom McMurray. I remember our first meeting, I was invited to his home in Charlotte. This was 1972 - he told me he was leaving 'BT and was going to consult radio stations, including one in Providence, Rhode Island. I tried to contain my excitement as I realized I would be moving from a kilowatt daytimer in a cow pasture to a corporate 5KW in the 36th Metro. He was a hero to me. Years later, I learned that Tom had the same passion for the Repository project that he did for his radio stations. He taught me unforgettable lessons about radio and the value of a job well done. I was damn lucky to have shared the circle of his influence. He made radio stations with Class. Radio lost a truly positive influence when Tom left the business 20 years ago. Now, the Repository has lost a friend. Tom had a favorite signature for his e-mail: Good Things! Your remembrances are welcome via COMMENT, below.

©1999 REEL TOP 40 RADIO REPOSITORY