Michael Parnell

[Ssummers]

Just found out that Michael Parnell passed away this morning. He'd been sick for awhile. Funeral is Friday. I'm trying to get more specific info on his funeral, but if anyone out there knows more, please post. Thanks.

 

[purplehooter]

I was told the viewing is at 2pm and the funeral at 3pm at the Goldfinch Funeral Home in Conway. I am sure it will be in the newspaper tomorrow.

 

[thatwasradio]

I am awaiting further details and will post them here and on my site as soon as I get them. I am doing a memorial to Parnell on my site, if anyone has any words/memories they would like to have posted permanently on the site for Michael, please e-mail them to me and I will get it on the site. I spoke with him in length last year and he knew the end was near. He was only 44 years old. Damn.

 

[purplehooter]

Reconfirming what I posted earlier...

Services will be held at 3 PM on Friday, February 1, 2008 at Goldfinch Funeral Home, Conway Chapel, with the Reverend Jerry Howell officiating.

As to visitation, the family will be receiving friends one hour prior to the service, at the funeral home.

http://obit.goldfinchfuneralhome.com/obitdisplay.html?id=499999&listing=Current

Link to his memorial on their site.

 

[lalloyd1]

Kahuna,

As always you do an excellent job keeping the memories of radio alive. Thanks for keeping Michael's memory alive on the web as well. I posted the following in the guest book where the obit was written. Thanks to purplehooter for the link. Here is just one of the great things Michael did for one of his friends:

Michael Parnell let me stay at his home during Hurricane Hugo after I had to evacuate from my home at the Oceanfront and was not allowed to return for several days. Not only did Michael give me shelter, he let me borrow clothes as well due to I didn't pack anything during the evacuation. Who knew Hugo was going to be so devastating. Michael didn't stop with the shelter and clothing...Since we had no electricity, Michael emptied the freezer before the food went bad and we had a huge feast while everyone in the cul-de-sac grilled it up. I'm glad I made the trip to SC months ago to see you and even though it was tough to see my friend suffering, we still had a great laugh remembering all the fun times we had at Wave 104 in the 80's. Peace be with you and your family! You will be missed my brother!
Lloyd Hocutt (aka Lloyd Maxwell, LA Lloyd)
99-5 KISS San Antonio, TX
[email protected]

Jan 31, 2008

 

[CJ_Jackson]

I used to enjoy Michael's "Dick's Pawn Shop" spots when I worked with him at Sunny 106.5 back before Corporate Radio reared it's head in that market. I didn't know he was ill. Wish I could drive in from Atlanta. RIP MP.

 

[Pager]

This news comes as an awful shock. I did afternoons and eventually mornings at Wave 104 from '88 to '90 and worked with Michael every day during the station's true heyday. He and Monica were newlyweds then and he was part of a team that dominated a market unlike any I've ever seen or even heard of. We pulled 50 shares 12+! Michael co-produced a series of Halloween promos with me that won the "Best of Show" Addy in 1988 and there were high fives all around. We were awarded with dinners at Chuck's Steak House despite lobbying hard for a night at Drunken Jack's in Murrell's Inlet! His enthusiasm and love of radio was infectious and endearing to all of us that worked along side him. Other people may have gotten more attention, or been better known with listeners, but no one was ever a more important cog in Wave's success than Michael. We all had our differences and it led to the eventual implosion that all stations suffer, but we are still brothers and sisters that accomplished things that haven't been forgotten or duplicated. Thank you Lloyd for your kind words... and to Calvin Hicks, Al Mason, news director Mark Dorroh, Weird Brother Jerry, Temple Lundy, Tom Lorenz, Keith Justice, Monique Jones, surf reporter Randy Nein, Wave Wolf mascot Scotti Brehn and GM Tom Atkinson - I hope we all join Michael someday for a big 5 O'Clock Whistle Party in the sky. One that he will no doubt already have produced and ready for us all to perform.

Love To You All.
Eric Page

 

[raydiofreak]

A trip down memory lane, I am very saddened by Michaels passing, I hate this it has been so long since I have seen him. I did, thanks to Calvin, get the opportunity to talk with him back in March, we talked for three hours and it was awesome catching up. I will cherish that last conversation forever. Below in my post on the goldfinch site (thanks for the link), and my most memorable thing about Michael, and as you will see the advice based on such a great radio person I carry with me today.

What a sad day in radio. I have known Michael since I was a "baby DJ" and throughout the years he taught me alot. Such a tremendous talent, and an incredible voice. I guess now we know when it thunder's, it's just Michael's booming voice from heaven.

The strongest memory I have is on my 18th birthday, Tom Atkinson (GM of Wave 104 at the time) used Michael as an example of the most valuable person in the radio station. Michael had the ability to do everything in the station, from being on the air, to answering the phones, to producing a commercial, "that is what it takes" he said "to be in radio". Since then I have made it my mission to be that person, and have shared this story with many up and comers. You will live on Michael.

Temple Hancock

Jan 31, 2008
Nashville, TN


By the way, great see you Eric, please keep in touch([email protected]). I don't think I want to wait song long to see old friends, we need to spend more time with one another and keep in touch often.
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[ramsc]

http://obit.goldfinchfuneralhome.com/obitdisplay.html?id=499999&listing=Current

Link to his memorial on their site.

What a very unique obit - sounds almost like he wrote it himself

But what's with that Air Force background - makes it impossible to read???

And it's a little vague about Monica - are they still married?? I hope so.

Although he was just getting into radio when I was "retiring," I'd heard of his legendary finesse as he shaped the future of MB radio in the 80's.

He (and his style) will surely be missed!

 

[raydiofreak]

Posts: 10


Re: Michael Parnell
« Reply #5 on: Yesterday at 10:53:50 pm » Quote

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I used to enjoy Michael's "Dick's Pawn Shop" spots when I worked with him at Sunny 106.5 back before Corporate Radio reared it's head in that market. I didn't know he was ill. Wish I could drive in from Atlanta. RIP MP.

And speaking of the Dick's Pawn shop commercials and others, does anyone have that stuff archived somewhere? I would love to hear it on www.thatwasradio.com

 

[thatwasradio]

Ask and you shall receive... in due time though. I have some airchecks with some of the Dick's Pawn Shop spots on 'em somewhere, but it will take me quite some time to find them, I didn't label the tapes as "this one has Dick's on it", LOL. Just to think that I filed the reel to reel tapes of each one of those spots in a wooden shelf in the Power 98 and Wave 104 production room monthly, I should have known they would never be used for anything else, wish I had snagged 'em.
Something I just remembered about Michael Parnell. When I moved from Power to Wave 104, I briefly mentioned in casual conversation to Michael that I had always wanted to do the Studebaker's spots for a long time, but we never had the account at Power 98, he promptly assigned a new Studebaker's spot to me EVERY week there after, (their copy changed every week) I thought "AWESOME"!!!! Dan Hoffman later told me that Michael used to do all those spots and he took very much pride and ownership in them. He must have thought I wouldn't screw them up too bad.

 

[Carolina]

I've known Mike and his family forever, since before any of us even got into the business. My friendship with him will always be something I'll cherish. My thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Parnell clan. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and God gave us a good one when he sent Michael P our way. I'll always remember you my friend. Go in peace. You will be missed.

 

[Surfside]

I worked with Michael at the Cumulus cluster from 2002-2005. He was production director for the cluster and a real professional. He cared so much about the product that he insisted on being in charge of syndication dubbing for 4 of our stations. When I approached him about ripping the CDs in instead of dubbing, he insisted on dubbing them to maintain quality. He would write all the commercials, record at least half of them himself and still spend hours (I do mean hours) a week recording our syndication into the automation. He had reason to throw up roadblocks due to the amount of work he did- however, it was Michael Parnell who volunteered to voicetrack Sunny 106.5's night show each day- a task he loved. Sunny 106.5 sounded great from 7pm-midnight because of Michael. It sounded great in every spotset because of him too.

When a jock was sick on any of our stations- yes, even our Urban station- it was Michael Parnell who stepped up to fill the spot. I will always remember him as a real radio man & a true friend. Even after he was starting to get sick, he was worried that Dickie at Dick's Pawn Show had a creative spot ready to roll. This was a man who loved radio and during his time here, made a difference. No matter the obstacle, Michael loved to be a hero.... and was. Life is truly short- he made a difference while he was here.

I learned a lot of important things from Michael that I carry with me and share with others. His impact is sure. Not only with me, but with those I meet and those I work with. People who never even met him will benefit from Michael Parnell. I will miss him and thank God for putting our paths together.

Dave

Dave Solomon, President
Mix Radio Network/SRP Radio Network
(former OM at Cumulus Myrtle Beach)