Skip Holmes, was found dead in his Warner Robins home earlier today, apparently of natural causes. Skip was coordinator of the Houston County CLCP (Certified Literate Community Program). He had retired from radio about a year ago, after a long career that included various positions at WNNG (Warner Robins), WPEZ, WCRY, WNEX, WBML, WMAZ (all Macon), WPLO (Atlanta) and WIOD (Miami). Arrangements have not been announced.
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Skip Holmes
- Thread starter grhof
- Start date
Skip was a great guy and a true friend. Both of us joined the International City Civitan Club at the same time and had a little rivalry going back in 1987 when he was on EZ Hits 108 (WPEZ Macon) and I was on 99WAYS. I started doing the Top 9 at 9 and his response was doing the Top 1 at 1. He also gave out the numbers to the 99WAYS Incredible Prize Catalog. Skip was rather burned out on the way radio has gone. In his mind, he felt it was up to us still in the business to remember what we are really all about. Even with that, he was very supportive of my move back to Clear Channel. He was always very supportive, may not have always agreed with me, but supportive.
There is a time and place for everything...so on behalf of those of us that knew him, let's not take this thread into a tirate over radio today vs. his time. Skip will be remembered for being a great radio person and more so, one of the best friends our business and more so, the City of Warner Robins ever had. My hope is that he will be remembered properly at WNNG and within the city he loved. I am sure that Joe Bishop did a great job breaking the news. Probably one of the toughest news stories he ever had since they were close friends.
One last note...he was a devoted Warner Robins High Fan and we enjoyed the rivalry since I am a lifetime Northside High Booster. May God bless him and his hometown.
There is a time and place for everything...so on behalf of those of us that knew him, let's not take this thread into a tirate over radio today vs. his time. Skip will be remembered for being a great radio person and more so, one of the best friends our business and more so, the City of Warner Robins ever had. My hope is that he will be remembered properly at WNNG and within the city he loved. I am sure that Joe Bishop did a great job breaking the news. Probably one of the toughest news stories he ever had since they were close friends.
One last note...he was a devoted Warner Robins High Fan and we enjoyed the rivalry since I am a lifetime Northside High Booster. May God bless him and his hometown.
Let's not forget that Skip spent some of the late 70's and early 80's at "Broadcast House", WCEH Hawkinsville. From there, he was off to WNEX in '82 and then WPEZ in early '84. The stories about Skip are always colorful and for me, seemingly endless, since I first met him at WCEH in '82. He never minced words and worked very hard for many radio managers/owners he simply did not trust or like. Perfect, he was not. Loyal, almost to a fault. For those frequenting Macon's meatmarket nightclub of the late 80's/early 90's, Chasen's, Skip was your live musical host. For over three years, he let me in on a piece of the action and I was his relief man at the Holiday Inn. I can still see him bopping around in the dimly lit announcer's booth with a full dance floor and a thousand watts of The Electric Slide rattling the place. His over the top intros for Caribbean Queen by Billlllleeeeee OOOOOOOcean and the three spins a night of Clarence Carter's Strokin' made folks dance and drink and do other stuff I won't repeat here. I am grateful for his knowledge, his stoicism and his friendship. In later years, he embraced his Christian faith and the adult literacy program he became so passionate about. God rest his soul.
I've known Skip since I was a teenager. I am glad knowing that the last years of his life seemed to have been happy ones. Professionally and personally he was well respected and did whatever he could to make things better for others. Ben Sandifer and I had the privileged of being on his morning chat show a couple of years ago. Nothing is more fun to old radio people than talking about the "good ole days." ;D We all had a fun time and Skip was a gracious and giving host.
He will be missed.
He will be missed.
Skip will be missed. I had the pleasure of working with him a couple of weeks ago. He needed to record some PSA's for the Houston County adult literacy program (his life-after-radio passion). He couldn't find an available studio in Warner Robins on a Saturday, so he came to my place. The pro that he was, he did 2-30's in one take and we spent the next 2 hours catching up. I believe Skip was at his best doing live commercials. When Skip became your spokesperson, he would visit your business and learn all he could about it and the people who worked there. Then he would totally ad-lib a perfect 30 or 60, never looking at any notes. I recently found out that Skip had learned much of this style from the days he worked with Larry King at WIOD in Miami. At WNNG, Skip developed a daily talk show from Atlanta Bread Company, again very similar to Larry King's daily show from a popular restaurant in Miami. I may be off on the dates, but does anyone else remember the morning talk show Skip did with former Macon mayor "Machine Gun" Ronnie Thompson at WCRY in the 1970's? To paraphrase a line from a Barbara Mandrell song, Skip was "talk radio when talk radio wasn't cool." Rest in peace, my dear friend.
I remember Skip's talk show with Ronnie Thompson. If my creaky memory serves, on one show Thompson drew national attention for bringing Lt. William Calley on to talk about orchestrating the My Lai massacre. I think it was probably the only interview Calley gave. I also remember Skip and Steve Malone on the "Maz-E Morning Merry-Go-Round." Bill Powell was doing PM drive at the time. I did not know Skip well but when we would meet, I always enjoyed talking to him.
As much as I had heard about Skip Holmes, I never had the chance to meet him until about 2 years ago. He asked me to come over to his Atlanta Bread Company show on WNNG to talk about the old days of radio. We hit it off very well and, since I only live about a mile from the Bread Company, I became his standby fill-in guest whenever a scheduled guest fell through. In the half dozen times I had the chance to work with him, I was very impressed on just how much of a grasp he had on local politics and personalities. He was one of those rare remaining radio-types who actually DID go to civic meetings, who actually DID become an active leader in local charity organizations, and who really DID give a damn about where he lived and what he could do to make it better! Sadly, the so-called broadcasting pros of today don't have that kind of passion for their job or their community. Hopefully, all of us, who are still in this crazy business in one way or another, will take a page out of Skip's playbook to rekindle our own similar passions. Godspeed, Skip! You DID make a difference!
I first met Skip Homes in 1973, when I was working nights at WCRY, baby-sitting the automation. I'd always hang around after Skip hit the air at 6 o'clock...always wanting learn by observing those that I considered to be pros. To a fault, Skip was courteous and patient, and never hesitated to answer a question, or offer a suggestion.
After a few months, I was off to (what I always thought would be) greener pastures, but every year or so, I'd find myself in the area, with Skip on the air somewhere. I'd usually stop by for a visit.
In late '95, after we'd increased the power on the Hawkinsville FM, and had changed it to Sunny, the opportunity arose to bring Skip back to Hawkinsville, to do mornings. I thought it was a great idea, and so we hired him. I came in to do news with him, and the program definitely had legs.
As the station's GM, my working relationship with Skip was different than before. I won't say Skip was dismissive of me, but he'd been in the business two times longer than I had, and that fact was always lurking in the background. Of course, Jim Popwell considered himself to the only real "in charge" part of the operation (and that's the way it was), and Skip, having worked for Jim previously, saw it that way, too. Jim and Skip had a troubled working relationship (most of Jim's working relationships were that way), primarily due to a family matter that Skip had to deal with, when he'd worked previously for WCEH, and with the way that Jim reacted to/handled the situation.
In so many words, while Skip had a certain respect for Popwell, he basically carried a grudge from the aforementioned matter, and just didn't like the man. Truth be told, Jim Popwell was difficult to work for...he was the textbook definition of a micro-manager, and he could arrogantly opine about anything and everything. If Jim didn't like it, he believed that everybody should see it his way, and he could be a bully about it.
The end of the road came one morning, when Jim called the station to gripe about a song that Skip had played. The conversation was abrupt, and Skip slammed the phone down, and had some colorful things to say about Big Jim. To be sure, it was a non-issue, but Skip was very passionate about his programming skills and musicological knowledge, and this was the final straw for Skip. After he hung up the phone, he told me that he was resigning, effective immediately, and that I had about a minute before the song that was playing on the air would end. Telling him that we'd talk later, I slid in the chair, and finished the show. While I had much discussion with Jim about the situation, that was that. He thought he was right, and couldn't understand why Skip was "so damned thin-skinned".
On a couple of occasions, I attempted to talk with Skip, but I think he basically saw me to be guilty by association. I regret that I never insisted on getting all that stuff worked out.
On a more positive note, every now and again I run across some paperwork from those days. One in particular, is a one page handout, describing Sunny 103.9. I wrote it and Skip amended and corrected it. I had said something about the 'state of THE art' facilities. Skip insisted that it say 'state of art' facilities. Then he added some verbiage about the tower, saying "soaring 500 feet into the mid-state skies". To be sure, he was a wordsmith.
From what I've read, it sounds like Skip was in a very comfortable and satisfied place in his life, and I'm glad that was so. We should all be so lucky as to sign-off for the last time, satisfied in knowing that we'd just finished a top-notch show.
Rest in peace, Semer.
After a few months, I was off to (what I always thought would be) greener pastures, but every year or so, I'd find myself in the area, with Skip on the air somewhere. I'd usually stop by for a visit.
In late '95, after we'd increased the power on the Hawkinsville FM, and had changed it to Sunny, the opportunity arose to bring Skip back to Hawkinsville, to do mornings. I thought it was a great idea, and so we hired him. I came in to do news with him, and the program definitely had legs.
As the station's GM, my working relationship with Skip was different than before. I won't say Skip was dismissive of me, but he'd been in the business two times longer than I had, and that fact was always lurking in the background. Of course, Jim Popwell considered himself to the only real "in charge" part of the operation (and that's the way it was), and Skip, having worked for Jim previously, saw it that way, too. Jim and Skip had a troubled working relationship (most of Jim's working relationships were that way), primarily due to a family matter that Skip had to deal with, when he'd worked previously for WCEH, and with the way that Jim reacted to/handled the situation.
In so many words, while Skip had a certain respect for Popwell, he basically carried a grudge from the aforementioned matter, and just didn't like the man. Truth be told, Jim Popwell was difficult to work for...he was the textbook definition of a micro-manager, and he could arrogantly opine about anything and everything. If Jim didn't like it, he believed that everybody should see it his way, and he could be a bully about it.
The end of the road came one morning, when Jim called the station to gripe about a song that Skip had played. The conversation was abrupt, and Skip slammed the phone down, and had some colorful things to say about Big Jim. To be sure, it was a non-issue, but Skip was very passionate about his programming skills and musicological knowledge, and this was the final straw for Skip. After he hung up the phone, he told me that he was resigning, effective immediately, and that I had about a minute before the song that was playing on the air would end. Telling him that we'd talk later, I slid in the chair, and finished the show. While I had much discussion with Jim about the situation, that was that. He thought he was right, and couldn't understand why Skip was "so damned thin-skinned".
On a couple of occasions, I attempted to talk with Skip, but I think he basically saw me to be guilty by association. I regret that I never insisted on getting all that stuff worked out.
On a more positive note, every now and again I run across some paperwork from those days. One in particular, is a one page handout, describing Sunny 103.9. I wrote it and Skip amended and corrected it. I had said something about the 'state of THE art' facilities. Skip insisted that it say 'state of art' facilities. Then he added some verbiage about the tower, saying "soaring 500 feet into the mid-state skies". To be sure, he was a wordsmith.
From what I've read, it sounds like Skip was in a very comfortable and satisfied place in his life, and I'm glad that was so. We should all be so lucky as to sign-off for the last time, satisfied in knowing that we'd just finished a top-notch show.
Rest in peace, Semer.
Sorry to hear about Skip.
I worked with him back in the 60s at WMAZ.
We probably had the first phone in talk show in Macon for a short while back then.
It was on a couple of hours in the evening. I mostly ran the board while Skip handeled the phone. If things slowed down...which they did quite often...we'd make small talk on the air, but nothing controversial. The owners and management at the time had decreed that we do nothing to cause a law suite. Skip could introduce the subject, but we could not comment on it or give our opinion, just try to draw an opinion from the caller. He was pretty good at it, but if theres no give and take in the conversation it makes for dull listening. Of course with the legendary strict General Manager, Red Cross (Frank Crowther) listening, and most folks would swear he was lisening to AM, FM and TV during all broadcast hours, we pretty much followed the directions.
The show didn't last long.
On another occasion Skip had to fill in for someone on the weekend for a shift. I think it might have been riding the board for a Braves game one evening. He enjoyed baseball, but got bored just sitting there waiting to insert commercials, so he decided to spruce up the control room in his spare time. After his shift that night he signed off the station, as was the custom then, and closed up for the night. Imagine the surprise the next morning when the sign on person came in the find a freshly painted control room...acustic tile and all...in flat black paint.
Working with Skip was never dull.
We'll all miss him.
I worked with him back in the 60s at WMAZ.
We probably had the first phone in talk show in Macon for a short while back then.
It was on a couple of hours in the evening. I mostly ran the board while Skip handeled the phone. If things slowed down...which they did quite often...we'd make small talk on the air, but nothing controversial. The owners and management at the time had decreed that we do nothing to cause a law suite. Skip could introduce the subject, but we could not comment on it or give our opinion, just try to draw an opinion from the caller. He was pretty good at it, but if theres no give and take in the conversation it makes for dull listening. Of course with the legendary strict General Manager, Red Cross (Frank Crowther) listening, and most folks would swear he was lisening to AM, FM and TV during all broadcast hours, we pretty much followed the directions.
The show didn't last long.
On another occasion Skip had to fill in for someone on the weekend for a shift. I think it might have been riding the board for a Braves game one evening. He enjoyed baseball, but got bored just sitting there waiting to insert commercials, so he decided to spruce up the control room in his spare time. After his shift that night he signed off the station, as was the custom then, and closed up for the night. Imagine the surprise the next morning when the sign on person came in the find a freshly painted control room...acustic tile and all...in flat black paint.
Working with Skip was never dull.
We'll all miss him.
I remember the show. I don't know why I thought it was on in the morning, just fuzzy memory I guess. Anyway, I enjoyed listening. You guys had a formula for preserving Christmas Trees that you offered to send to listeners. We sent for ours. It arrived in a few days signed by both you and Skip. I had the typewritten sheet for years but I think it finally disintergrated, much like radio has done.
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