1 year ago
39
It was nearly 40 years ago, and Homewood, Alabama’s Bill Lawson walked into the studios of WZZK 104.7 FM in Birmingham. Bill was a newcomer to the station, and as he prepared for his morning shift as a disc jockey, a conversation ensued.“Big-time radio stars have nicknames,” the radio station’s program director said. “How about ‘Grocery Bag Bill?’ he asked Bill Lawson. “Or maybe Crazy Bill or Wild Bill or Bill Dollar?” Bill Lawson smiled and answered, “How about Dollar Bill?”Dollar Bill Lawson has been doing the radio thing for half a century, and he’s come to a big decision.“It’s time for me to retire,” Bill told me this morning. “I’ve been getting up at 3 in the morning for 50 years, and I will turn 70 come April 24. It’s time to spend more time with my wife, Mary, our two kids and our two grandchildren.” If there was a Mount Rushmore of media personalities in the state of Alabama, it would be difficult not to include Bill Lawson. There has been no secret to Bill’s success. In fact, Bill is a poster boy for working hard and being a nice person. And as the business of radio has changed, Dollar Bill has changed with it. From turntables and cart machines to automated programming, Bill has seen it all.Bill Lawson grew up in Homewood, Alabama.“I’m so old, there wasn’t a Homewood High School when I was in high school, so I attended Shades Valley High School,” Bill told me. “I later enrolled at Marion Military Institute and went on to the University Of Alabama. I worked at WACT FM/AM while I was in college, so I had a big head start coming out of college.”Back in his early days of radio, Bill Lawson did it all. Sales, news, sports, traffic, music, the works. He worked in Selma at WHBB, headed to Muscle Shoals to work at WKLT/WXOR and then made his move to Birmingham. First, Bill worked at WERC, and then he landed a big gig: The morning show slot at WZZK FM, where he became Dollar Bill. Oh, if only those walls during the Patti And Dollar Bill days could talk.Since 1992, Bill Lawson has been at 102.5 The Bull – The Dollar Bill And Madison show brings listeners non-political fun, music and laughs. Bill will call it a day come April 21st and come July, he will be inducted into the Country Radio Hall Of Fame in Nashville. Come April 22, Bill will sleep late for the first time in 50 years. Either that or his body clock will wake him at 3 a.m.Bill will do his best to enjoy his retirement-- maybe a book can be written. I suggested to Bill that he could call his book “My Two Cents With Dollar Bill.” It could contain wild stories like the time back in the '90s when Bill volunteered to ride a bull. The beast threw Bill, crushed Bill’s skull and took out his eye, right there at the rodeo. A few months later, Bill was driving to work when his re-attached eye came loose and slipped down the inside of his cheek. Off to the surgeon he went where doctors tried to find Bill's eye.It could contain the story about a teenager who walked into the 102.5 The Bull studios in Birmingham years ago and sang songs while playing the guitar- she said she was trying to break in. The girl's name was Taylor Swift.It could contain stories like a shy young man walking into WZZK years ago and telling Bill he wanted to be a country music star. The kid’s name was Alan Jackson. It could contain stories about Bill’s trips to the Country Music Awards for decades and hanging out with stars like Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks.I’m hoping that Bill Lawson has a great retirement.“I’ve had some autoimmune issues, but I’m feeling great and I'm back to walking just fine,” Bill told me. I was glad to hear that, as over the phone, his voice sounded just like it does on the radio.I’m hoping that radio listeners across the southeast know what a pleasure it has been to listen to Bill over the years.I’m rooting for Bill to stay healthy and happy, years after a bull nearly took his life.I’m happy to see that nice guys can succeed in life if they are kind and they work hard. Oh, and one more thing: I sure am glad that “Grocery Bag Bill” didn’t stick.
It was nearly 40 years ago, and Homewood, Alabama’s Bill Lawson walked into the studios of WZZK 104.7 FM in Birmingham. Bill was a newcomer to the station, and as he prepared for his morning shift as a disc jockey, a conversation ensued.
“Big-time radio stars have nicknames,” the radio station’s program director said. “How about ‘Grocery Bag Bill?’ he asked Bill Lawson. “Or maybe Crazy Bill or Wild Bill or Bill Dollar?” Bill Lawson smiled and answered, “How about Dollar Bill?”
Dollar Bill Lawson has been doing the radio thing for half a century, and he’s come to a big decision.
“It’s time for me to retire,” Bill told me this morning. “I’ve been getting up at 3 in the morning for 50 years, and I will turn 70 come April 24. It’s time to spend more time with my wife, Mary, our two kids and our two grandchildren.”
If there was a Mount Rushmore of media personalities in the state of Alabama, it would be difficult not to include Bill Lawson. There has been no secret to Bill’s success. In fact, Bill is a poster boy for working hard and being a nice person. And as the business of radio has changed, Dollar Bill has changed with it. From turntables and cart machines to automated programming, Bill has seen it all.
Bill Lawson grew up in Homewood, Alabama.
“I’m so old, there wasn’t a Homewood High School when I was in high school, so I attended Shades Valley High School,” Bill told me. “I later enrolled at Marion Military Institute and went on to the University Of Alabama. I worked at WACT FM/AM while I was in college, so I had a big head start coming out of college.”
Back in his early days of radio, Bill Lawson did it all. Sales, news, sports, traffic, music, the works. He worked in Selma at WHBB, headed to Muscle Shoals to work at WKLT/WXOR and then made his move to Birmingham. First, Bill worked at WERC, and then he landed a big gig: The morning show slot at WZZK FM, where he became Dollar Bill. Oh, if only those walls during the Patti And Dollar Bill days could talk.
Since 1992, Bill Lawson has been at 102.5 The Bull – The Dollar Bill And Madison show brings listeners non-political fun, music and laughs. Bill will call it a day come April 21st and come July, he will be inducted into the Country Radio Hall Of Fame in Nashville. Come April 22, Bill will sleep late for the first time in 50 years. Either that or his body clock will wake him at 3 a.m.
Bill will do his best to enjoy his retirement-- maybe a book can be written. I suggested to Bill that he could call his book “My Two Cents With Dollar Bill.” It could contain wild stories like the time back in the '90s when Bill volunteered to ride a bull. The beast threw Bill, crushed Bill’s skull and took out his eye, right there at the rodeo. A few months later, Bill was driving to work when his re-attached eye came loose and slipped down the inside of his cheek. Off to the surgeon he went where doctors tried to find Bill's eye.
It could contain the story about a teenager who walked into the 102.5 The Bull studios in Birmingham years ago and sang songs while playing the guitar- she said she was trying to break in. The girl's name was Taylor Swift.
It could contain stories like a shy young man walking into WZZK years ago and telling Bill he wanted to be a country music star. The kid’s name was Alan Jackson.
It could contain stories about Bill’s trips to the Country Music Awards for decades and hanging out with stars like Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks.
I’m hoping that Bill Lawson has a great retirement.
“I’ve had some autoimmune issues, but I’m feeling great and I'm back to walking just fine,” Bill told me. I was glad to hear that, as over the phone, his voice sounded just like it does on the radio.
I’m hoping that radio listeners across the southeast know what a pleasure it has been to listen to Bill over the years.
I’m rooting for Bill to stay healthy and happy, years after a bull nearly took his life.
I’m happy to see that nice guys can succeed in life if they are kind and they work hard.
Oh, and one more thing: I sure am glad that “Grocery Bag Bill” didn’t stick.
English (US)