By Sherrie Norris
If there’s one voice that most everyone recognizes around the High Country, it’s that of longtime media personality, Bill Fisher. After many years of keeping us informed of all that’s happening, “Fish” as he is most commonly known, has decided to step away from the airway, ready to turn off the dial to a lifetime in the spotlight.
Sadly enough for fans of local radio, Fish is the last of the long-term “’voices” that have kept the local airway alive through the years. His plan to retire follows behind those others in recent years, who, as part of the local radio family, moved away from the microphone and left behind countless fans who miss their daily contributions to radio.
Fish was not only heard, but also “seen” for a while as part of the Mountain Television Network, a small Boone-based television station that served the area well for a few years.
As word began to circulate recently of Fish’s departure, accolades began pouring in, not the least of which included a visit to the radio station from Rep. Virginia Foxx with a plaque with words she had earlier read on the floor and entered into the Congressional Record on his behalf. It reads as follows:
“ Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Bill Fisher, a familiar voice to many within the High Country in North Carolina’s Fifth District and someone I consider to be a dear friend.
After nearly 50 years of being on the radio and keeping the High Country informed on all the news of the day, Bill, or Fish, as many of his friends and colleagues refer to him, will be hanging up his headset one final time and retiring.
For years, I have been fortunate to join Bill on the radio to talk about issues ranging from the local to the national levels. Mr. Speaker, one of the most important duties that we have as Americans is to be an informed citizen, and I cannot overstate how much Bill embodies that role. No matter the topic or issue of the day, Bill always takes the time to inform people of the developments that matter most.
He knows how to read the pulse of the community he proudly serves. As Bill enters this new and exciting chapter of his life alongside his wonderful wife, Sheryl, family members, friends, and loved ones, I hope he knows that he has left an indelible mark upon his community that will be felt for many years to come.
Those who tune in to Bill’s show on the commute to work, the grocery store, and everywhere in between are grateful for his work. In my eyes and in the eyes of many, Bill is the best that western North Carolina has to offer.
May God continue to bless Bill and his family in his well-deserved retirement.”
Fish shared with High Country Press, “That makes me feel special — I guess I really am history!”
Former radio guru, Mike Kelly, shared with High Country Press: “Fish is a great guy. He’s been a good friend and he helped me a lot through the years with advice and things his experience in the business had taught him. He was a blessing to me and so many others and he is someone I have always deeply respected. He was a friend to the High Country, but all of us were —including Tom Lanier Andy Glass, Tommy Culver, John Roten, Ashley Wilson and all of the on-air people we had over the years. Our goal was to keep the area informed, to be a part of that community, and Bill was a huge part of that.”
Another former co-worker and longtime friend, Page Sauder, had this to say: “My time working on the air with Fish is one of the most memorable times in my life. Spending every morning laughing together was so much fun, and a great way to start the day. Through those years we became great friends, with a friendship that has lasted well beyond the years we worked together. He is most-definitely on my short-list as one of my favorite people.”
How It All Began
When Bill Fisher was born in Fort Monroe, Va., his father was in the Army; when he was eight months old, the family moved to Mufreesboro, NC, “population 2500, if everyone was home,” he said with a chuckle. “My dad loved the mountains and we made trips to the North Carolina and Virginia mountains regularly.”
His early aspiration in life was to become an astronaut. “I knew all about the Gemini and Apollo programs, and at school, I took up the whole hour in show-and-tell with my Saturn V scale model rocket and little capsule and lander.”
His mother loved the Beatles and the pop music of the time, so, he decided he’d be a rock-and-roll star.
“I did learn to play music, but I didn’t get famous,” he said. “The next best thing was to be a DJ.”
His “little town,” as he described, was only 90 minutes from the big city of Norfolk, Va. “WGH radio had remote studios at a big mall, and you could stand by a big window and watch the DJs do their thing. That was just the coolest, and that’s what got me interested.”
Also, listening to the radio at night. “You could pick up stations out of New York and Buffalo, and I heard those voices every night growing up, and they sounded so smooth and fun —Cousin Brucey, Chuck Leonard, Jack Armstrong, Sandy Beach and gobs of others, lulled me to sleep each night. That can have a bit of influence on a young man.”
He began spinning the tunes in his hometown radio station WWDR, Murfreesboro; then, his first full-time radio job was at WRCS, just 11 miles south of Murfreesboro, in Ahoskie.
“There have been a few years here and there not in radio or broadcasting since the mid 70s, but not many,” he added.
Fish came to Boone and spent his first year on WATA in 1977. “I came back in 1982, but instead of WATA, they sent me to WKBC, then owned by WATA owner Roland Potter, because they needed someone temporarily.”
Six years later, in 1988, he came back to Boone and worked with the Southeaster Ski Areas Association Ski Reporting Service, then WVIO Blowing Rock, owned at the time by Wayne Underwood.
By 1992, he was back at WATA and stayed until 1998.
“I worked for Steve Rondinaro, who bought the WJTP station in Newland, changed it to WECR and put a new station on 102.3 WECR FM. I stayed until around 2004 when Steve sold the station to buy the Mountain Television Network (MTN) station in Boone.
At that point, Fish recalled, “I was basically doing a radio show on TV, operating the TV equipment as if it was radio, only with people watching me (scary!) until 2009.”
Then, Fish went to Florida for a few years and “practiced at retirement by being a house husband in Gainesville… best job ever!” he said.
“We were too far from kids and grandkids and came back to North Carolina. I rejoined WATA, now owned by Curtis Media Group, in 2016.”
And now, seven years later, his last day is Friday July 14.
Why Now?
Why now, we asked?
“Once I reached 65 years of age, and after almost not making it because of my heart attack in 2019, I decided that it might be best to take it easy, going forward.” And adding with his familiar laugh, “Not counting the honey-do list that has recently gotten much longer.”
When asked if he’s really done with media, he responded, “ I hope to still do some voice work in the future, but I look forward to sleeping past 4 a.m., and having no deadlines.”
And, sadly for us, he said, “We will likely end up down in Florida before long. I think it’s required in the fine print.”
Asked to describe his time here in the High Country – from signing on to current day – his roles and responsibilities, he said, “I’ve done a little bit of everything in this business — I’ve done country music shows, rock, classic hits, news talk stations, even visitor information formats. And sometimes, I’ve done several of those at the same time.”
Having been a night owl as a much younger man, he admitted that he didn’t really like the early morning hours at first, but he adjusted.
“I have most enjoyed interviewing different people over the years, and the time I spend with listeners, either in person or ‘out there,’ through the radio. I also like creating commercials and getting fancy and clever with sound effects and other voices, making ear-catching audio,” he admitted — for which he’s even won a couple of awards in the process.
Among the highlights and his favorite memories, he described, “I had a great time when doing mornings on WECR FM 102.3 with Page Sauder and Tom Lanier. The three of us did the show for many years and it was a really special time.”
A big surprise came his way when working for Rondinaro. “He was covering the space shuttle program while working for a TV station in Florida,” Fish recalled. “It was the John Glenn return to space mission, and I had Steve on the air talking about the big day, all the excitement; while he is speaking he’d say, ‘Oh and there goes Eugene Cernan, oh and over there is Frank Lovell, and ooh, it’s Buzz Aldrin… hey Buzz, come here, talk to my guy in North Carolina;’ Next thing I know, I’m interviewing the second man to walk on the moon! That was extra special.”
Some of the biggest changes and challenges he faced through the years?
“I’m so old, I learned to do radio with actual records, and turntables, and tape recorders, tube transmitters and manual everything — at a time that required a living person to push buttons. There was no automation. And, if you’d ever seen someone do that, in the old way, you’d be amazed at the constant state of frenzied activity doing all the things necessary to make radio sound easy on the other side of the dial. It was not easy. Now, with computers and everything being digital, it has become much easier.”
Among those who impacted him most here in the High Country, he shared: “Steve Rondinaro had no idea who I was when he came to the High Country, but he took a chance to hire me and we made very good radio for a lot of years, with help from Page and Tom and others. And working with David Jackson, Brian Estridge before that, and others with App State Sports, getting to meet Coach Jerry Moore and spending time with him on several occasions, and just being a part of that period, especially during the championship years, is something I’ll always hold dear, and many of those friendships are still strong today. Working with Sonny Sweet — just an amazing man. So many people have been a part of my time here and all of them have contributed to making things special.”
And one question we just had to ask — Since few people actually ‘see’ you, does it really matter what you wear to work every day?
“It’s like the TV people — in a suit and tie on camera, but under the desk, they’re wearin’ Tevas and shorts. I was told I had a face for radio, so not being seen was an advantage. Although the guy who told me I had a face for radio actually put me on his TV station, so…”
What message would Fish like to leave with the High Country?
“It’s been a fun time. I love this area, and the people,” he responded. “There’s something about this place that pulls you back. It happened to me a couple of times over the decades. It may happen again, who knows? I just know that the High Country and these mountains have never, and will never, leave me, and will always be a part of me.”
And one final thought about being on the radio? “It’s nothin’ but sittin’ in a room and talkin’ to yourself, except they pay you. A little bit.”
We, at High Country Press, celebrate and thank Bill Fisher, for all that he is and all that he means to our community as he prepares to sign off for the last time. In summary — Go, Fish!!
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