Bill Jordan: Living in the Now

by Greg Petty
June 2009

THE BILL & LYNDA IN THE MORNING SHOW on WRAL Mix 101.5 FM is a staple of morning life here in the Triangle. Bill Jordan’s great voice, easy manner and interaction with Lynda are a reliable part of our daily life as we tune in while going about our daily routine.

Boom! Magazine recently spoke with him and is pleased to have him as this month’s Fifty and Fabulous profile. Barbara and I first met Bill Jordan in 1997 while our family was taking Tae Kwon Do lessons in Cary. As we were relatively new to the area, people in the class informed us that we had two celebrities in our midst — Bill Jordan from WRAL radio and John Sall, co-founder of SAS. Bill was there with his daughter Jessica and all of us were martial art beginners. Both Bill and John were very polite and unassuming… everyone was just part of the group. I think most of us were a little intimidated about the exercises, workouts, martial art forms and Korean commands and language we were expected to learn. The Pettys made it to brown belt, Bill and Jessica went on to accomplish their goal of achieving black belt status. That is no mean feat. Bill quips, "I am probably paying for it now as my knee pops a little bit and I think it’s because I hyper-extended it going after the bag a little hard with a kick. You have to slow down a little bit as you get older!"

Bill’s day begins around 3:30am when most of us are still sleeping. He and his wife of 28 years, Marianne, live in Fuquay-Varina so he completes the drive into work and arrives at the station around 5am to prepare for the 6-10am broadcast. His afternoons are filled with reading, family activities, caring for their two dogs and best of all, chasing after his 2-year-old grandson Mason.

Bill has been in radio since his older brother Terry, who was working in Armed Forces radio, gave him the bug. Bill went back to campus at the University of Richmond and by his second semester he had a segment on the campus radio. By 1973 he had found his calling and landed his first paying radio job in Petersburg not far from his hometown of Newport News, VA. His mother calls the boys her "twin sons, separated by eight years" because of their mutual love of radio.

Not only did radio become his love, but he met his true love, Marianne while he was working in the production room of K92 in Roanoke in 1981. Marianne was a radio personality in her own right and after their marriage she handled the news segment during his program. They were in Roanoke two separate times and then left Virginia for a stint in Charleston, SC. The Jordan’s moved to the Cary-Apex area in 1986 and North Carolina is now truly home for them.

When asked who his musical influences were and his current favorites, Bill listed quite an eclectic range of performers. The Beatles to Jimmy Buffett, the sound track to Les Miserables to Michael Bublé and Depeche Mode. Since the Four Seasons will be in town in July he mentioned playing many of the most popular songs such as Sherry, December 1963 and Who Loves You. Bill and Marianne’s favorite current artist is Michael Bublé and his CD/DVD "Caught in the Act."

Other strong influences in his life were Dale Carnegie’s book, "How To Stop Worrying And Start Living," and Andy Andrews "Seven Decisions for Success." Carnegie’s book "absolutely changed my life." True to the teaching, Bill strives hard to live in the now each day. He also strives to continue nourishing his natural curiosity and love of learning. Bill is very pleased that his job requires that he stay current on worldwide events, cultural happenings such as American Idol, and current movies. Bill states, "I think curiosity and wanting to still learn and know things is important to staying as young as you can stay."

Aside from the awards WRAL radio has won, Bill is most proud of the annual fundraising radiothon to raise money for the kids at Duke Children’s Hospital. It has raised over $10 million over 15 years, and the Triangle can be proud as this event has one of the largest per capita giving and payment receipts of any worldwide fundraiser. "It is amazing what our listeners do and the corporate sponsors who get behind us… I am proud of this community." These funds have a direct impact on the lives of children who are ill, and Bill is proud to be a part of such a fine event.

So if you aren’t already one the legions of regular listeners, tune in to 101.5FM and catch the Bill & Lynda in the Morning Show. You’ll be joining a family with a faithful following and gaining a new friend in Bill Jordan.

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