R.I.P.: Longtime Camden TN Radio Personality Charlie Baylor

Charlie Baylor

Charlie Baylor, 72, a longtime personality and host on WFWL 1220 AM and WRJB 95.9 FM died Monday after working in radio in Benton County for most of the previous 53 years.

“He moved to Camden from where he grew up in West Hollywood, Florida, in 1965 and began working in radio,” said Bobby “Flash” Melton, another personality on both radio stations. “I listened to him growing up, and he taught me about the business when I wanted to get into it.”

Accoridng to the Jackson, TN Sun, Buddy Smothers — along with Melton — is wrapping up his 31st year of broadcasting local sporting events, and it was Baylor who got him into the business when he resigned from coaching basketball at Bruceton High School.

Baylor was a disc jockey for WFWL from 1965-76 and went to WRJB when that station started in 1976. In addition to his DJ duties, he did news, sports, weather and broadcasts from local events like the fair and parades.

“I learned about the death of Martin Luther King Jr. and Elvis Presley from hearing Charlie Baylor report on them over the radio,” Melton said. “And in those days, when AM radio was what people listened to and it had the reach it did, Charlie was the guy a lot of people around here related to for entertainment and information.”