Buddy Carr
b.1946-d.1985
Buddy Carr (real name: John Odom) was born in Keysville, Georgia, in 1946. After high school he worked in a number of different jobs before someone suggested he might give radio a try. His first job in broadcasting was with WJAT in Swainsboro, Georgia, owned by country singing star Webb Pierce. Upon seeing an ad in Billboard magazine for an opening at popular top 40 station WBBQ AM/FM in Augusta, Georgia, Buddy decided to take a shot at the job, never believing that he would actually get it. He was stunned when Program Director Harley Drew called to invite him for an in-person interview. Buddy was offered the job, which he immediately accepted, and started his career in Augusta radio on the evening shift in the fall of 1969. The air name Buddy Carr was assigned to him as being easy to remember and reflecting his easy going personality. Buddy’s incredibly quick wit, wry sense of humor, and slight rebelliousness quickly made him a huge favorite with the Augusta radio audience. When an opening developed on the morning show Buddy was given the opportunity to see if his type of air work would appeal to a morning audience. It did, big time! Buddy went on to become the highest rated (share of audience) personality in Augusta and probably the highest rated in all of Georgia radio history with number one shares in every Arbitron demographic, sometimes totaling the shares of all the other Augusta stations combined. Buddy passed away in 1985 after a brief battle with cancer. His name is legendary in Augusta radio and even today most anyone in Augusta over the age of 35 will know immediately who you are talking about if you mention his name.