Luther Masingill sits in his studio in 2011.Engel Stadium.
Perfect.
The venerable stadium, named after Joe Engel, the man who convinced a then 18-year-old Luther Masingill to audition at WDEF radio, will host a memorial service for Masingill today at 2 p.m. That just seems perfect.
The death of the legendary broadcaster on Monday morning caught everyone by surprise. We all knew it was going to happen sometime - it will for us all - but only those around him every day knew that he hadn't been feeling right lately.
Still, the news came as an unwelcome surprise, but it didn't take long for Chattanoogans and people who used to live here to start sharing their thoughts and memories on social media, the radio and on television. Everywhere I went on Monday, people were talking about the man simply known as Luther. What was great was it was people of all ages from all parts of town, and they were all saying what a nice man he was and how much he has meant to the community.
David Carroll, who has become the local historian when it comes to broadcasting in Chattanooga, has written a book on the subject, and he was everywhere, talking about his hero and friend. Carroll shared plenty of funny stories and some poignant ones as well.
Carroll said he was especially happy that Luther knew he was loved and respected. Everyone remembers Luther for his kindness and humility, which were genuine. A true Chattanooga legend, he never gave you the impression that stardom was something he sought.
Everyone who was around back when Buddy Houts was still with us knew the two were great friends, and Houts used to love calling his friend on the air and making him laugh. What some people might not know is that Masingill was also good friends with the late Parker Smith.
It's hard to imagine two more different radio personalities. Smith, who I always enjoyed visiting with because he made me laugh, loved to take a giant stick and poke into any and every place he thought might elicit a rise out of someone. He liked to find that button on people that made them want to punch him in the nose, and they often did. That was not Luther, but they loved hanging out together.
"That's because Parker treated him like one of the guys," Carroll said. "That's what he always wanted. Parker would take him to Ziggy's and leave him. Luther loved it."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.