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Johnny, we used to have Hal Hamrick announcing. I guess your deal would be called just plain Hal!
Forum Activity for @dave-fulton
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The Next Generation Race Broadcasters
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Dennis, I sure wish there was an inventory of racetrack announcing such as you describe. Perhaps someone here at RR has such a library they'd share with us. Harlan Hoover of Carolina Sound in Concord, NC (his company used to mount the speakers at many of the racetracks and take care of the P.A. Systems) used to have a cassette tape of Ray Melton "giving the command" and his descriptive phrases during the pace laps. I'd sure love to hear that again.
The Next Generation Race Broadcasters
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This is a Tom Higgins column from 2013:
Higgins' Scuffs: A broadcast harvest of corn and fruit
By Tom Higgins
ThatsRacin.com Contributor
Posted: Wednesday, Oct. 02, 2013
Theyve picked the low-hanging fruit.
Hearing that I laughed so hard I almost drove off the low-hanging shoulder of a rural highway.
Heading home from a Sunday afternoon visit with a friend, I was listening to the radio broadcast of a recent NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The fruit pronouncement was an attempt by a member of the radio team to inject drama into a restart following what proved the final pit stops.
Ive been thinking about zany lines Ive heard from broadcasters and track announcers through 56 years of covering motorsports.
There have been some beauties, especially from the cast of characters who manned microphones in the old days.
Please dont get me wrong. Ive counted the guys doing the talking as friends. And they could poke fun at me for some of the things Ive written.
Its just that on occasion a few of them got carried away.
The King Of Corn, in my estimation, was Ray Melton. Ray is gone now, deceased along with other long-serving announcer/broadcasters such as Hal Hamrick, Dick Jones and Bill Connell.
Ray Melton - Getty Images
Melton, who saw combat as a Marine during World War II, was a colorful, audacious chap with a deep, growling voice, of which he was highly enamored.
Ray, with the distinctive twang of his native Tidewater area in Virginia, prided himself on delivering what he considered clever lines.
The one he used most in a career that began in NASCARs formative years in the 1950s was this: And here he comes through the fourth turn, belly to the ground like the true champion that he is.
The same description applied to whatever driver might be on the track, be it Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough, Buddy Baker, et al.
When a competitor spun or veered slightly out of control, Ray inevitably shouted into his microphone, And he KISSES the wall. If it was a minor incident, he always added, Ever so lightly.
Ray was not low-key in any way.
The street cars he drove from track to track around the South always had his name emblazoned on the sides, along with the title Chief Announcer For NASCAR.
Ray once offered a young, up-and-coming P.A. and radio guy named Barney Hall a sheet of paper with a list of suggested phrases. Leading off was this: And here he comes through the fourth turn like Santy Claus on a rocket sled!
Barney, who became perhaps the best of all time in his profession, politely took Meltons list. But to my knowledge the Motor Racing Network veteran never used this or any other cornpone.
Hall was inducted into a media wing of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte last year along with Ken Squier, best known and cited for his TV work.
But back to Melton
He once sent a letter to every member of the National Motorsports Press Association extolling the credentials of fellow broadcaster Sammy Bland for induction into the organizations Hall Of Fame. Ray closed by declaring, Modesty prevents this writer from listing his own qualifications.
Modesty was not among Meltons virtues.
Ditto Connell, a big, affable fellow.
When NASCAR took some of its star drivers to Australia in 1988 for an exhibition race at the new Thunderdome track near Melbourne, Bellowing Bill went along. He and others from Charlotte Motor Speedway were hired by Thunderdome founder Bob Jayne to help in putting on the show. Jayne was enamored of the Charlotte operation and promoter Humpy Wheeler.
Connell took with him flyers on which he billed himself as Co-star with Burt Reynolds in the movie Stroker Ace. In actuality, Bill had a bit part as, of course, an announcer.
He offered himself available for interviews with the media Down Under, and some took him up on it.
But during the action on the trackpractice, qualifying and then the raceConnell had these same people and fans alike groaning with his loud, seemingly non-stop, nonsensical one-liners. The Australian guy sharing the P.A. booth, overwhelmed, hardly was able to comment.
Bills corniest, and the line I remember most and rate No. 1 worst of all time, came near the end of the race as eventual winner Neil Bonnett, Allison and Dave Marcis ran in tight formation, battling for the lead.
Connells declaration caused some members of the Australian media in the press box to choke, spitting out their beer. And for these hard-core imbibers to waste brew, thats saying something.
Intoned Connell, loudly and seriously:
Ladies and gentlemen, and my good Aussie mates, theyve put the bread on the table for the Last Supper!
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/02/4359885/higgins-scuffs-...
The Next Generation Race Broadcasters
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Couple of good shots of Lewis Compton's old pagoda P.A. perch at Martinsville in this brief promo by Ken Squier:
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Lewis Compton's "hangout" at Martinsville can be seen in the upper left of this still frame from a WSLS-TV Roanoke, Va. report:
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Joint resolution passed in the Virginia Legislature following the passing of Martinsville Speedway announcer Lewis Compton. Somehow I don't see the Georgia legislature ever passing such a resolution regarding Rutledge Wood.
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 10
Celebrating the life of H. Lewis Compton.
Agreed to by the Senate, January 14, 2010
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 22, 2010
WHEREAS, H. Lewis Compton of Martinsville, a respected citizen, musician, and longtime popular radio and race announcer, died on February 27, 2009; and
WHEREAS, H. Lewis Compton was affectionately known as the Mouth of the South for announcing every race at Martinsville Speedway for 44 years from 1955 to 1999; and
WHEREAS, H. Lewis Compton worked at radio stations WMVA in Martinsville and WJWS in South Hill, before becoming the first voice ever heard on station WHEE in Martinsville in 1954; and
WHEREAS, a talented radio personality, H. Lewis Compton interviewed many famous entertainers, including Andy Griffith, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Louis Armstrong; and
WHEREAS, H. Lewis Compton not only worked in radio for 52 years, but he was sought after as a licensed auctioneer with a memorable style for 36 years; and
WHEREAS, an accomplished musician, H. Lewis Compton played the guitar, mandolin, bass fiddle, and autoharp and wrote music; and
WHEREAS, H. Lewis Compton wrote songs for well-known bluegrass and country singers such as Hank Thompson, Bill Carlisle, Don Reno, Red Smiley, and Alison Krauss; and
WHEREAS, H. Lewis Comptons remarkable song, Sawin on the Strings, was recorded by nine artists, and in 2004, the song was performed at the Country Music Televisions Flameworthy Awards and the noteworthy song was included on an Alison Krauss CD in 2007; and
WHEREAS, H. Lewis Compton will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of 60 years, Lois Newman Compton; two sons, John David and Richard Dean Compton; his four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; his sisters and brother and their families; and his many friends and loyal fans; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the passing of an outstanding Virginian, H. Lewis Compton; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of H. Lewis Compton as an expression of the General Assemblys respect for his memory.
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Tim, I know you got to Martinsville. Nobody else on the race circuit sounded like "The Mouth of the South" - Lewis Compton - announcing from that pagoda behind pit road at Martinsville with all the speakers on top. Louis announced every single race in every type division at Martinsville from 1955 - 1999 with that deep booming voice. I'm sure you remember his voice announcing all those Petty wins!
There is a Lewis (Mouth of the South) Compton In Memorium Club here at RR started by Andy Towler: http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/group/rememeringlewisthemouthofth...
Obituary Story below from Martinsville Bulletin :
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Sunday, March 1, 2009 H. Lewis Compton, who was known as the "Mouth of the South" for announcing every race at Martinsville Speedway for 44 years, died Friday at Memorial Hospital in Martinsville. Compton, 80, of 1109 Oakgrove Ave., Martinsville, also worked in radio for 52 years, was a licensed auctioneer for 36 years and wrote a song that is on a CD by bluegrass and country crossover singer Alison Krauss.Compton worked at radio stations WMVA in Martinsville and WJWS in South Hill before joining WHEE in 1954. His was the first voice ever heard on the station. Forty years of radio took him through the growth of rock "n' roll and country music. "That was before rock "n' roll became rock "n' roll. It was rhythm and blues then," he said in a 1991 Martinsville Bulletin interview. It also was the era that brought some of his favorites, including Ray Charles. Compton interviewed many great entertainers, including Andy Griffith, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Louie Armstrong, among others. Not only did he talk to the entertainers, he also wrote songs they recorded. Hank Thompson recorded "I've Run Out of Tomorrows," which stayed in the country music top 50 for 23 weeks. Bill Carlisle recorded "Wouldn't You Like To," and Don Reno and Red Smiley recorded "Sawin' on the Strings." That particular song was recorded nine times by various artists. In 2004, as part of CMT's Flameworthy awards show, Krauss and a band comprised of other Nashville stars played it, and Krauss then put it on her CD three years later. "Man, ain't that something," Compton quipped in a Bulletin interview at that time. Compton also played the guitar, mandolin, bass fiddle and autoharp. In addition to his radio career and music, Compton was known for announcing every race at the Martinsville Speedway from 1955 to 1999. He said in the 1991 interview that he initially did not want to announce the race when speedway owner Clay Earles called him on a Saturday and asked if he could begin working the next day. Compton said he had only been to the track twice and the first time "I liked to (have) strangled on the dust." The second time, his new suit was ruined in the rain. But Earles paved the track the next spring, and he offered Compton cash. "So I went over and worked every race since," Compton said. It was in the speedway infield tower where he earned the nickname "Mouth of the South." Compton said he always had called Elmo Langley, who drove the pace car at Winston Cup events at that time, "fat boy" and kidded Langley over the public address system one day when he passed the tower. "Well, there goes the old fat boy from Wheaton, Md.," Compton said for everyone at the track to hear. Compton said Langley looked up and said, "Yeah, there's the mouth of the South, the biggest one that anybody's got." The name stuck. Even Compton's business card showed a drawing, by his son David, of Compton talking in front of a map of the South. |
The Next Generation Race Broadcasters
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Yessir, Billy... they need to listen to ole Ray Melton describing Tiny Lund broadsliding off the 4th turn "in the Championship groove, flat out and belly to the ground, like the true champion that he is!"
The Next Generation Race Broadcasters
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Allen Bestwick play by play... Rusty Wallace or Ricky Craven color/analysis
Eli Gold play by play - Jerry Punch analysis
Lynda Petty past away
Stock Car Racing History
There is an excellent story in the Greensboro, NC paper at the link below:
http://www.news-record.com/news/local_news/article_78c8b1f2-b45d-11e3-84c1-0017a43b2370.html