It’s with great sadness that we share the news that our good friend and WXPR host, Randy Burl, passed away on November 9.
Randy was most known for hosting Bluegrass Saturday and Crossroads Cafe, but his contributions to WXPR went far beyond those programs. He shared his love of music with WXPR listeners, but for Randy, it was about so much more than playing songs. He loved connecting with the people on the other side of the radio.
Randy was known to trudge through the snow to the station after a blizzard, determined to provide companionship to listeners stuck at home. He often credited the WXPR community for helping build his playlists and for teaching him about music. He welcomed their suggestions, requests and recommendations. Whether someone reached out through Facebook, called the station, or approached him out in the community, Randy was eager to know what they were listening to and what they wanted to hear. He was always as happy to learn something new from his listeners as he was to share something new with his audience. And when listeners supported WXPR during his shows, Randy took the time to send each person a handwritten thank-you note. That small gesture said so much about who he was and how deeply he valued the people who made this station possible.
Randy was also a familiar face in the local music scene and a passionate supporter of live music in the Northwoods. He loved getting out to hear musicians perform and loved sharing their music with listeners. When he learned there was a need for someone to run audio at ArtStart and WXPR, he jumped in to learn the ropes. Most recently, he took the lead in organizing the Wildgrass Wingding, a fundraising event for WXPR, bringing together a small group of volunteers to make it happen. Randy was always thinking of ways to support the station and give something back to a place that meant so much to him.
Randy embodied the very best of public radio. He understood that WXPR was more than a station broadcasting to a community. To him, it was a place where people shared their voices, passions, and lives with one another, and where everyone had a place.
We are going to miss Randy dearly. We’ll miss his love of music, his enthusiasm, and his unwavering dedication to WXPR. But most of all, we’ll miss the way he connected with people throughout the Northwoods and made each person feel like an important part of this community.
This Saturday, November 14, we’ll spend some time remembering Randy with a special Bluegrass show on WXPR. We’d love for you to be part of it. Share a favorite song, make a request, or tell us a memory of Randy. It feels only right to celebrate him the way he would have wanted: together, with good music and the people who love it.
