Great Falls, MT Radio Legend, Mark’s Dad, To Be Recognized For ‘Labor of Love’

For those of you who listen to us Breakfast Flakes but may not know about my dad, I'm gonna bring you up to speed.

My dad was on the radio in Great Falls and Missoula for 40 years. I followed the old man into broadcasting and am now in my 40th year of doing this for a living. My sister Michelle also joined the on-air party when she was in her early twenties.

So, there's been a Wilson on the air in Montana since 1969.

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Dad loved the country music he was playing on the air but wanted to play some older songs and tell stories about them. Back in 1972, there weren't satellite radio stations, downloads, or the internet. So unless you went to the record store and bought the albums, you couldn't hear the older songs.

That's when dad started doing Grass Roots Gold. A two-hour show where he and his partner, Pete Logan and later Jim Lynn, played songs going back to the 1940s and told the stories about them. And my dad was an amazing storyteller.

This year marks 50 years that Grass Roots Gold has been on the air in Montana and several other states. It can be heard Saturday mornings on KGHL from 8-10 a.m.

This Saturday in Great Falls, the history museum is celebrating. Grass Roots Gold: Celebrating Dave Wilson. Starts at 1 p.m. I'll be speaking about how it all started. Dad's wife, Cheryl, will also speak.

As will a lady named Norma Ashby, who's been a fixture on TV in Great Falls since before I was born. And she knew dad well.

I'm glad to see him get some recognition. GRG was a labor of love. Because it certainly wasn't for money.