Wayne T. Eddy, the broadcaster founder of KYMN Radio, co-founder of the Northfield Historical Society, dedicated member of the Defeat of Jesse James Days and perhaps the greatest supporter of Northfield itself over the past half century, died Saturday morning at the age of 83.
Wayne was born on May 22, 1941. He grew up in St. Paul, attended Harding High School, and learned the broadcasting trade at Brown Institute before getting his first job in radio at WTMB in Tomah, Wisconsin in 1964. In 1966, he took a job at KAUS in Austin, Minnesota, where he worked as a disc jockey in the mornings and then as a weatherman on the evening television news.
Wayne arrived in Northfield in the late summer of 1968 as Stan Stydnicki’s first employee for the then-fledgling radio station KYMN 1080 AM. Over the next few weeks, he worked all over Northfield, getting to know seemingly everyone in the community and promoting KYMN.
“I moved here on the 18th and started working at 8:00 a.m. on the 19th. Stan immediately put me out on the streets to sell advertising, even though there was no radio station yet. It was just being built. The tower was being built. But I was so excited. I think I was 27 years old.”
On September 27, 1968, Wayne’s voice was heard on our airwaves for the first time, playing 5th Dimension’s Up, Up and Away. For the next five decades, Wayne’s voice was heard nearly every day on KYMN, as host of the KYMN Morning Show and later the Wayne Eddy Affair, at sporting events, and on special broadcasts of community events, including the Defeat of Jesse James Days Grand Parade.
Jeff Johnson, the outgoing owner of KYMN Radio, said he learned “everything” from Wayne, but especially the commitment to the community necessary to make a small town radio station successful. Wayne was heavily involved in so many different organizations, both local and statewide. He spoke with pride about his time with the Northfield Jaycees. As mentioned, he was one of the founders of the Northfield Historical Society and was instrumental in that organization’s acquisition of the Scriver Building, which of course houses the original Northfield First National Bank that the James/Younger Gang attempted to rob.
With his booming voice and outgoing personality, Wayne Eddy knew everyone in Northfield and seemed to know everyone. Johnson said his impact on the community was felt by everyone who lived here.
“How many events did he host? How many parades did he announce? How many people from the town did he interview? How many charities did he work for? You know, he co-founded the Northfield Historical Society, among other things. And he was so closely associated with the days of Jesse James’ defeat. Yes, his influence is immeasurable.”
For Defeat of Jesse James Days, Wayne served as chairman of the organizing committee three times, in 1974 and ’75, again in 1999 and 2000, and again in 2011 and 2012. As a member of the James Gang Raiders, he portrayed, as he put it, almost every character in the bank robbery reenactment before finally settling on Frank James. Playing the role of a bank robber, he said, was always his favorite part of the celebration.
“There’s nothing more exciting than dressing up as a 19th century cowboy or outlaw, getting on the saddle, going to town, getting off the horse, going in, robbing the bank, getting out, getting back on and disappearing or dying on the street. There’s nothing more exciting. It’s great fun.”
Wayne served as president of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association and helped develop new educational programs as chairman of the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. He was named Minnesota’s Outstate Broadcast Personality of the Year in 1998 and was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2007.
Teri Knight, who worked with Wayne on and off in various roles at KYMN over the course of nearly two decades, is also a veteran of broadcasting in the Twin Cities. She said with the exception of a few legendary names from WCCO-AM’s heyday, such as Charlie Boone, Roger Erickson and Steve Cannon, to name a few, there is no name in the field of broadcasting in Minnesota that is more revered and remembered than Wayne Eddy.
“His personality is larger than life and I would describe him as authentic, community-minded, committed to service and just an absolute radio icon.”
Wayne was a true champion of Northfield and often expressed his love for the town. He was the living embodiment of this radio station for at least 50 years. Every employee of KYMN Radio, past, present and future, owes Wayne our deepest gratitude. This radio station, or as he would say, “your hometown radio station,” is part of Wayne’s long and influential legacy. The KYMN family will miss him greatly.
Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Wayne’s wife Julie and their daughter Angel.
Contact Rich Larson at [email protected]
