Country Music DJ Hall of Fame member Charlie Douglas reportedly passed away on Thanksgiving day. His career included stints at WWL New Orleans and WSM-AM Nashville, among other stations. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. According to his bio on the Country Radio Seminar Web site, Douglas created the original all night radio show for truckers. He also recorded a few trucking songs of his own. The Louisiana Board of Radio-Info.com is talking about Charlie's contributions to radio, here.


According to the bio, he began his radio career in 1953 at KLIC Monroe La. He first became a program director in 1956 at KOCY Oklahoma City. Douglas moved frequently and worked in Asheville, N.C.; Buffalo N.Y.; San Antonio; Dallas; and Houston, among other markets. In 1970, he joined WWL and created the Road Gang, the first all night country music show that was directed specifically at truck drivers. After 13 years, he joined WSM as host of The Music Country Network. He served a president of the Country Radio Broadcasters for two terms. Douglas retired from radio in 1995 to devote his full attention to Compact Disc Express (CDX), a music promotion firm he had been operated with partner Paul Lovelace since 1991.

Among the memorable stunts Douglas has been credited with is his career was broadcasting from a hot air balloon in Texas before losing control of the navigation and winding up drifting over the Gulf of Mexico. He was also reportedly the first person to broadcast while parachuting from an airplane. He also broadcast while standing in a lion's cage and riding on the back of a bull. In 1975, Douglas took his show on the road, broadcasting from 40 different locations in 50 days.

Douglas had reportedly been living with his wife in Picayune, Miss., at time of death. A memorial service has been scheduled for Saturday, December 3, and more details will be forthcoming.