Radio legend Carl Lamm dies at 97

Carl Lamm, the longtime owner and voice of radio stations WMPM and WTSB, died Thursday after a period of declining health. He was 97.

Retiring in 2019, after 72 years on the air, Lamm held the distinction of being one of the longest-serving broadcasters in the nation. His warm interview style and unique tastes in bluegrass, gospel and talk radio earned him a spot in the N.C. Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

“Mr. Carl was a fine man and a great friend,” said Johnston County Manager Rick Hester. “I will always cherish our many conversations over the past 25 years. We talked about the radio business, family, friendship, local government, baseball and, most importantly, our faith. I will miss him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Born Feb. 28, 1927, in Spring Hope, Lamm was the son of the late Moses and Emma Wilder Lamm.

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserves from 1944 to 1946. After the war, Lamm returned home, graduated from Spring Hope High School and then attended the National Academy of Broadcasting in Washington, D.C.

His first job in radio was at WCEC in Rocky Mount. In 1958, after a stint at WCKB in Dunn, Lamm purchased WMPM Radio in Smithfield, beginning a lifelong commitment to both radio and the people of Johnston County. In 2007, he and his son, Mickey, purchased WTSB Radio.

“I got to know Mr. Carl Lamm as a young boy, listening to him on the radio,” said Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell. “When I ran for sheriff in 1998, Mr. Carl and I became close friends. He reminded me of my dad and was a mentor to me in my early years as sheriff.”

Throughout his long career, Lamm was known for his coverage of the county tobacco market and long-running programs like “Carl and Friends.” He enjoyed playing a wide variety of bluegrass and gospel music, often taking requests from longtime listeners.

Outside of Johnston County, Lamm conducted countless interviews with celebrities, professional athletes, musicians and politicians. He became acquaintances with Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford while traveling to interview the New York Yankees’ teams of the 1960s. Lamm also interviewed Hank Williams and Kitty Wells at the Grand Ol’ Opry and hosted many U.S. congressmen and senators in his Smithfield studio.

“I well remember the first time I met Mr. Carl,” said Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Tom Lock. “It was early in 1990, during my first campaign for district attorney. I dropped by WMPM to introduce myself because that’s what then-Clerk of Court Will Crocker said I should do. Mr. Carl shook my hand and immediately invited me into the studio to talk with him on the air. I was scared to death because I had never been interviewed on live radio, but his folksy manner soon put me quite at ease.”

“That’s the effect Carl Lamm had on people,” Lock said. “He was a friend to everyone. To call Carl Lamm a Johnston County legend is a gross understatement. With his passing, the people of this county have suffered a monumental loss.”

Among his many honors, Lamm was inducted into the N.C. Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2004.

“Carl is an iconic figure in North Carolina, indeed, in our country,” said Wade Hargrove, a retired media attorney and a trustee of the N.C. Broadcast History Museum. “I remember listening to him on the radio as a young boy and thinking I would like to grow up and be like Carl.

“His contributions to the broadcast industry and to our state are enormous, and for that he has been recognized by his fellow broadcasters with its highest honor by induction into the North  Carolina Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Our state, our nation has lost a truly great American with Carl’s passing.”

Lamm taught Sunday School at Beulah Hill Christian Church near Four Oaks for 48 years. He later attended First Baptist Church in Smithfield.

“Carl Lamm is one of the most godly and honorable men I have ever had the privilege of knowing,” said Carl Gallups, a pastor who was a regular guest on Lamm’s broadcasts. “One of my most memorable moments with Carl came after the passing of his precious wife. On air, it was obvious Carl was hurting very deeply, and he asked me some questions and allowed me to minister the peace and love of our Lord to him and to his audience.

“He told me later that our conversation brought healing to his heart and soul and helped him to continue on the path God had for him.”

Lamm and his wife, Marjorie, were married for 63 years.

Surviving are two sons, Travis Lamm and Mickey Lamm; a daughter, Lynda Carroll; seven grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

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