Veteran broadcaster Bob Labbe has been named Large-Market Radio Personality of the Year in Alabama by the Alabama Broadcasters Association at its 20th annual Abby Awards held in Birmingham. With a career spanning more than five decades, Labbe continues to be a familiar voice for radio listeners through his long-running show.
Here are the five interesting facts about him:
He has spent over five decades in broadcasting
Bob Labbe has been in broadcasting for 53 years. The 72-year-old has worked in television, newspaper writing and radio. He has also spent many years as a sports reporter for the Madison Record, making him a well-known name in Alabama media.
He has hosted the same radio show for 35 years straight
Labbe has been the host of Reelin’ In The Years on WLRH 89.3 FM in Huntsville for the past 35 years. The show airs live every Friday night from 9:00pm to 1:00am, a four-hour slot that he has kept going week after week for over three decades.
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He plays music from his own personal collection of over 20,000 vinyl records
Labbe’s show stands out because he uses his own collection of more than 20,000 original 45 rpm vinyl records. The music covers the 1950s to the 1990s. The show has an old-school style, where he interviews famous artists gives prizes to listeners and shares fun facts about the songs and singers.
He was genuinely surprised to win the award
The Alabama Broadcasters Association named Labbe the Large-Market Radio Personality of the Year at its 20th annual Abby Awards in Birmingham. His win was one of five awards for WLRH Public Radio. Even with his long career, he said he did not expect it.
“I am totally shocked for winning this award as I’ve been in the business a long time where I’ve won awards for my work in television on Channel 31 and the numerous awards for my writing over three decades as a newspaper writer, but this award means the most.”
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He is living out a childhood dream
Labbe said he always wanted to work in radio. As a child, he used to pretend he was hosting his own show and now he is doing exactly that.
“I used to play radio in my room as a kid and always wanted to be a disc jockey. WLRH has given me the opportunity to do what I’ve dreamed of doing,” he said in his acceptance speech.