By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Local "Morning Edition" host Steve Goss is retiring Sept. 4 after more than 35 years on Atlanta radio.
Goss, who spent 28 years as a jock on what was Peach and Lite 94.9, joined 90.1/WABE-FM eight years ago as the morning host.
"I've had the privilege of hosting "Morning Edition" for more than eight years now … working alongside many bright and talented colleagues. I will miss them very much. What I won't miss is getting up every day at 4 a.m.," Goss said during his program on WABE 90.1 FM this morning. "I'm looking forward to making up for time I've missed with my wife and family … and sleeping in until at least 7 a.m.!"
In a separate quote sent to me, he added, with standard self-deprecatory air: “I’ve thought a lot lately about how long I’ve been 'doing' radio in Atlanta and it struck me that not only has it been 36 years—it’s spanned 5 decades (70s through the 2010’s). I guess one could say I’ve exceeded my expiration date.”
He was part of Lite when it played "beautiful" music, the soft instrumentals you'd hear on elevators back in the day. He also played plenty of Barry Manilow, Bread and Barbra Streisand. He adjusted over time as Peach modernized to a degree, spinning more Elton John, Billy Joel and Celine Dion. He stuck around even when Clear Channel changed the name to Lite in the early 2000s. He left only when Clear Channel changed Lite to 94.9/The Bull in late 2006.
Goss, who is a career achievement inductee at the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame, joined WABE three months later.
Mara Davis, who does a weekly music segment with Goss on WABE called Mara's Music Mix, said his departure is "bittersweet."
"I'll miss talking music with Steve every week," Davis said. "It's been a true honor to work with 'Velvet Voice.' He is the gold standard of radio. And what most people don't know is that he is hilariously funny and witty. It's been a joy and honor to work with him!"
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
John Lemley, former mid-day host at WABE now at 1690/WMLB, said getting to work with Goss "was one of the great, unexpected treats of my time at WABE. He was among the most generous, thoughtful and funniest of my colleagues on Bismark Road [where WABE is located.] If the nickname 'The Velvet Fog' hadn't already been taken by Mel Torme, I'd give it to Steve. What a voice!"
Tom Hughes, who worked at Clear Channel at the same time as Goss at sister station WGST-AM, wrote on my Facebook page: "Good luck in retirement, Steve. As you probably listened to Dobie Gray more than any other human being on earth, I believe the term is 'Drift Away.' "
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