By Jim Freeman

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – He was known as Mr. WLAF and rightfully so.  Harold Roosevelt Branam, the man who was the glue for WLAF for decades, passed away peacefully this morning around 7 am.

If you did not know HB, as we often called him, worked at WLAF, you either weren’t looking or listening.  HB wore WLAF caps, T-shirts, had a WLAF license plate on his car and was on the air for hours at a time.  He worked split shifts, weekends and evenings; wherever he was needed, he was there.  He hosted his bluegrass shows on Thursday nights and Saturday mornings usually with his pal Gene Hobbs along side in the control room.

Harold Branam’s photo serves as the screen photo on WLAF’s Production Room computer.

Harold’s devotion and love for WLAF was a distant second to his love and devotion to his family, especially his wife Carolyn.  When Carolyn was in need of someone to care for her the better part of the day, Harold cut back his time on the air and soon gave up radio all together.  He spent the rest of Carolyn’s life caring for her.  Yes, Harold Branam was that kind of man.

Sadly, with the pandemic, I had not seen Harold since early March.  He made his home at La Follette Court Assisted Living, and when he first moved in, I asked Rhonda Graves, the administrator, if she knew Harold was a WLAF alum, and she said, “Oh, yes.  He made that known from the start.”

Mr. WLAF, Harold Roosevelt Branam, was 88-years old.  Walters Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/03/2020-10AM)

 

One Reply to “Mr. WLAF has signed off the air. Harold Branam passes.”

  1. Jim Freeman has written a perfect remembrance of our beloved Harold Branam, one of the kindest, most loyal people I’ve ever known. It was my pleasure and honor to have worked with Harold during the late 1980s when I was a pup known on air as Karen Stevens. God bless you and rest you and keep you, dear, kind Harold Branam!

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