Lowell Blanchard

Lowell Blanchard was born in Palmer, Illinois on November 5, 1910 and entered the University of Illinois in 1928. Blanchard received his first radio broadcasting experience as a student announcer. Blanchard served as master of ceremonies and public address announcer at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago.

Blanchard worked at radio stations in Indiana, Iowa and Michigan and then moved to Knoxville, Tennessee where he hosted and wrote for Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round on WNOX. Merry-Go-Round was extremely popular and was a launching pad for the careers of Roy Acuff, Archie Campbell, Kitty Wells, Chet Atkins, Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, Pee Wee King, Martha Carson, Don Gibson, and the Louvin Brothers . Blanchard also found time to host WNOX's early morning program Musical Clock Show. Both live radio programs continued until the early 60s.

Blanchard was active in his community and served as city councilman for a time. Blanchard died on February 19, 1968. An honorary Merry-Go-Round was held in his memory at Knoxville's Civic Auditorium a couple of weeks after Blanchard's death and the stars of country music came out to honor him: Roy Acuff, Kitty Wells, Grandpa Jones, Don Gibson, Skeeter Davis and many others. Blanchard was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 1977.