Obituary: Perry Marshall / Celebrated radio host was both talker and listener
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Perry Marshall
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Anyone who tuned in to hear the soothing voice of famed Pittsburgh talk-show host Perry Marshall knew the man loved to talk.
Those who knew him personally, and the audience who shared moments of their lives with him, knew he was also a great listener.
His daughter, Robin Marshall, said it's what Mr. Marshall would have considered his best trait.
The longtime late-night radio personality on KDKA-AM died Saturday because of heart complications from lung disease and pneumonia. The Mt. Lebanon resident was 86.
Mr. Marshall was born on Chicago's South Side on Oct. 13, 1925. He left high school at 17 to join the Navy, where he served four years. He later earned his GED.
Ms. Marshall wasn't sure how her father developed an interest in talk radio. "I think he always wanted to be in broadcasting," she said.
Before moving to Pittsburgh in 1951 for Elayne, his wife and the mother of his two children, Mr. Marshall had written and edited commercials for a radio station but had no on-air experience. Through some connections -- and the unexpected departure of a local radio announcer -- Mr. Marshall landed his first on-air gig at WPGH in East Liberty. He and Elayne later divorced.
Years later, Mr. Marshall became the first Top 40 disc jockey in Pittsburgh, signing on at WEEP. Ms. Marshall said he counted the Skyliners and Chubby Checker among his favorite acts.
After stints at WTAE, KQV and WJAS, Mr. Marshall joined KDKA in 1974 as a full-time talk host. His storied career ended when he retired in 1988. KDKA radio host Mike Pintek said Mr. Marshall went out on top.
A successful radio talk show host herself, Ms. Marshall remembers her father's coaching at a young age.
"When we used to come home from school, if there was any sign of an accent at all, he said, 'No, you can't talk like that,' " she said.
First Published November 7, 2011 12:00 am
