Longtime veteran radio broadcaster Tim Byrd, known as “The Byrdman,” passed away peacefully on Jan. 27, 2022, at the age of 68 due to pneumonia. Tim is survived by his wife of 19 years, Sally, and two loving stepchildren, Rola and Adie, and his mother Bethany.
From a young age, Byrd was interested in radio, having lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and then moving to North Carolina. He knew from the very beginning that he wanted to be a big city radio and TV personality. All he needed was a foot in the door. He got his first break at the age of 15 at a family-owned station in Johnston, South Carolina. The rest, as they say, is history.
Byrd’s radio stops included Charlotte, North Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where at 21 he had the distinction of being the youngest program director in the state. Next was Cleveland, Ohio, where he simultaneously held the No. 1 afternoon radio show and hosted the nation’s first daily hour-long dance TV show for NBC’s WKYC-TV.
From there, Byrd went to New York City, and his first stop was at WNBC, where he worked with Don Imus and Howard Stern. Then it was on to WPIX-FM, where he did both afternoon and the morning drive time shows and was listed in the top 25 morning men in America, according to Radio and Records, a long-trusted radio trade paper.
VH-1 was the next stop, where he was the original prototype “VJ” for the channel and had the distinction of being the only VJ to work with the first and second set of VJs. After more than 11 years in New York City, the next series of radio stops included Phoenix, Arizona, and Washington, D.C., before landing in South Florida. Byrd enjoyed No. 1 ratings at WRMF-FM, WEAT-FM and KOOL 105.5-FM.
After living in the Palm Beaches for more than 15 years, it was evident to Byrd that he was always discovering interesting new people, places and things about the county he lives in, and realized it was time to share the information with people internationally, across the nation, and as a way to remind the locals of the big variety of things to do here. So, he created www.palmbeachliveworkplay.com. This site not only helps people make more intelligent decisions, but it shows why Palm Beach County is the best place to live, work and play.
Byrd created an outlet for his voice-over business called Voxpower.com. Through Voxpower, his voice could be heard on commercials, and he became the voice of many local businesses and organizations, including nonprofits. He was also the co-founder, along with friend Neil London, of the exclusive auto enthusiast event, SuperCar Week, held every January in Palm Beach County.
Byrd joined VCMG Live on the True Oldies Channel 95.9-FM in the Palm Beaches and 106.9-FM on the Treasure Coast as the morning show host in 2019. He was a morning favorite with his energy, love for music and his listeners, every morning on the “The Get up and Go Show.” The show featured listener call-ins, live song requests, artist interviews, ticket giveaways, traffic and weather and the greatest hits of all time.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved ‘Byrdman.’ Tim was the captain of our team, the Big Brother we looked up to at the True Oldies Channel, and the voice that welcomed our listeners to our airwaves each morning during his ‘Get Up and Go’ morning show. He was a staple in the West Palm Beach community, the backbone of our organization and his memory will live on. I will sorely miss listening to him live on-air and seeing him each morning. My thoughts and prayers are with Sally and the family during this time,” said Vic Canales, president of VCMG Live.
Byrd always made the time to help others, and for over two decades hosted galas, balls, fundraisers, tree lightings, benefits and walks. He was especially proud of his affiliation with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. He was known not only to promote the nonprofit causes but frequently volunteered and participated.
Longtime manager and agent Brian Morrow met Byrd in 1997 and they became close friends. “Tim kept his audience as if they were friends every day,” Morrow said. “If anything happened in your life, you knew Tim Byrd would be there. He was a true professional, and a giant in charitable work.”
Byrd met his wife Sally in 2003 at the annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man and Women of the Year event. It was love at first sight. He cherished his bride each day throughout their 19-year marriage and was not shy about telling others about his love for Sally. He proposed at the Jupiter Beach Resort and the rest was history in their storybook romance.
God was important in Byrd’s life. His father was a pastor and instilled the power of faith and prayer. Along with his wife, Byrd was an active member of Beacon Baptist Church in Jupiter. Services will be held Wednesday, Feb. 2 at Beacon Baptist Church (11616 Indiantown Road, Jupiter) at 2 p.m.
