Something
About Ray Odom:
Coleman Grad Makes It Big In
Radio and TV World
By Billie Mercer
A young man was born in Cross Cut
in Coleman County, graduated from Coleman High School in 1943, is now an
older citizen, but one who has done well with his life and appears to have
lived life to the fullest. Ray Odom, who some of you may remember
and some will be scratching your heads thinking, “I have heard the name
but who is this guy?” What has he done to become an outstanding personality?
Let’s take you back a few years
and tell you a little of his history. While in the Navy in 1946,
Ray Odom attened the Cambridge School of Radio Broadcasting in New York.
At the time, he graduated with honors and went to work as a staff man at
KSTA in Coleman, Texas where he did play-by-play, was a disc jockey and
a newscaster. Odom stayed at KSTA until the year 1949 when he went
to work for KRBC-TV in Abilene, Texas for a couple of years as a staff
man, once again doing football and basketball play-by-play for the colleges
in Abilene, along with Abilene High School. The west finally called
to him and he left KRBC in 1951, going to KRIZ in Phoenix, Arizona.
He did similar work as he did at KRBC adding to his accomplishments where
he did the Salad Bowl Football game on New Year’s Day on the Liberty Network
for 525 radio stations. He loved his radio work and in 1953 he moved
to KRUZ radio in Glendale and remained there until 1956.
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Merle Haggard,
unidentified woman, Ray Odom
in the 1950's
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While at KRUZ, he was a disc jockey
and did major league recreation. Also, added to Odom’s abilities
was his doing a music show on KTVK and KOOL-TV and KTAR-TV in Phoenix for
ten years. Odom was not only great in his work on radio and television
but he was active as a commercial announcer for many years. He holds
many credits such as the National Dodge TV commercials, regional Coca Cola
TV, Lucky Lager Beer, Valley National Bank of Arizona, Harmon’s Kentucky
Fried Chicken which was the second outlet in the U. S. for Colonel Sanders’
Kentucky Fried Chicken. An honor close to Odom’s heart and his accomplishments
was when he was a Marshall in the Rose Bowl Parade as a Silver Mounted
Rider for eight consecutive years and for 20 years he was featured rider
in the Phoenix Rodeo Parade. To name just a few of his honors, he
was Grand Marshall for the Las Vegas Rodeo Parade, the Tucson Rodeo Parade
and the Christ Toy Lane Parade in San Diego. Odom has had his time
of fame in the movies also. He performed as an actor in the film
for Dodge playing the gunfighter in “Peace for a Gun Fighter.”
Odom has had an excellent background
in community affairs, he served as Director of the Country Music Association
for two terms. He was on the board of the Horseman’s Benevolent and
Protection Association in Arizona and has served and its president.
To top all these honors, the “hometown” boy was selected as the “Personality
of the Year” for TV-Radio Mirror Magazine. Odom loves horses.
Almost every picture you see of this educated and well known personality
is with one or more of his beautiful horses. He is a Texas native
but has made Arizona his second home. Odom said he became interested
in Arizona when “I first came here in 1951 because Warren Woodson was down
here. Many will remember Woodson was head coach from 1952 to 1956.”
Odom recalls how Woodson invented the Wing “T” formation. “Variations
on the same wing concept are still used by the pros,” he said.
Odom is a Coleman native who has
done well in his lifetime. One who is always looking for a new way
to do more and whose love for his family and his beloved horses sets him
apart from anyone else. Odom and his wife, Dollie have a son, Raymond
who lives in Phoenix and a daughter Dorene. They have a grandson
David, who lives in Santa Clara. He also has a sister, Bonnie Tatum
who lives in Canyon, Texas and another sister, Jewell Kinney residing in
Clifton, Texas. Odom has done much for the radio field and TV in
sports, commercial and advertising. He is well known and one thing
he is well known for is not knowing what the “R” letter stands for.
He could, but he will not do it. He is to too full of life and enjoys
life to the fullest. The word retirement is not in his vocabulary.
He says, “I can’t retire. You know what? When I am 100 years
old I won’t retire then. I have too much to live for.”
(Coleman Chronicle and Democrat-Voice,
April 18, 2002, page 2-A.)
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