{"id":69074,"date":"2025-06-24T08:40:05","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T12:40:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=69074"},"modified":"2025-06-30T17:07:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T21:07:29","slug":"richard-winham-signing-off-chattanoogas-music-story-teller-takes-a-final-bow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/richard-winham-signing-off-chattanoogas-music-story-teller-takes-a-final-bow\/","title":{"rendered":"Richard Winham, signing off: Chattanooga\u2019s music story \u2018teller\u2019 takes a final bow\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Richard

Richard Winham was issued a special proclamation at his retirement benefit concert, declaring June 22 as “Richard Winham Day.” Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

Richard Winham wants the world to know two things: Radio is not dead. Neither is Richard Winham.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople keep saying radio is dead\u2026 but it doesn\u2019t make any sense, because it\u2019s not,\u201d Winham said. \u201cIt\u2019s as ubiquitous as it\u2019s ever been.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Trust him\u2014he would know.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Winham joined WUTC-FM, the NPR-affiliated station housed on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus, in 1987.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He has quietly become one of Chattanooga\u2019s most familiar voices, not by chasing the spotlight, but as he put it, staying \u201con the edge of it.\u201d After a long, successful career that includes launching the station\u2019s first morning music show, curating daily music programming, producing live sessions with local and touring <\/span>artists<\/span>, and mentoring generations of students interested in broadcasting, Winham is retiring at the end of June.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think of retirement as stopping,\u201d he said. \u201cIt gives me a pause when people say, \u2018Congratulations.\u2019 I want to say, \u2018That\u2019s great, but please understand, I\u2019m not dead.\u2019<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn ideal life should expand and embrace. That\u2019s how it works for me.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To celebrate his many contributions to WUTC, the community came together for a public benefit concert on Sunday, June 22, at Barrelhouse Ballroom.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The show, which was also a fundraising event for WUTC, brought performances by some of Winham\u2019s favorite local artists, including headliners The New Quintet and Randy Steele and the High Cold Wind. Guest performances <\/span>included<\/span> Wayne White and Username Password, Rick Rushing, Jhett Black, Swayyvo, Alex The Band, members of Strung Like A Horse, members of Call Me Spinster, Danimal, BEMI, Emily Kate Boyd <\/span>and<\/span> Nick Lutsko.<\/span><\/p>\n