David Carroll

It may not be on your on-screen guide yet, but CBS is airing a one hour tribute to this Monday night (7/22) at 8 p.m. He left us a lot of laughs, and they'll squeeze as many as they can into that hour.

No one ever had better comedy timing than Bob Newhart. He told great stories, and often gave up the big laughs to his co-stars. In his later years, he was amazing on The Big Bang Theory. . His best friend was Don Rickles, making up a true odd couple. Bob has died at the age of 94, but the laughs will live forever.

A much needed laugh break in memory of Richard Simmons, who died on Saturday. Here's an interview we did when he visited Chattanooga in 1998. This is part 1 of 2, and it's all on YouTube. Enjoy!

Richard Simmons interview by David Carroll & Cindy Sexton, 1998 (Part 1) Channel 3 Chattanooga's David Carroll and Cindy Sexton interview Richard Simmons on "Live at 5:30" on Sept. 4, 1998, prior to his appearance at Hamilton Plac...

Seems like school dismissed for the summer just a few days ago. Now it's already "back to school" time!

Just when I had wondered if anything would ever be normal again, steps up. Potato cakes are back. Let this be the beginning of a comeback for sanity.

Thanks to the friendly "Classics" at Cross Roads Baptist Church in beautiful Ooltewah for inviting me to speak! It's always fun sharing stories from "Hello Chattanooga" "I Won't Be Your Escape Goat" and my other books. And yes, we had a little bit of food too. And maybe some dessert.

RIP at 93. According to my book "Hello Chattanooga" he played as a teen at Engel Stadium for the Chattanooga Choo Choos of the Negro American League in the 1940s. When he was a New York Giant in the 1955, he returned to Engel as part of a "colored" All Star exhibition game. He sure was fun to watch.

Just got back from vacation, and I am inspired to write a column about a vacation topic. Junk FEES. You tell me your story, and I'll tell you mine. Man, some rental management companies are greedy. The fees (service fee, host fee, destination fee, facilities fee, lodging fee, fee fi fo fum) add up to more than what they charge to rent! Plus the hopefully refundable "safety deposit." Do I look like the kind of guy who will do $1500 damage? Anyway, I'd love to use your comments too. Let 'er rip!

It's always an honor to be asked to speak at a graduation ceremony. It's a big night for these seniors, and I love the pride and enthusiasm on their faces when they get that hard-earned diploma. Thanks to Ivy Academy for inviting me to be a part of it.

James Gregory was billed as The Funniest Man in America, and judging from the laughter at his shows, that was an accurate statement. He worked hard to make people laugh, and he never failed. He was in Chattanooga dozens of times, and we will sure will miss him. He has died at 78. RIP James. Here's a tribute I wrote a few years back.

James Gregory: Chattanooga's favorite funnyman - David Carroll's Chattanooga Radio and TV James Gregory is billed as “The Funniest Man In America,” and after you leave his show, sore from an hour of nonstop laughter, you’ll probably agree. The Georgia native is... Read more »

For my friends: Have you noticed all these Braves whose jersey number matches their age? (I hope Uncle Jesse has a sense of humor. I think he does)

One of my all-time favorite School Patrol stories was in 2019, with Sequatchie County Middle School 6th grader Gracie Johnson, who chose her lifelong friend Matthew Hart to be her homecoming court es**rt. 4 1/2 years later, I visited them again today, at the high school. They're still buddies, and excellent role models. I'm so proud to call them my friends! You can read the original story here: https://chattanoogaradiotv.com/general/life-lessons-two-amazing-6th-graders/

I've been buying supermarket strawberries to hold me over, but now the real thing has arrived. Read this terrific article about Smith-Perry Berries. Can't wait to get my first bucket! https://foodasaverb.ghost.io/aubie-smith-sells-strawberries/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3jTj9oMlss8bzRdWjuNZR1aalNtwjJo3PYtfO4yOZxdcc1YmGvnfefqVQ_aem_AbAp261WRUC36pS4o00EZEzHTAt2NDfTlkab6aWzNptGYH5faXj7-NtSOiJAwgxbFWmz4iAQDbGX7lktysLAFCpR

Aubie Smith's strawberries and the many sweet reasons we buy them. Folks start lining up early. It's easy to see why.

It's another amazing Earth Day Birthday for Vincent Anthony Carroll! "Big V" brightens our lives every day with wit, wisdom, warmth, and kindness. You couldn't ask for a better son, brother, husband, or Braves fan! Happy b-day Vince!

I finally found the long-missing video of Usher (age 12) making his first TV appearance on WRCB Channel 3 on my noon newscast in 1991. He was part of Nu Beginning, a group managed by Darryl Wheeler, who worked tirelessly to make these kids a success. Usher, then a student at Dalewood Middle School in Chattanooga, moved to Atlanta in 1992. Enjoy!

First TV appearance by Usher in 1991 on WRCB Chattanooga The group Nu Beginning is introduced by David Carroll on WRCB-TV in Chattanooga in 1991. Usher Raymond IV is wearing the pink shirt, and does a spoken part a...

I was blown away by this book. "Zenith Man" by McCracken Poston is an amazing read. I followed the Alvin Ridley case back in the 90s, but there was so much that I didn't know. Trust me: It will be an award-winning motion picture soon. McCracken still looks young enough to play himself!

Here's the best local news story you'll see today. Guaranteed smile, or your money back.

Moves inspiring millions: Chickamauga family goes viral for Down Syndrome awareness KC and Lindsey Cole call their son Sebastian, or Bash, their miracle baby.

Lunch and dessert buffet, friendly people, and lots of laughs. That's my idea of a good day. Thanks to South Pittsburg Rotary Club and Western Sizzlin in Jasper for a good time. I love sharing stories from "I Won't Be Your Escape Goat," "Hello Chattanooga" and my other books!

50 years ago this week, Ray Stevens unleashed "The Streak" on America. It became one of the biggest-selling records of the 70s, and it all started when Ray was reading a magazine story on a flight from Los Angeles to Nashville. A few days later, he had a #1 hit song. Take a minute to hear Ray tell the story.

Ray Stevens tells the story behind "The Streak" Ray Stevens explains how "The Streak" went from a magazine article to a number one record in a matter of days in 1974. This is from an interview at "Ray Stev...

Somebody asked me to dig up my Vinyl Express playlist for the eclipse back in August 2017. Here's what we played on the radio that day:

Final Countdown- Europe 5:02
Eye in the Sky- Alan Parsons Project 4:18
Good Day Sunshine- Beatles 2:00
She Blinded Me With Science- Thomas Dolby 3:39
Outaspace- Billy Preston 4:02
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In- Fifth Dimension 4:38
Walking on the Sun- Smashmouth 3:15
Major Tom- Peter Schilling 3:52
Sunshine of Your Love- Cream 4:04
Moondance- Van Morrison 4:27
Bad Moon Rising- CCR 2:13
When the Night Comes- Joe Cocker 3:47
Slippin into Darkness- War 3:27
Walking on Sunshine- Katrina & the Waves 3:40
New Moon on Monday- Duran Duran 4:02
Ain’t No Sunshine- Bill Withers 1:57
Dancing in the Moonlight- King Harvest 2:48
Dancing in the Dark- Bruce Springsteen 3:42
Total Eclipse of the Heart- Bonnie Tyler 5:23
You’re So Vain- Carly Simon 4:07
Blinded by the Light- Manfred Mann 3:44
Sounds of Silence- Simon and Garfunkel 2:59
Moonshadow- Cat Stevens 2:43
Here Comes the Sun- Beatles 3:01
Steal My Sunshine- Len 3:45
Space Oddity- David Bowie 4:30

My Opening Day column for 2024. Ozzie Albies should be the (smiling) Face of Major League Baseball!

Ozzie Albies should be "The Face" of Baseball - David Carroll's Chattanooga Radio and TV Imagine for a moment that you have 25 children. You love all of them equally, right? Yet if we’re honest, some of them may be easier to raise. You know,... Read more »

Now this just made my day. I wrote the "Escape Goat" book for some laughs, and for an "escape" from the political news that smothers us each day. So, to get a letter from someone who enjoyed the book, and wants to share that joy with a friend, is a great feeling. This one's going to Missouri!

Big FM 106.9 will be no more after today. From 2016 to 2023 it was my radio home for the Vinyl Express each weekend, and I loved every minute of it. During that time I became a big fan of the Brewer family (the actual family and the radio family). They couldn't have been any nicer and more supportive. It's sad to see "my music" leave the airwaves, but time marches on. I'm thankful that Sirius XM, the Top 40 Music Channel (online) and YouTube still play the greatest music ever recorded.

4 years ago today: Thursday, March 12, 2020. I had just finished speaking to a group of new Hamilton County principals. When I returned to WRCB, it was announced that schools would be closed until March 30th because COVID-19 was beginning to spread. I thought, wow, this is getting serious. 2 whole weeks with no school! Some people didn't take it that seriously. "It'll be gone by Easter (April 12)." "Warmer weather will make it go away." Ever the optimist, I believed it. Of course, we had no idea what was coming. 2020 was a terrible year, and school was out for a LONG time, along with just about everything else. We had our ups and downs for a couple of years after that. Thankfully, we're back to normal now, complaining about relatively insignificant things. Yes, prices are higher, but we can go anywhere we want to go, and there are no longer temporary morgues outside hospitals. I appreciate the doctors, the scientists, the health care workers, and the government leaders who developed the vaccines, and made the tough choices to get us back to normal. Were all of their decisions perfect? Of course not. We had never faced anything like it before. But they did the best they could, and it's been good to see (mostly) smiling faces again. The awful period we went through served as a reminder that we shouldn't take anything for granted.

RIP at 74. Lead singer of Raspberries ("Go All The Way") and solo singer of "All By Myself" and "Hungry Eyes." He appeared in Chattanooga once, opening for Sweet at Memorial Auditorium, on Jan. 21, 1976.

Eric Carmen, Raspberries Frontman and “All By Myself” Singer, Dies at 74 Carmen also had the solo hits "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It" and "Hungry Eyes."

From my friend Stacey Alexander: "Hello David. I'm down in Suwannee, Florida, on a fishing trip, and I got hooked on your book. I'm on page 50 and halfway through my second cup of coffee. I am so proud of Chattanooga's history. I love starting a read in an exotic place. This is a perfect place for your book.
I'm already telling the boys some of these stories. And unlike most fishing trip stories -- these are true!" I'm glad this book has made so many people so happy!

I wish I could read to kids at every school. But since I can't, I have created some videos on my YouTube channel. And since it's Read Across America time, I'd be honored if teachers (or parents, grandparents, and anyone else) share this with kids...of all ages!

David Carroll reads "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss David Carroll of Local 3 News in Chattanooga reads "Green Eggs and Hams" by Dr. Seuss for Read Across America week in 2024!

I love this time of year. Just about every elementary school invites folks to read Dr. Seuss books during Read Across America week. My first one was at Red Bank Elementary School, where I learned that 1st graders are much smarter than they were when I was a kid. They're great readers! (And if you hop over to my YouTube channel, you can find me reading a few books, with more on the way)

Here is an awesome surprise, especially if you love great music and the scenery of Chattanooga. Melissa Manchester has re-recorded her huge 70s hit "Midnight Blue" with Dolly Parton. It's fantastic. PLUS: the music video is filled with Chattanooga area scenery. Enjoy, and SHARE! (Thanks to Richard Cooper for the tip) https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=C6C-mlaG_dM&fbclid=IwAR2WpJEYM-dvcBK9ye2f1vUUu944_O8BOKIEuIJCufEAQfY1YaHjG2EcPK8

Melissa Manchester - Midnight Blue ft. Dolly Parton Music video by Melissa Manchester performing Midnight Blue. © 2024 Thanksgiving Whatever, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Green Hill Productions.http://vevo.ly/...

Fun fact: Chattanooga's Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium opened 100 years ago this week, Feb. 22, 1924. My book "Hello Chattanooga" was intended to be a history of the auditorium, and the first 169 pages are just that. But the book grew into something much bigger, ending up with 700 pages! That auditorium will always be close to my heart. If those walls could talk! https://chattanoogaradiotv.com/general/hello-chattanooga-arrived/