When I moved to Columbus in '95, local radio was in the midst of the decade's conversion to corporate ownership and musical homogenization. Having relocated from the east coast, I was spoiled by the musical variety that comes with living in the New York metro. There was so much to hear, whether it was cutting edge or deep tracks, and one gets accustomed to quality.
CD101 in Columbus was indie radio, an oasis in the parched desert of dreg. Andyman had been with CD101 since 1991 and became program director in 1998, although he kept his weekday afternoon drive-time gig. He was largely responsible for the layered playlists, live shows, and dedication to a locally-owned station that never finished in the top ten but had thousands of loyal fans.
Beyond music, Andyman hosted a radio event appropriately named the Andyman-a-thon for the past seventeen years, raising money for children's charities by staying on-air long past his ability to remain cogent. You could almost guess the number of hours Andyman had been awake by the number of times he said "brother" when chatting with callers or studio visitors. We gave every year.
Sometimes the world gets it right and cranks out a truly gifted, kind, and generous soul and allows the rest of us to be in proximity for a bit. Sadly, such souls are sometimes quickly taken, and we're left to wonder why, when so much was left for them to do.
But that's not a question for which there's an answer, and we're left only to remember, hopefully having had enough time in Andyman's presence to carry a bit of him forward and make this a better place.
I'm sad that his kids will miss the comfort of his presence, the greatness of his being, and the certainty of his mission. I pray that each of them finds peace in knowing that he is part of them always.
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