Bill Heywood, the voice of Phoenix radio in the 1970s and '80s


I remember the voice of Bill Heywood. I moved to Phoenix in 1977, and he was not only on KOY radio, but I also heard his voice on commercials. It was a great voice.

If you lived in Phoenix in the 1970s and '80s, you should remember him, too. I was young then, and didn't realized that I ever listened to a station like KOY back then, but I must have. And it didn't take me long to realize that his was the voice of Phoenix radio.

Bill and his wife Susan died a few years ago, and I'd rather not talk about that. You can Google about it if you want to, but I'd rather focus on their lives. I would like to believe that someday I would be remembered by what I did with my life, not the circumstances of my death.

I didn't know Bill personally, but Susan was one of my teachers at Phoenix College. She taught a class called "Principles of Salesmanship". Yes, that was the name of the class - Principles of Salesmanship, taught by a woman. It was an excellent class, and of course people asked about her famous husband. The only thing that I can recall is that since Bill did the early morning show, they didn't stay up very late.

1980s billboard, Phoenix, Arizona. Heywood, Classic Mornings, 55 KOY.

I wish I could say more, but that's all that I know. I'm sure that there's more out there on the web if you want to look it up. I was just thinking today about the great voices I remember on Phoenix radio, from Toad Hall to Bill Austin. And then I heard the voice of Bill Heywood. It's a nice memory.

Image at the top of this post: Ad for the Music Men, including Bill Heywood, KTAR Radio / 620, 1971.
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