Luther Masingill passed away just over three short weeks ago. “Don’t forget him. Just don’t forget him,” Luther’s wife of 57 years said to me, just moments after Luther’s funeral as she accepted condolences from family and friends.
The time to accept and reflect has begun, but Mary Masingill’s statement to me has been lingering in my mind. I will never forget my friend Luther, and it is my sincere – almost desperate – hope that Chattanooga will not forget him either.
In the days after Luther passed away, I listened to story after story as people reminisced about him. Most I had heard, a few regarding his signature generosity I had not. It was characteristic of Luther to do things privately when he helped others. He was not a showman when it came to helping people. While a pro with impeccable timing and charisma in front of the mic and camera, his good deeds were done privately. They were not for an audience, but simply out of a sense of kindness and a duty in accordance to his relationship with God.
In the days following his passing, I couldn’t help but think of many of my own personal experiences with Luther. One pervasive memory was from around Christmas time almost two decades ago. I was concluding my overnight radio shift at WDEF and Luther was coming in for his morning show. He asked me if I would be traveling for the holiday. He proceeded to lift my hand and put a $50 bill in it for “gas money.” He stood face to face with me and made me promise that I would “put it in my sock because that was the safest place for it.” He didn’t go into his studio until I did it, right then and there. I walked out to my car that icy December morning with a small rectangle under my foot because Luther said so. When Luther said it, you did it.
Many years and experiences later, James Howard and I teamed up for a book project on James’ life with Luther. I was honored to tell the story of my two friends. James had a clear goal and vision - he wanted Luther’s story told before Luther passed away. James wanted to take the opportunity to highlight not only Luther and his public life, but to share with the world the person Luther was in his personal life, the kind of man he was away from the microphone.
We worked on the book project for quite a few years and finally put the finishing touches on it in late 2012, both having the sense that time does not last forever. We both knew we needed to get it finished, so we accelerated the project, coincidentally the same year that Luther was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. I will never forget the day James and I presented Luther with the first copy of the book in the WDEF studios on that cold day in February 2013. He flipped through the pages and, after a few moments, gave us both an approving smile. It was a good day.
It has been almost a month since we lost our beloved Luther. He left an irrevocable mark in the communications industry and on the city of Chattanooga (read Luther’s obituary), but he also left an irrevocable mark on our hearts. His family lost a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother, and more. We lost a friend.
So the next time you drive down Broad Street in Chattanooga, remember him. Remember him the next time you eat a Moon Pie, perhaps washing it down with an RC Cola. If you ever happen to run across a bottle of Nehi Grape, remember him. In random acts of kindness and benevolence, remember Luther.
Chattanooga, in the words of his beloved wife Mary, “Don’t forget him. Just don’t forget him.”
To learn more about Luther and his life, read “My Life with Luther: A Glimpse of a Legendary American Broadcaster.” The authors have donated additional copies to both the Chattanooga Public Library and the Nashville Public Library. The book is also available for purchase on Amazon.