6 minute read
Bear O'Brian
HONORING A LEGEND OF COLUMBUS RADIO
By Natalie Downey
It’s a full-circle kind of story which crescendos with Columbus mayor Skip Henderson proclaiming December 18 as the official “Bear O’Brian Day” to honor our beloved radio legend.
Bear O’Brian (born Wade Collier) has been sitting in front of spinning discs for as long as he can remember. “When I was three years old, I would sit at the jukebox, mesmerized, watching the record spin while my parents ate at the restaurant,” Bear recalls. “I’ve been in love with records since I started walking.”
As a teenager, Bear remembers sitting in front of the stereo and recording his voice, dreaming of being a radio personality. But, believing his radio dreams to be impractical, he decided to pursue music instead.
By 1978, Bear’s dream had shifted a bit - he envisioned a future as a rock n’ roll star. For Bear, what it came down to was the desire to entertain people.
At seventeen, Bear had his first tryout with a gospel band, and didn’t make it. But as he came to discover, “There’s no coincidence with God.” Another opportunity opened up, this time one he had dreamed of since childhood but never thought would actually come true - a job with radio station WFDR, giving him his first chance to finally get behind a mic professionally.
Growing up in Manchester, Wade had always felt drawn to Columbus from spending time watching the news and becoming familiar with the faces he saw there, and in 1982, he finally found himself moving here when he switched to a new job at WCGQ.
After working in radio for awhile, Bear hit the road in 1990 to switch things up and try stand-up comedy, and during this time, he had a defining, transformative moment which guided him to the path that would finally feel right for him.
While traveling, Bear found himself at rock bottom in a hotel room one night. “It was 3 a.m. in Iowa, and I was cussing and crying - I knew God had let me fall, and I knew I had to get back into radio and do it right this time.”
Over the next several years, Bear’s work in radio brought him in and out of Columbus many times, but one thing remained constant - his desire to use his radio connection to bring something positive to his listeners, make people laugh, and share his faith.
“And that’s what I’ve been doing for thirty-five years now,” Bear chuckles.
One day, Bear remembers mentioning God on the air, and no one complained. Over time, he became more comfortable sharing his faith on the air, and, though he wasn’t sure how the response would be, it was widely positive, with no complaints from his listeners or bosses.
Bear’s friend and radio partner Jimbo (James Martin) has had a profound impact on Bear’s career. Jimbo has been in the radio industry since 1970 and owns several stations, including Kissin 99.3, where Bear currently is working. “I’ve left Columbus about five times, and every time I came back, Jimbo always found a spot for me,” Bear recalls. One day, Jimbo reached out to Bear with an offer and told him, “This time if you’ll come home, I don’t want you leaving again.” So Bear came back, and Columbus has been lucky enough to have him stay right here for sixteen years.
Today, Bear’s recording setup looks a little different, but amidst health challenges, he’s found a way to continue bringing us his positivity and entertainment. Using an app, Bear is able to record at home and join in with the other radio personalities in real time, enabling him to continue showing up for his listeners while tending to his health. Bear looks forward to returning to the radio station in the future.
While his work has taken him all around the world, for Bear, Columbus is home. “These people have treated me so well,” Bear says. “The way they’ve wrapped their arms around me, put up with me during my bad days, prayed for me - I may never meet them all, but they’re friends, and they’re family.”
Bear has now been in the radio industry for forty-seven years, and credits his friend Jimbo with shaping his career. “He has always told me to stick with it and encouraged me to endear myself to my audience.”
Endearing himself is exactly what Bear has done. His listeners are drawn to his positivity and jovial personality, sending warmth and a sense of familiarity across airwaves and into homes, offices, and vehicles.
“Right now I have listeners from all age groups - I have 5-year-old listeners whose parents tell me they won’t get out of the car in the morning until they hear my random facts; I have parent listeners, 80-yearold listeners, listeners from outside the area, teenage listeners…it blesses my heart,” Bear says. “All I wanted to do is make people smile and laugh, and they’ve taken it to a level I never dreamed of.”
As for the future, Bear says he plans to keep the airwaves full as long as he can. “I can’t see myself ever saying the word ‘retire’,” Bear laughs. He plans to continue his morning show and, when he recovers to his full health, he hopes to be able to speak to in-person audiences and share his faith more.
Bear’s familiar voice has touched lives across the Chattahoochee Valley and beyond. His laughter and commitment to making people smile have shaped Columbus radio. A legend in his own right, Bear has found a home here in Columbus, and the people here in Columbus have found a friend in Bear.
