Born in El Dorado, Arkansas, to a family of modest means, Larry traveled with his family to wherever the whirl of a sawmill would put a paycheck in his father's pocket (hence the title of his show,
Arkansas Traveler)--but his family also made treks to hear performers in nearby towns. Larry has always perceived music as a great importance in his life. As a youngster, he bicycled miles through the woods to catch the likes of James Brown and the Famous Flames in concert. His first taste of broadcasting came aboard the U.S.S. Newell where he served as a radioman in the Navy. His creativity was put to the test with the rocking of the ship. He hung his record player from the overhead pipes so it would "roll" with the waves. He then followed the same course with his microphone! He began hosting
Arkansas Traveler program in 1977 on WDET. Quick to expose young talents that aren't signed to the big labels and to pay tribute to the originators of bluegrass, Larry is a man who is passionate about the simple truths and pure delivery of bluegrass music.
You can e-mail Larry McDaniel at lmcdaniel@wdetfm.org.
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