KATZ 1961-;
KXLW 1964;
KADI-FM;
Legacy Inductee
Gracy (Willa Mae Gracy-Lowry) was the first female African American radio announcer in St. Louis, holding forth on KATZ.
She began working there in the late 1950s as a secretary in the front office. As part of her on-air work, she was a pioneer in establishing remote broadcasts for the station.
She was also heard on KXLW and KADI-FM, and late in her career, she often teamed with Lou “Fatha” Thimes on his Saturday afternoon KATZ program.
Gracy was the first national secretary for the African-American fraternal organization NARA, the National Association of Radio Announcers, which later became NATRA to include television announcers.
