Davis with his 20 year broadcast partner Dan Lovallo.
Beginning in 1959, Brad Davis began a broadcasting career in Connecticut that made him a household name, thousands of fans, and a few detractors. At his core he was completely honest with his audience and in his personal relationships, and as a result, on the morning after his death, the out-pouring of love and appreciation is there for all to see.
Davis died Tuesday evening after a long stay at the Connecticut Veterans’ Home and Hospital in Rocky Hill. He was 87.
As we reported when the news first broke, Davis, a former U.S. Marine, was recruited from Chicopee, Massachusetts for his first job in Connecticut at what was then WTIC-TV, channel 3, in Hartford. There he hosted a variety show and later public affairs shows including a co-anchored program along with John Sablon.
Most of his career was spent behind the microphone at WDRC-AM where he hosted various versions of a morning show that became more political over the years.
When it came to his work in the community, and his advocacy for causes, or even politicians he believed in, he did not hold back. There was no effort at impartiality and in some ways his approach offered a blueprint for the media world we live in today – driven by opinion – but accepted by the audience as long as you are transparent about where you are coming from.
This post is not meant to be so much a recap of Davis’ life and career, as it is a chance for others to share how they felt about him or how he changed their lives, by being Brad Davis. (Read the JI’s Matt Buckler for the essential analysis of Davis and his career).
We are of the opinion that Davis had a life well-lived. Others seem to agree.
