Danny Holiday, a dear friend and a major part of Pacific Northwest radio history, has passed away.

I first met Danny and Gary Taylor at the Holiday Ballroom on old Highway 99 north of Bellingham. I had flown in Robin Luke in from Hawaii to make personal appearances in and around Vancouver and Bellingham.

Danny was also a singer and sang with Robin Luke’s backup band during that dance in Bellingham. That  was 1957. From that time until recently we three kept in touch. I followed Dan’s career through many radio stations including KOL and later KBSG in Seattle. He retired from regular radio but continued doing his show on weekends at KBSG until he tired of that and repaired to his summer home at the Tucker Ranch where he lived out his days.

Over the years we shared many stories of the various singing celebrities we had met and interviewed. He told me he was really excited when he met his boyhood hero Gene Autry in Seattle. Kids of our generation grew up with Saturday matinees and cowboy heroes like Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, and of course Gene Autry.

We lived in the best of times when radio meant something. Radio that celebrated personality and rock and roll music. Those were the halcyon days and Danny was a great part of the story. I miss him.

Danny’s memorial service is this Friday, 9am at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 4200 88th Street NE, in Marysville (exit 200 off I-5).