Alden Aaroe: Voice of the morning

Combining his distinctively gruff voice and guy-next-door personality, Alden Aaroe owned the airwaves for virtually all his morning program's 37 years on WRVA-AM in Richmond, Va. Alden was the man with whom everyone in town shared breakfast or a ride to work. He might talk to them about a lost dog or when it was time to plant the tomatoes or whether the morning snow had closed their schools."Alden Aaroe: Voice of the Morning," written by Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist Steve Clark in 1994, draws together stories and anecdotes of this local legend from colleagues, friends, family and listeners. The book was re-released in 2001.Hired as an announcer in 1946, Aaroe was given WRVA's morning show 10 years later and kept it nearly up until his death from cancer in 1993, at age 75. Aaroe's program made him one of the most popular radio men in the country. But he was much more. As Aaroe's daughter, Anna Lou, says in the book: "Growing up, I was totally fascinated by this man who could speak French, quote poetry, play the piano and the ukelele, who was knowledgeable on a variety of subjects, and who also built a house, cut wood and fixed just about anything that needed fixing around the house." "Voice of the Morning" is a story of a man who once was listed No. 1 in the Richmond area telephone book. He eventually lost that distinction, but Aaroe remained No. 1 in all other respects. This book is an enjoyable read about a man and his community -- and a time that probably is no more.