Remembering Carl Lamm

By Brad Crone

There aren’t many times you meet someone like Carl Lamm.  There was something about his presence that made you feel good, feel special.  You wanted to hang out with Mr. Carl.

My earliest memories of Mr. Lamm was when I was working for Carl’s son, Travis at Clayton radio station, WHPY AM-1590.  Mr. Carl would be so generous to take time to talk and engage a teenager in 1978 trying to learn as much about the broadcast industry as possible.  He was kind, he was genuine.  He cared and he wanted to know what was on my mind.  Then I would see Mr. Lamm at the Smithfield tobacco market.  He would be there with a Marantz recorder and microphone following the auctioneer to provide coverage during his afternoon daily show. 

You would hear the auctioneer chant, point and cheer – Sold to Run John Run and Mr. Lamm was there to catch the excitement, the flavor, and the color of that great event – walking the lines of the Golden Leaf at one of the many warehouses along Brightleaf Blvd.  I believe one of the most important accomplishments of Mr. Lamm’s long life was the pure joy he showed when advocating for Johnston County’s farmers and the agribusiness community. 

Then when I was a young weekly newspaper publisher in 1986, Mr. Carl was always a champion for my paper and helped me get advertising support in Smithfield and Selma.  What I learned was the fact that he was a tireless advocate for our county’s economic success.

Mr. Lamm was the voice of the little man.  Regardless of a person’s station in life, Carl Lamm took time to listen, to learn, to live and to laugh with his fellow Johnston County residents.  He loved his wife, Margie, who was a cornerstone of his success.  He loved his family.  Carl Lamm dedicated his life to serving his audience.  Mr. Lamm made an impact in the broadcast industry – being inducted into the North Carolina Broadcasting Hall of Fame for his endearing radio career.  His faith was profound, and he wasn’t ashamed to show it and to live it.

If you knew Carl Lamm, if you listened to Carl Lamm – you knew you had a friend. 

We all have lost a great friend, a true friend, a Christian man who touched the lives of thousands.

As we say goodbye to this legend, let us remember his life through his deeds.  Let his kindness and compassion serve as a beacon for all of us to follow.

I have been blessed by knowing Carl Lamm.  We all should be grateful for his life and his contributions to Johnston County.  He will be long remembered.

Brad Crone is president of Campaign Connections, a Raleigh-based public affairs company.  Mr. Crone is former publisher of The Clayton Star and The Thomasville Times.  He is a native of Clayton.