Danny Murphy--A Spokane TV Host

 The Bygone Walla Walla blog just ran a feature showing Walla Walla radio personalities from the 50s, 60, and one from the 70s.   This included a picture sent to me from Jaynie Jones, whose brother,, Dan Tory, worked in Walla Walla radio, as we now say "back in the day". 

Included in the article was the picture above of Danny Murphy.  Murphy was from a Walla Walla family, almost all were involved with radio, TV, and theatre.  Danny would go on to KXLY TV in Spokane.  

Danny was the host of the Wallaby show, a children''s program that had a kangaroo in a cage, something you would not see today, but I digress.  We could watch the show, which featured children eating ice cream and such on cable in Walla Walla.  We could also get the other two Spokane stations, KREM, and KHQ (Q-6).

My parents took my sister and I to Spokane one time, where I told them that I wanted to be on the show.  My dad called up the station and was told it was too short of notice.  Apparently, Danny Murphy, whom my parents knew from his Walla Walla days, overheard the receptionist saying "sorry, Mr Barer" or something along those lines.  He was able to pull some strings to get my sister and I on the show.  

For as long as my parents lived, they would never forget Danny Murphy's favor.  

Sadly, Danny Murphy would die a few years later. He was just 42 at the time.