There, he got hooked on NPR member station WNYC.
Out of college, Wade left Austin to work as a political organizer in New York City. He'd been a history major at the University of Texas, a natural field of study for the son of noted historian Lawrence Goodwyn, who had been active in the civil rights movement and wrote books on grassroots populism in America. Radio storytelling is what pulled Wade Goodwyn into journalism. "He was just an amazing storyteller," says Drummond. "The little detail, the little color or sound that he'd seen out in the field, and it just made what he said sparkle."Ĭourtesy Goodwyn family Wade Goodwyn had a knack for finding stories that few others could - like this 2013 piece about camels trekking in the Texas desert.ĭrummond says that skill for observation - combined with his big, deep, rich voice - made it a pleasure to listen to Wade on the radio, even if he was delivering bad news. "You know Wade was a poet," says NPR senior editor Steve Drummond. "In Louisiana, you hug your NASCAR teddy bear when the big blow comes, even if you're a barrel-chested National Guardsman." For instance, this memorable line from his coverage of Hurricane Rita in 2005: If his voice pulled you in, his way with words kept you listening. A profile once described his voice like "warm butter melting over barbecued sweet corn." But Goodwyn argued that his writing is what really mattered. Wade's soothing bass had a way of pulling listeners a little closer to the radio. His keen writing and "big, deep, rich voice" You were in for a true treat, whatever the subject matter.,"
From the first words of one of his stories, you always knew you were being taken on a journey by a master of our craft. "Aside from that instantly recognizable voice, Wade was a uniquely gifted storyteller and a brilliant reporter. "For generations of public radio listeners, including me, he was one of NPR's iconic voices," said NPR CEO John Lansing in an email to staff. He was 63.įor more than 25 years, Wade reported on his home state of Texas and the southwest United States, covering top stories including the Oklahoma City bombing, school shootings, hurricanes, the American Sniper murder trial, and the Boy Scouts sexual abuse scandal. Longtime National Desk correspondent Wade Goodwyn died Thursday of cancer. NPR has lost one of its singular and most recognizable voices.
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