For over 50 years, fans of all sports in southern
West Virginia have identified with the one true
voice of sports broadcasting, that of Shirley Love.
An Oak Hill High School alumnus, Shirley has
remained loyal to his hometown and school.
Married to his loving wife Audrey for over 50 years,
Shirley is the father of three, grandfather to six, and
great-grandfather to two.
Shirley began his career in broadcasting in 1954,
broadcasting his first play by play football and
basketball games over WOAY radio in Oak Hill,
West Virginia.
Known as the "Voice of the Red Devils" it is
estimated that Love has broadcast well over 1,000
basketball, football and baseball games.
Biased as he was, for the Oak Hill teams, even in a
loosing situation, Love always kept high hopes
alive for a victory down to the last few seconds.
Slow to "call the dogs" on the game if Oak Hill
teams were behind, Love was equally as quick to
refer to the old coon hunters terminology and "put
out the fire and call the dogs, this one's in the bag"
if Oak Hill were on a winning trail.
Love became a master at making a game sound
much more exciting whether the game was “a real
barn-burner” or a blowout.
In questioning him as to a most memorable game,
Shirley referred to a game at Charmco against
Greenbrier West. It was the first game for the new
school and they did not have most of the bleachers
or a press box completed. Love got permission to
broadcast the game from the top of a R.C. Cola
beverage truck that the school was using as a
refreshment stand. At the completion of the games,
the driver of the truck forgot about Love, who was
still on the top of the truck, and drove off with Love
and his equipment still on top!
Then there was television: Love began his TV
career in 1954 with WOAY TV. It was a time of live
television, a time when an announcer had to be
quick on the microphone, a time when watching
the test pattern on a small box was a novelty,
especially to families in the Oak Hill-Beckley area.
Love hosted a cornucopia of shows in his career.
From meek beginnings as a teleprompter operator
and announcer, Love found his break when fate
intervened as a station manager found himself in
the doghouse and the boss issued him his walking
papers. He was supposed to leave on a Friday
night, but he told Love on Wednesday that if he
didn't have to do the commercials Friday, he would
just leave. Love knew the commercial scripts by
heart from turning the teleprompter so announcers
could read them on the air. So Love put on his coat
and tie and read the scripts. The next day, his
manager offered him the position. What followed
developed into a half century of memorable
programs such as Friday Night Barn-Dance, West
Virginia Bandstand, Saturday Jamboree, Jukebox
Dance Party, and The Chapel Hour. Love also held
the position of News Anchor and hosted the
memorable Saturday Night Wrestlin’. The latter
became a phenomenon in southern West Virginia.
Whether to watch local heroes, wrestling bears or
the best wrestlers in the country of their time,
hundreds of people crowded into WOAY TV’s
studios every Saturday night to witness and be a
part of Saturday Night Wrestlin’, while thousands
and thousands more watched in crowded
community living rooms at home.
Love's extensive television career lasted until
retirement from WOAY TV in 1997 although from
time to time you can still tune in to his unique play
by play action on Family Christian Radio WOAY AM
860, WQAZ FM 98.5 and 101.5 FM, and Hometown
Productions.
In the fall of 2006 Shirley Love was inducted into
the West Virginia Broadcaster's Hall of Fame.
Presently, Shirley is a State Senator for the 11th
senatorial district in West Virginia.
