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In Memoriam: WUOT Host Jim Blalock

We are sad to report that our weekend classical announcer, Jim Blalock, passed away over the weekend after a long, valiant battle against cancer. WUOT was fortunate to call Jim a colleague, mentor, and encyclopedia of classical music knowledge. More importantly, Jim was our friend. From the time he took to the WUOT airwaves, Jim was an instant favorite for many of our listeners. Audiences that had listened to him during his almost two decades behind the microphone at WETS 89.5 FM in Johnson City were delighted to have Jim back in their lives.

In addition to a long and dedicated broadcast career, Jim was also a performer. He played French horn and received a Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Jim performed with a number of orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lexington Philharmonic, and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra

Jim is survived by his wife Connie, and daughters Alicia and Jaime.

Melony calls the beautiful mountains of Boone, N.C., home, although she was born near Greensboro, N.C. There’s just something about those Blue Ridge Mountains that got in her blood and never left after she moved there to attend Appalachian State University (ASU). While at ASU, she majored in piano performance and music therapy and began to cultivate a love for accompanying and for collaborating with other musicians. This soon led her to earn a master’s degree in collaborative piano at the University of Tennessee, which she attended from 2006-2008.