Longtime 700 WLW Host Gary Burbank Dies at 84

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, August 28, 2025 | 2:38pm CT

Gary Burbank

Gary Burbank, the longtime 700 WLW Cincinnati afternoon host and creator of the syndicated "Earl Pitts Uhmerikun" commentaries, has died at the age of 84. His passing was confirmed Thursday, August 28 by close friends and the nonprofit Play It Forward, which Burbank founded to support musicians in need. Reports indicate he died following a long illness.

Born Billy Purser in July 1941 in Memphis, TN, Burbank began his radio career in Lake Providence, LA, as "Bill Williams" before moving on to KUZN West Monroe, LA, where he adopted the on-air name "Johnny Apollo." He later worked at WWUN Jackson, MS, and at WDIA and WMPS in his hometown of Memphis before moving to Louisville in 1968 to join WAKY. It was there that he took on the name "Gary Burbank," a tribute to radio and television legend Gary Owens of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. His Louisville run ended memorably in 1972 when he staged a fake on-air assassination.

After programming WNOE New Orleans and hosting mornings at CKLW Windsor/Detroit, Burbank returned to Louisville at WHAS before a short stint at WDAE Tampa. In 1981, he joined WLW in Cincinnati, where he became a fixture for more than 25 years until retiring in December 2007.

Burbank was best known for creating a gallery of unforgettable characters that blended satire, comedy, and social commentary. His cast included Gilbert Gnarley, the Right Rev. Deuteronomy Skaggs, bluesman Howlin' Blind Muddy Slim, and Ranger Bob. But his most enduring creation was Earl Pitts, the self-proclaimed "redneck commentator" whose daily commentaries were nationally syndicated from 1981 through 2021.

Burbank's impact was widely recognized during his career. He twice won the Marconi Award and Billboard's Large Market Personality of the Year honors, and in 2012, he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

Tributes poured in following news of his death. WLW colleague Bill Cunningham called him "the GOAT," while longtime collaborator Rick Consolo remembered him as "the greatest and most humble talent radio will ever know."

In addition to his broadcasting career, Burbank was also a musician and remained active through his Play It Forward foundation, which has supported local artists for more than a decade. He is survived by his wife Carol and their family.