Local broadcaster and columnist publishes second book

Recently voted the Chattanooga area’s “Best Columnist” and “Best TV Personality,” David Carroll has published his second book, “Volunteer Bama Dawg.”

Carroll, who writes a weekly column in the Catoosa County News, Walker County Messenger and other newspapers, previously published “Chattanooga Radio and Television,” a pictorial history of local broadcasting.

“The new book is totally different from the first,” Carroll said. “While I was out promoting the first book, I spoke to several clubs and churches, telling stories about my career and the people I’ve met. People seemed to enjoy it, so I’ve put together my best stories, all in one place.”

The title, “Volunteer Bama Dawg,” is based on Carroll’s life, and on one of his most popular stories.

“It represents the three states I’ve loved all my life,” he said. “I grew up in Alabama, I now live in Tennessee and I drive through Georgia just about every day. It’s who I am.” Recently, he found the one spot where a person can stand in those three states at one time.

“I tell the story of the border that connects Marion, Dade and Jackson counties,” he said. “You can have your big toe in Tennessee, your heel in Alabama, and your other foot in Georgia. It’s become quite the little tourist attraction.”

The book includes more than 60 photographs, and stories ranging from comical, to historical, to sentimental.

“I write about the worst songs ever, fun facts about our local history, my family, famous folks I’ve met, and some I never did. I write about my career in radio and TV, covering the schools, and I included more than a few jokes. Some of them are actually funny.”

He added, “The new book also gives me a chance to follow up on the local personalities who were such a big part of my first book. People love reading about Luther Masingill, Miss Marcia, Tommy Jett, Harry Thornton and his wrestlers, Jim Nabors, and so many others. In this book, I can tell the stories I didn’t have room for in the first book.”

The book was published by Fresh Ink Press, and information on how to order is on Carroll’s website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. It is available in softcover, hardback and audio (compact discs), read by Carroll.

“It serves several purposes,” Carroll said. “It’s not quite big enough to be a doorstop, but it makes for a nice coaster. It’s a great bathroom book (especially the paperback), because you can open the pages anywhere, and a new story has just begun. No story is more than four pages long, so it’s a perfect gift for your friend or relative who has a short attention span.”

Carroll is a longtime radio and TV broadcaster in Chattanooga who anchors the evening news on WRCB Channel 3, and hosts a weekend radio show “The Vinyl Express” on Chattanooga’s Big 95.3 FM. His weekly column appears in six area newspapers.

The book is priced at $19.95 (softcover), $21.95 (audio) and $27.95