Comments on: Norris Dryer

By: wesmorgan

wesmorgan — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 20:58:11 +0000

I first became acquainted with Norris, as many did, through his voice as an announcer on WUOT. And what I remember most warmly was his unabridged reading of Cormac McCarthy’s SUTTREE on the air. After finally meeting him in person I asked him if an audio recording had been made of that reading as none had been made commercially at the time. He told me that a recording was made and he thought that the University Library had possession of it—or perhaps WUOT. I tried to find it on multiple occasions without success. He also showed me proudly a personal letter from McCarthy giving him permission to do the radio reading. Over the years we would renew our conversation about both when we would run into each other on the street. I missed Norris’ voice when he left WUOT, and now I will miss the man.

I think that both the recording and the letter would make splendid additions to Special Collections at the University of Tennessee Library if anyone could find a way to make that happen.

Thank you Jack for your tribute.

By: Tom Burke

Tom Burke — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 23:04:37 +0000

I never knew him but this is a moving tribute to him.

By: Judith

Judith — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 21:42:34 +0000

This is a great tribute to your friend who was also a friend to our community. Though many considered him to be eccentric, I saw him as an example of a person who truly knew who he was. His living up to his beliefs and convictions should be help up as an example to others. He will be missed.

By: KPilarskiHall

KPilarskiHall — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 19:03:38 +0000

Very nice tribute Jack. Rikki and Norris often had their chemo treatments at the same time, and I loved sitting there listening to them chat politics and local news. I am sure they are lighting up the afterlife with some interesting conversation!

By: theatrehugger

theatrehugger — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:55:05 +0000

I got to know Norris when I worked as a part-time announcer at WUOT when I was a student, back in the days when they allowed students with marginal knowledge of classical music and decent dictation grace the airwaves. My usual shift was two nights per week, 6p – 1a. There was a 2-hour time block from 11p to 1a that was often un-programmed, so the announcer on duty would choose what to play. As a music major, I had a pretty good repository of knowledge about music and enjoyed creatively programming this block, but on one occasion my homework load caused me to find one long piece of music, maybe a Bruckner symphony, to put in that block, so I could study with limited interruptions of switching out music. This did not go unnoticed by Norris, who called the station and chastised me for lazy programming.

I’ll never forget the way we greeted each other, every time we saw each other, from my days at WUOT 25 years ago up until the last time I saw him during a KSO rehearsal at the Tennessee Theatre. My maiden name was Pryor, which conveniently rhymed with Dryer. I’d don a particularly deep southern drawl and say: “Well hello Mr. Draaaahhr,” to which he’d always respond, “Well hello Mz. Praaaahhr.”

Rest in peace Norris, may you be surrounded by grand slam home runs, a purring German auto, and Fritz Kreisler for eternity. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6un_YIawX-E

By: seanmccollough

seanmccollough — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:45:02 +0000

Thanks for continuing to share your writing with us Jack! This is a wonderful tribute.