Remembering Don Vogel, "The Round Mound of Sound"

When Susie and I returned from Mexico we made ends meet by joinging a group of painters who did apartment painting throughout the Twin Cities. For four years we painted apartments and sometimes houses. I worked full time and Susie several days awake She was the best trim painter of all the guys I worked with those years. She was careful and fast and I never had to worry about her workmanship.

Much of the time we listened to talk radio shows that aired on KSTP, though I often listened to audio books, primarily short stories by classic authors. My aim was to learn the craft of storytelling. 

All this to say that there were a couple of radio personalities that made an impression on me during that time. I can't remember the one fellow's name but he struck me as having been a Renaissance Man of sorts and philosopher as he interacted with callers. 

The second was a man who was known as "the Round Mound of Sound." His name was Don Vogel, and his style was simply enjoyable. He made you feel like you were a warmly welcomed guest in his world, which was broadcast during drive time from 4:00 - 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

On one occasion he had a guest from the circus that was in St. Paul at that time. She got up on the table and did tricks that would astound you as he described her flexibility passing her tiny frame through a small hoop. He was getting a kick out of it all, you could tell.

I also remember his reading of the news, the shuffling of paper (the way Rush Limbaugh would later do) and his descriptions of the weather. 

On one occasion I was driving home from a day of painting when I happened to see the KSTP radio station and tower off to my right. I was listing to Don's show right at that very moment and thought it might be cool to go tell him in person, perhaps during his next break, how much I loved his show. So I took the next exit and circled back to the shack with the radio tower and KSTP sign. 

Don Vogel

I didn't know what I planned to say, but entering the building I could see him through the glass in a room rocking with enthusiasm, headphones on, microphone properly fixed in front of his round face. A woman came over to me to ask what I wanted, but now I was speechless. She knew what I was thinking. She'd seen this before... the recognition that this cheerful man who painted such vivid pictures of our world was blind. 

There was a sense of reverence in her tone. The entire staff seemed instilled with it. The guy was just having fun, doing his thing. And though I never did meet him face to face, I felt honored to be in his presence for that brief space of time. 

Here's an excerpt from a tribute to Don that I found online today:

Don Vogel, "the round mound of sound," "stone blind and out of his mind," was the proprietor of the "Afternoon Saloon," a talk show in the 4-6 p.m. drive time slot on KSTP-AM 1500. The show created a refuge from the pressures of the day and the controversial issues found on typical talk shows. Don was a master impressionist, a comic genius, and one of the best communicators I've heard in radio. His listeners were affectionately known as the "Don Squad." When he spoke to us, he created a sense of community among the listeners and took great care to see that we were all a part of the conversation, even when he had a caller on the line.

You can find the rest of his story here.

Perhaps you've known someone, or several someones, who have overcome personal disabilities in order to follow their passion and pursue a purpose that exceeds the expectations of everyone around them. I've been blessed to know many. Feel free to share a story or tribute in the comments.