Listeners knew Tom Atkinson as “Doc”, one half of WZZK’s “Patti and the Doc Show” which conquered the Birmingham airwaves every weekday morning in the ‘80’s. To fans, Doc was the classic grumpy old man, a persona that played perfectly to Patti’s off-the-wall shenanigans. However, out from behind the mic, Doc showed his true warm-hearted colors time and again. For his contribution to the broadcast industry and for the care he showed to those in need, the ABA inducts Tom “Doc” Atkinson into the Alabama Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.

“One day this man walks into the studio and says he wants to be an announcer,” says Ed Boutwell, founder of Boutwell Studios, Birmingham’s first commercial and jingle studio. “He says he’s Tom Atkinson and that he was a Presbyterian preacher, but now he wants to announce … and he had one of those rich, beautiful voices, you know? So, we made him a demo reel and all at a sudden he was doing spots.”

A young ad agency copywriter named Patti Wheeler did some voice work at Ed’s studio as well. In 1979, when he heard that WZZK was looking for a new morning team, he had a hunch.

“I had Tom and Patti come to the studio and introduced them,” says Ed. “They were both quick-witted and were very cute together. So, I put them in the car and we got up there.” The rest, as they say, was history.

Jerdan Bullard met Tom, (whose air name was “Doc” thanks to his PhD degree), in 1980 when he became general manager at WZZK after an ownership change. It was clear Patti and Doc had something good going, so the team kept their show and time slot.

“Yes, we wanted to retain them and just improve the show,” explains Jerdan. “We brought in a program director who worked closely with them. So, it was a good atmosphere with all these people working together. It was talent feeding on talent that grew larger talent and Patti and Doc turned into a top-notch, gang busters morning team who were nationally publicized.”

“Doc was sort of the straight guy who played the role of a curmudgeon,” smiles Jerdan. “He would always sound skeptical of things and he knew how to use a dramatic pause. And so, he made it easy for Patti to bounce things off him.”

Although Doc kept up the guise of his on-air personality, away from the limelight, his kinder and gentler side came out in ways listeners never knew. For instance, Doc discovered that a listener and regular call-in was someone who could use a hand.

“This listener was terminally ill,” explains Jerdan. “Doc took him under his wing, sent him things on his birthday and for special occasions… he kept in touch until the man passed.”

Clearly Doc had not completely given up the pastoral side of his life either. “He had a group that met on Sunday morning at a local restaurant,” says Jerdan. “These were people who were down on their luck and who were experiencing the darker side of life, and Doc met with them every Sunday morning giving them comfort, counseling and guidance when they needed it.”

Doc knew had to have a good time, too. “He was known by the people in the field and he would laugh and joke and cut up with them,” Jerdan smiles. “I’ve seen him at countless remotes and gatherings – he could be a great host at station events. At a couple of station events, he came dressed in a tuxedo. Of course, he was the only one who came dressed that way.”

Doc retired in 1992 after an outstanding career in radio. However, Jerdan thinks that even though he officially left his job as a preacher, Doc just might have been most proud of the fact that he was, indeed, at one time a pastor. Tom “Doc” Atkinson passed away in 1993.

“You know, Doc’s father was a minister and wanted Doc to go into the ministry, too … and he did,” says Jerdan. “And this is what I know: that one time he told me he was pleased with that accomplishment because he knew it had made his dad proud.” Amen to that.