Bill Lawson was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a dentist … until his senior year in college. That’s about the time he had a heart-to-heart and told his father he had decided to become a radio announcer instead. The stunned Dr. Lawson took two slow blinks and asked, “For how long?” Well, sir, long enough and successfully enough for the Alabama Broadcaster’s Association to induct your son, “Dollar” Bill Lawson, into the 2019 ABA Hall of Fame.
“Yes, my dad was a dentist, and I was his only son and I thought I could be a dentist, too,” explains Bill. “I pretty much went all the way through college planning to go into dental school, but that little voice inside of me just screamed that I would be the worst dentist on earth! My patients would love me, but they’d have to go to another dentist to fix what I screwed up. I get impatient and I’m not good with my hands like that.”
“I understand why my dad thought I was an idiot,” smiles Bill. “It’s hard work. And you struggle and you go from town to town and work up from weekends and nights, and you had terrible pay and all this sort of stuff. I mean it’s an awful business for the first couple of years or so.”
“But I started doing pretty good and became well-known in Birmingham,” he continues. “Some of dad’s dental friends would tell him they heard me, and he told me, ‘You know, growing up you were known as Dr. Lawson’s boy, but now I’m known as “Dollar” Bill’s daddy.’ That was nice because I think I was going to feel guilty about not becoming a dentist until he went to his grave had he not told me that.”
Where did the nickname “Dollar Bill” come from? Bill says he picked it up when he was promoting a grocery store giveaway. His boss insisted all his DJs have nicknames, “He pointed at me and said, ‘You are Grocery Bag Bill,’ and I knew I had to come up with something fast, so I said, ‘No, I’m Dollar Bill.’”
Bill has worked in both radio and television doing a little of everything including production and voice work, but radio has always his “main thing.” During Patti and Doc’s morning show on Birmingham’s WZZK, Bill would provide zany remote pieces, which added to the show’s appeal. When Doc became ill in the early 80’s, Bill filled in, which eventually led him to become the official morning show cohost with Patti, moving with her to WDXB in 2002. At the time, Bill says he was terrified of working with Patti full-time.
“We actually got along much better than she and Doc did,” laughs Bill. “We worked together almost twenty years and had the highest rated morning show in the market.”
Bill hasn’t slowed down yet. He hosts a morning show, Dollar Bill and Madison, with Madison Reeves, and is so grateful to get to work in the state he loves.
The Country Radio Broadcasters named Bill the recipient of the CRS 2019 Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award, which recognizes an individual in the Country Radio industry who has displayed a magnanimous spirit of caring and generosity in service to their community. For many years, Bill has graciously donated his time to work with children’s charities, including Children’s Miracle Network, Easter Seals, Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and St. Jude, hosting annual radio telethons. Since being introduced to the St. Jude mission in 2002, Bill has been the driver behind every radiothon, event, and walk that’s been done for the cause locally and, as of 2019, his support has helped raise over three million dollars for St. Jude in Birmingham.
“Birmingham is where I always wanted to be, because my family’s here,” explains Bill. “I never really wanted to go anywhere else. And so, you know, I turn around and realize I’ve worked in Alabama my whole life.”
And that’s what makes his induction into the ABA’s hall of fame so special. “Going into the Hall of Fame for Alabama, I just don’t know. It just means more. It’s just amazing to me. I’m just thrilled and humbled buy it.”
