The amount of space allocated here for Patti Wheeler’s biography, is, quite honestly, not nearly enough. Although no one’s bio includes everything of interest about a person’s life, when it comes to Patti, this one isn’t going to even come close. Which is the very reason why the ABA is inducting Patti Wheeler into the Alabama Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame … because we may never again experience the larger-than-life, force-of-nature impact that Patti made on the broadcasting industry and on everyone she knew.

“Patti was a copywriter at Martin and McQueen,” says Bill Lawson, who would become her second morning show partner. “They called her ‘pound ‘em out Patti’ because you could give her an idea and she could pound out a 60 and a 30 second spot, and they were beautifully and creatively written. She could do it all day long and wouldn’t be repetitive.”

“Yes, I knew Patti because she did voice work at my studio,” says Ed Boutwell of Boutwell Studio. “Account executives would call her after making a sale and tell her the ad had to go on the next day. They would tell her what should be in the spot and she would sit there on the phone and type out perfect copy.”

Patti’s cousin, Roger Wheeler, remembers how creative she was even as a little girl. “Even in like the sixth grade, she could just draw up anything,” he says. “She could also read a book and tell you exactly what it said on any page and any paragraph. She was smart and I was always amazed by her.”

In 1979, Ed Boutwell had the epic idea of pairing Patti with Tom Atkinson, another voiceover talent who recorded at the studio. “WZZK was looking for a duo to take over a morning show,” explains Bill, “and Ed suggested that they should use Patti and Tom until they found permanent hosts.”

Of course, there were no better hosts for the show, so Patti and Tom, who took the nickname “Doc”, became the most highly rated show in Birmingham. After enjoying 14 years in the top spot, Doc sadly succumbed to heart disease in 1993. It was not unreasonable to assume the magic was gone. But “Dollar” Bill Lawson was already filling in for Doc so, he became Patti’s next morning show partner. The new pairing continued to enjoy the same level of success. Patti’s candid nature, along with her raspy voice and sense of humor, helped her connect with listeners. She was a larger-than-life character both on the air and off, and listeners identified with her.

In 2002, Patti and “Dollar Bill” moved their top rated show to WDXB where they continued together until Patti retired in 2008. “She was such a dichotomy,” Bill says of his former partner of 16 years. “She was brilliant – she graduated Alabama with honors. She was very, very smart. She was the smartest/dumbest person I’ve ever known in my life. She would turn around and do something that you would just make your jaw drop!”

“Patti had a soft side, too, though,” remembers Roger. “She liked to help people, so she did lots of things through the station, but she also just gave things to people. Whenever she did something for the station at a McDonald’s or something, people just lined up to see her.”

It must have been Patti’s soft side that led to seven marriages. “Yeah, she always said that she didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings,” her cousin continues. “So, when anybody asked her to get married, she said ‘yes!’ She was something.”

When Patti died in 2012, a spokesperson for the radio station said, “Patti Wheeler was as unique as they come. She truly marched to her own drummer,” adding “it just got a little crazy in heaven!”