Benjamin Craven Norton

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 15, 2022 at Dutch Fork High School Auditorium. The family will receive friends in the Auditorium lobby following the service. Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel, Irmo, is assisting the family.

Born and raised in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and a graduate of NMB High School, he was the son of the late Dr. G. Croft and Jean Utley Norton. A radio legend in Columbia for over 40 years, Benji always claimed to live in the shadow of his physician father who in fact delivered the famous letter-turner, Vanna White. While Benji’s father and three brothers all attended Clemson University, he actually attended the University of South Carolina School Of Journalism where he flunked the typing test twice. For Benji it was hard to type “Gamecock” when he was a well-documented Clemson fan!

The radio bug bit Benji early and often and in the Fall of 1976 at the ripe old age of 17… he began his radio career… and for over FOUR decades rarely stepped outside a radio station!

With stints in Florence, Knoxville, Nashville, and Raleigh-Durham, Benji took on various roles as an on air personality, music director, program director and account executive, but the king of the road show didn’t find his permanent radio home until returning to the Midlands nearly 35 years ago. Despite a quadruple heart bypass at age 44, he troopered on and was a constant radio presence until his passing.

In its celebration of Benji’s life and career, Fox 102.3 said: From “Breakfast with Benji” to “The Rock N Roll Roadshow,” Benji Norton’s legacy is as big as the artists he dropped the needle on!” During his career in Columbia, he worked at WZLD, FOX 102, B106.7 and as host of the Benji, Bob and Tommy morning show on 107.5 The Game. He loved announcing high school sports and was the voice of Dutch Fork Silver Foxes football.

Surviving are his wife, Barbara Anne Yankasky-Norton; son, Benjamin Croft Bradley Norton of Columbia; daughter, Savannah Nicole Norton of Columbia; three brothers, John Croft Norton (Janice) of Little Switzerland, N.C., Charles Utley Norton (Kathy), also of Little Switzerland, David Milton Norton of Rock Hill; father and mother-in-law, Arthur and Cynthia Yankasky of West Columbia; numerous nieces, nephews, co-workers, friends and fans, who will remember his signature signoff, “Go Tigers! Keep rocking!”

The family suggests memorials be made to http://gofundme.com/f/benji-nortons-funeral-and-family-columbia-sc

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.