Roy Eugene Brassfield Jr.

Roy Eugene Brassfield, Jr., 78, of Longs, South Carolina, formerly of Bowling Green, Kentucky, passed away after a short illness on Friday February 17, 2023. Roy was born on May 5th, 1944 in Alva, Harlan County, Kentucky to Roy Eugene Brassfield, Sr. and Ellen Inez (Dodd) Brassfield. He spent much of his childhood in Harlan County, before moving to Williamson, West Virginia where he attended high school at Williamson High School.

Like many young people, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do for a profession until one day someone said to him, “you have a really good voice, you should try radio.” On that advice he went in to WHLN in Harlan and asked for a job. He was promptly put to work…sweeping the floors. It wasn’t long however before he got his chance “on-air” and never really looked back. His radio career took him to WBTH in Williamson, West Virginia and then to WLOG in Logan, West Virginia.

Roy got his big break in television in December 1969 when he was hired as Sports Director at WCHS-TV in Charleston, West Virginia. He proved to be a natural at TV and was quickly moved to news anchorman and eventually New Director. During his time at WCHS he covered many seminal events in West Virginia and national history including the Marshall University football plane crash, the Buffalo Creek disaster and the Kanawha County textbook controversy.

In the late 1970’s he did a brief stint as News Director at KJAC-TV in Port Arthur, TX before taking the same position at WBKO-TV in Bowling Green, Kentucky where he finished his TV career.

After his TV days he returned to his roots and spent many years hosting a drive time radio show in Bowling Green on WKCT before retiring from broadcasting for good in May 2009.

During his broadcasting career Roy met presidents, governors, famous authors and sports figures. When asked, he always said his favorite interview was Jesse Owens, hero of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. He also met and interviewed his childhood hero, Micky Mantle.

Roy Brassfield was a kind and generous man who made a point to engage with those around him. He was a die-hard New York Yankees fan but loved baseball in general. He also followed the Kentucky Wildcats, West Virginia Mountaineers and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, the latter which he worked the basketball sidelines as spotter for the PA announcer for many years.

Roy Brassfield is survived by his wife Susanna (Young) Brassfield, son, Christopher Brassfield (April) of Winchester, KY, daughters Susan Brassfield of Richmond, KY, Amy Brassfield of Columbus, IN , Leslie Lowery (Gary) of Franklin, KY, Sarabeth Brassfield of Bowling Green, KY, and sisters Jane Stewart of Richmond, KY and Alice Brown of Ligum, VA, nine grandchildren and a great grandchild.

Arrangements are being handled by Lee Funeral Home in Little River, South Carolina. A private celebration of life service will be held at a later date.