Friends, fans remember Rick Beckett

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - As word spread about the death of radio personality Rick Beckett, friends, co-workers and fans shared stunned reactions.

Inside the WOOD Radio studio, morning show host Gary Allen stayed on the air in what is normally the time slot for the Rick and Scott Show. The question of whether to play somber music was raised, and quickly dismissed.

Beckett would want rock and roll.

"What you heard on the air was what you had in real life," Allen said. "Just a really genuinely warm guy."

Beckett was also a guy who liked to break the rules and have a good time -things that made him a natural on the air, an engaging radio personality.

Friday morning his friends opened the phone lines to hear from former colleagues and listeners. His long time on-air partner Scott Winters was audibly tearful as he called in from out of town.

"When you lose somebody that you worked with three feet away from you for the past fifteen years, he was like family," Winters said.

It was a kind of on-air wake for a man who started his radio career while he was still a Union High School student as part of a Junior Achievement program. Colleague Steve Kelley remembered when they were competitors and he stole a frequent guest away from Beckett's broadcast.

"We have Rick on line three and it's Beckett and he goes, 'Hey whatever the name of the guest was, what the hell are you doing on their show,'" and then laughed, Kelly recalled.

Storm Team 8 meteorologist Terri DeBoer was a long-time friend of Beckett's. Friday morning she started a Facebook page - Remembering Rick Beckett -- that already has hundreds of members.

People from all over the country are writing tributes, remembering Rick, and reminiscing.

Terri and Rick developed a friendship during the past 14 years, as both colleagues and in their personal lives. She spoke with Beckett the day he died.

Longtime co-worker and radio personality Aris Hampers wrote: "Rick had some rough spots in his lifetime road, but he and I showed each other mutual respect, not only for the longevity of our work, but also for our accomplishments, when they occurred. The few times that I was a guest on his last venture with Scott, it was always a good time. He treated me well."

Beckett's fans also shared their remembrances though e-mail and Topix comments. Among them:

"This is a dark day in GR radio. We have all lost a very special person. I first heard Rick when he was with WGRD. The man was amazing. He is really going to be missed. I hope the Lord enjoys him as much as we all did."

"I guess God needed an extra angel that has a way with words. You touched so many people and you were real in your life journey. This is goodbye for now."