If you're reading this, you probably know what listeners in the Bay Area and we at KCBS Radio have long hoped would never happen.
Anchor
Susan Leigh Taylor is retiring Friday, ending a remarkable 47-year radio career.
Cat is out of bag (an appropriate cliche for my feline-loving @KCBSRadio on-air partner of 20 years): Susan Leigh Taylor plans to end 47-year radio career on Friday. Not enough characters available on Twitter to express my admiration and appreciation for this woman. pic.twitter.com/Qnw5qCIQQp
— Stan Bunger (@BungerKCBSRadio)
July 21, 2020 You know Susan as co-anchor of the KCBS Radio Morning News, a role she's held since 1997.
Her colleagues had the same sentiment about her.
Stan Bunger"I started trying to do the math: how many hours on the air together, how many interviews, and so on. I realized the numbers couldn't truly tell the story of Susan, who is a unique talent. I'll really miss her. You confine two people to a radio studio for twenty years and they both come out alive? It never happens. I'm so lucky to have been part of Susan's incredible career. Everyone knows how terrific Susan is on the air. You should hear her off the air. I've been lucky to be her 'private audience' in Studio A all these years."
Kim Wonderley"The fun thing about working with Susan was that she had no filter on her, whether it was launching into a Four Seasons song, incredibly offkey with Stan screaming in misery in the background or saying the most outragous commentrary off the air. On the air, she's solid gold. She was a really fun person for me to work with and the first friend I made at KCBS."
Steve Bitker"I first became aware of Susan's great talent way back in the early-to-mid 90s, when I heard her host a daily talk show during the O.J. Simpson trial. I loved listening to her on the radio. She had such a great grasp of everything and handled all the calls well. She was so articulate. I never imagined at the time that I'd be sharing a studio with her for 20 years at KCBS Radio. She's such a talent. She has always been super pleasant and easy to work with."
Frni Beyer (Morning Editor)"It's been amazing working with Susan. She has always been one of the most professional people I've ever worked with. She always lightens the mood in the newsroom. She's going to be missed, very much."
Nic Palmer (Morning Producer)"Susan is an amazing co-worker/anchor. She always helps bring some levity to our mornings, which you need when working in the news and the morning hours. Her ability to go with the flow and adjust to changes on the fly was always a great help to me as a producer."
"I really miss our daily chats with John Madden, and in particular the annual Madden Barbecues," she said. "One year, early on, John told us on the air how he and the grandkids had gone to the farm to pick out the pig to be served at the barbecue. The kids had given the pig a name. I squeamishly explained that I wasn't too excited about eating an animal that had a name. Hours later, when I arrived at the barbecue, John had gone around and put 'name tags' on all of the food stations...Charlie Chicken, Sammy Sausage, Ted the Turkey. John watched from a distance with a mischievous look on his face as I moved from table to table, trying to find something that hadn't been named. Despite the name tags, I did not leave hungry that day."
That's the Susan we all know and love.
Congratulations, Susan! Enjoy retirement!
