ST. LOUIS (KMOX) — Two KMOX legends will be honored by the St. Louis Press Club Thursday night.
Longtime KMOX anchor Carol Daniel and radio personality Ron "Johnny Rabbit" Elz will be among the honorees given the Media Persons of the Year award at the Press Club's annual gala at the Edward Jones South Headquarters Theater and Atrium. Tickets are sold out.
She began her career at the “Voice of St. Louis” in 1995 as an anchor, reporter and talk show host. Daniel is a gifted motivational speaker who believes in the biblical verse, “To whom much is given, much is required. (Luke 12:48)” Daniel helped launch the Emmy-winning television talk show, “Great Day St. Louis,” where she was a cohost for four years. She also wrote a book about her journey to motherhood called, "All I Ever Wanted,Relationships, Marriage and Family."
She has been honored for her work by the Missouri Broadcasters Association, The Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Monsanto YWCA, and she is a member of the YWCA Women’s Leader Class of 2005. Daniel has also received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Celebration Commission’s Distinguished Local Media award. Carol comes from a military family.
She was born and raised in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., where her father retired after 27 years in the U.S. Army. Her husband served in the Army for eight years and her three older brothers are retired officers from the Army, Air Force and Marines respectively.
Rabbitt is the host of the classic oldies show Rte. 66 on KMOX Saturday night as well as on special assignment talk programs. Since 1992 he’s been conducting a Monday entertainment show at the Argosy Casino Alton that runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s the Belles & Beaus Lunch and bingo party and it holds the record for being the longest-running program of any casino in America.
Rabbitt has written two books on St. Louis Trivia, has also penned introductions, forwards or content to another 25+ plus local books, was the daily columnist for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and writes a column for the monthly nostalgia version of that paper. He was Professor of Communications in the ’90 at St. Louis University, and is the history editor of the new website: onstl.com. In addition he’s a member of the board of both the St. Louis Mercantile Library and the Mercantile Art Museum. Rabbitt co-created the Media Archive of the Missouri Historical Society where he remains an advisor, he created The Legacy Room at the Chase Park Plaza, which is the largest memorabilia room of any hotel in the U.S., and he’s conducted trivia nights since 1982. He makes countless speaking and program presentations for organizations of all types.
Rabbitt and his wife Gwen have lived in St. Louis Hills for 40 years. They have two children; Amy who is a producer with Creative Producers Group and Eric who is a show designer for International Technologies Corporation.