We hope you'll join all of us at Car Pro in giving our very own Jerry Reynolds, host of the nationally syndicated Car Pro Show, a round of well-deserved applause for his recent induction into the prestigious Texas Radio Hall of Fame! A member of the Class of 2025 inductees, Reynolds was officially recognized as among the state's radio legends and broadcasting greats on Saturday, November 1st. The induction ceremony took place in front of a packed house at the Texas Broadcasting Museum in Kilgore, Texas.
"Being here today is truly one of the greatest honors of my life," Reynolds said, calling it a life-long dream. "It's an honor beyond words to be here today among so much talent and all the great names that came before me. Radio has given me more blessings than I certainly ever deserved and this one today the biggest of all."
You can hear his remarks below:
The career milestone comes during Reynolds' 24th year on the air giving car shopping advice to listeners in both his home market of Dallas-Fort Worth and across the nation. Reynolds shares a special thank you to his listeners.
"I am humbled to be an inductee into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. It is pretty rare that weekend hosts ever get this honor," said Reynolds. "There have been so many great names in radio inducted in years past, so this makes it even more special. I am incredibly appreciative to the listeners of the Car Pro Show who supported me and voted, and those who have listened to the show for the past 24 years. It is an honor to come into your homes, cars, and electronic devices every week. I fully realize none of this would be possible without you, and that is something I'll never take for granted. I will continue to bring you straight talk and honest answers about everything automotive making sure you have the best possible information when it comes to buying a car."
It all started when Reynolds decided to get out of the car dealership business after a successful career as a Ford Dealer which included two terms as Ford Dealer National Chairman.
Reynolds then turned to talk-radio, starting the Car Guy Show with his former long-time sidekick Kevin McCarthy. Reynolds says he told McCarthy he couldn't pay him, but could give him a new car to drive if he'd help him kick off the show and McCarthy agreed.
"Sadly that new Expedition came back in a twisted pile of metal because no one had told me Kevin can't drive," said Reynolds.
"Yes, I did total--and I mean "send it to the scrapyard"--total the first demo Jerry gave me," said McCarthy.
The Car Guy Show's launch at a small DFW station was delayed due to the 9/11 attacks. When it did come time to launch a couple of weeks later, it wasn't without incident.
"The mics came on, I heard the announcer say for the first time 'and here's the Car Guy, Jerry Reynolds'. My mouth opened, nothing came out, seriously not a sound came out and that was probably the moment I was the most glad that I had Kevin because he jumped in and saved the day," said Reynolds.
It's a moment McCarthy remembers as well.
"Yes, the first day we were on the air and the red light came on he froze---and I mean "worst stage fright of all time"--froze," said McCarthy. "We made quite the couple and I loved every minute of it."
Six months after it hit the airwaves, the Car Guy Show moved to its current DFW home, the powerhouse that is WBAP 820 AM & 93.3 FM, where the show continues to air 24 years later.
About 15 years into the show, Tom Haynes, seasoned radio network sales executive and Chief Vision Officer at Acuity Marketing, approached Jerry and suggested taking the show national. We'd say the rest is history, but the show continues to expand its reach and is heard all over the country, now broadcasting from 66 stations.
"I've got to thank Kevin McCarthy. He was on air with me for 23 years, every weekend. I'd have never done this without him," Reynolds said during his induction ceremony remarks. "He taught me a lot. He taught me everything about radio."
McCarthy is also a member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2002.
"I am thrilled that my radio partner of 23 years has finally been inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame," said McCarthy of Reynolds' Texas Hall of Fame induction. "He is the man, the Car Pro!"
Following Kevin's retirement in 2023, long-time radio broadcasting host and production guru Todd Chambless stepped in as Jerry's co-host and you can hear them each weekend on the air.
During his induction ceremony remarks, Reynolds also thanked his wife Kelly for encouraging him to pursue his radio dream, Tom Haynes and the Acuity crew who took the show national, his nephew Conner Ellis and his wife Kelsey, and sister-in-law Molly Ellis along with CarPro Executive Producer Amy Plemons and radio coach and fellow TRHOF member Tommy Kramer.
Again, our congratulations to Jerry on this well-deserved honor! We're honored ourselves to be along for the ride!