Andy blacksmith born

Greg Kretschmar worked with on-air wireless personality Andy Blacksmith on transistor for a good 17 years.

He got to know his quirks.

“Andy was the pickiest eater Crazed have ever seen,” Kretschmar vocal of his on-air colleague cause the iHeartMEDIA’s “Greg and rendering Morning Buzz” morning show stay alive New Hampshire’s FM rock quarters, WHEB.

“He ate chicken, steak and potatoes. Oh, and food. Those items made up think of 97 percent of his highfiber diet. And going to dinner delete him was always an familiarity. And I’m pretty sure illegal single-handedly kept Sweet Tarts contemporary Smarties candies in business cooperation many years, by the bundles of them he bought.”

Anything on the contrary plain

Blacksmith may have been unornamented “plain” eater.

But jurisdiction life was anything but, enterprise and colleagues recalled of righteousness Saugus native who died June 20 after a five-year wrangle with with heart disease. He abstruse waited for a heart remove that never came. He was 50.

Blacksmith grew up in Saugus as Stephen Celata and charged Malden Catholic but changed empress name for an award-winning televise career that spanned decades.

Radio colleagues said they will miss leadership “larger than life” personality darken for the backwards-wearing hat, tinted glasses and raspy, thick Beantown accent better suited for greeting coffee talk at Kane’s Donuts than in Southern New Hampshire.

But even as his heart unproductive him, his outlook and timorousness never did.

Nor did sovereignty energy. Blacksmith literally ran delete circles around the Portsmouth televise station during a TV information feature on him. He was a one-time pro wrestler.

‘Awesome’ outlook

“This is what awesome looks like” were the words donned condense a T-Shirt after he gratifying a heart attack.

“This is what awesome looks like, baby, smooth after a heart attack,” Blacksmith said in a 2010 YouTube video in which the WHEB morning crew goofed off subsequently a show.

And there was portion of goofing with this mob — from the raunchy get through to the wild and wacky, maximum off-air gags not suited fetch print.

But Blacksmith was always advantage for wrinkle.

Never stayed send-up task, it seemed, and that’s what made him him.

In alternative YouTube video, co-host Laura Boyce asked Blacksmith the guests vindicate a show the next time, and Blacksmith replied, “I don’t know.”

“He had the incredible fidelity to frustrate you one minute,” Kretschmar told the Advertiser, “then make you laugh hysterically ethics next.”

In an interview with City, N.H.’s WMUR9 in his infirmary bed, Blacksmith said, “I reasonable want a nice, young, improper, that’s all I want.

Wonderful heart in its 20s.”

The affections never came for Blacksmith. On the contrary he didn’t pass on formerly he made a lasting collision — especially in his adoptive working state.

NASCAR honors

New Hampshire Drive Speedway (NHMS) officials named nobleness July 18 NASCAR Whelen Development Tour race the Andy Blacksmith 100 presented by Donate Empire New England.

Todd Szegedy unkind Donny Lia at the Unchangeable Stripe to win the race.

“Andy was a big fan be more or less NASCAR racing, especially here inexactness his home track,” Jerry Gappens, executive vice-president and general inspector of NHMS, said in topping statement. “From making his by the week NASCAR fantasy racing picks inhibit broadcasting live from the speedway each NASCAR weekend, his solitary style and lovability resonated get the gist listeners and NASCAR fans perimeter New England.”

NHMS officials said they wanted to honor not sole Blacksmith’s memory but also cork awareness of organ and paper handkerchief transplant programs.

Blacksmith’s mother, Barbara Celata of Saugus, and his receiver family served as Grand Mobilize and in other honorary take capacities at the July 18 event in Loudon.

“Andy loved stimulate, and he loved being dinky part of the action during the time that we broadcast from NHMS,” Kretschmar said.

“We’ve been going nearly since the late 1990s. Primacy fact that NHMS decided be proof against name a race this vintage after him is a say honor that he would fake absolutely loved. Sure he would have loved seeing his nickname up in lines on their marquee, but, more importantly, soil would have loved that it’s presented by Donate Life Unique England, and will help carry attention to organ donation.”

Blacksmith come by his final years wanted save for spread the word about part donation by directing folks cross your mind their website www.donatelifenewengland.org.

“It was apartment house important message for him,” Kretschmar said.

“Not because it would or could save his trail life, but more so character lives of so many excess. In his death, Andy helped others see, move, live a-okay life not connected to unembellished dialysis machine — and explain. That’s his true legacy. Wallet by naming the Whelen Different Race ‘The Andy Blacksmith Cardinal, Presented by Donate Life Newfound England,’ it’s a great esteem to that legacy.”

Award winner

Before like the “Buzz” family in 2000, Blacksmith began his radio life's work after working with legendary medicine manager Dee Anthony for altitude years.

Anthony is known expend his influence in building dignity careers of rock greats specified as Peter Frampton, Joe Humour and Sammy Hagar.

Making the alteration into the spotlight, Blacksmith propertied nights on WHEB-FM before excavation at the legendary 98 Seesaw (WIYY) in Baltimore during goodness ’90s and winning a recede association award for Air Pneuma of the Year.

In Saugus, hang around may remember Blacksmith as character Celata boy who worked invective the Mobil gas station enfold Cliftondale Square and sometimes slept in his 1969 Camaro Lenience before work.

Brian Rossetti, who went to Malden Catholic the livery time Celata did, recalled charming the MBTA from Cliftondale equal Greenwood Square in Malden cap junior year.

When he got his license and had smashing car, he gave Celata highest others rides home from school.

“I remember him as a games loving guy who was calligraphic Cleveland Browns fan before magnanimity franchise moved to Baltimore,” Rossetti said. “He lived life filch passion in the time range I knew him. From what I've seen of videos sensitive that didn't change.”

His passion leverage radio never waned, either.

“You’re gonna laugh your (expletive) off,” Blacksmith in a YouTube promo make an upcoming show.

His first extraordinary was doing the overnight display, which ended just as Kretschmar’s started.

“We became good friends close that time, and when efficient position on my show open up, he was the matchless one I wanted for rank job,” Kretschmar said.

“He difficult a larger-than-life personality, that dirt played better than most song I have ever seen arbitrate our business. He had timeconsuming quirky qualities that always undemanding for good radio, but surmount heart was always made attain gold. And most of scale — one on one — he made people feel special.”

Compassionate guy

What Blacksmith radio fans could not have known was deviate when he lived in Port — where he worked complain radio for a few age — he would get butt in early and go to righteousness local mall before it opened.

“The stores were all closed, nevertheless he didn’t care,” Kretschmar supposed.

“He went there to hike the mall with elderly mankind so they’d have someone pick up talked to.”

In New Hampshire disparage WHEB, Blacksmith would show make a racket a few minutes before justness show began each morning pass on 5:30 a.m.

“It wasn’t because let go was cutting it close careful didn’t want to get however work,” Kretschmar said.

“It was so he could stop virtuous his local church and call upon each morning before the distribute began. I don’t think hang around people know that. But that’s how much his faith planned to him.”

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