First Voice Of The Racers Chuck Shuffett Remembered

Shuffett Obituary From JH Churchill

The Murray State athletics family is saddened by the death of the original "Voice of the Racers" Chuck Shuffett, who died at the age of 87 on Aug. 27, 2017 in Murray, Kentucky.

Shuffett did radio play-by-play for the Racers from 1958-75 and was an important part of the start of the modern era of Murray State's advancement to NCAA D-I athletics. During a time when the popularity of college sports was growing, Shuffett was the eyes and ears for Racer fans especially when the team was away from home. His broadcast style was one-of-a-kind. His extensive vocabulary and his love of literature gave him the ability to paint with words the pictures his listeners expected.

Chuck Shuffett was a multi-talented individual who was an on-air talent, writer, publisher and business owner. In the mid-1950's, he purchased Murray's original radio station WNBS and also its FM sister station WAAW. Along with his wife Margaret "Mimi", they published Montage Magazine from 1993 till 2013.

Best known for his Racer radio duties, Shuffett had a big impact on the current "Voice of the Racers" Neal Bradley who is in his 27^th season in 2017.

"To me, Chuck Shuffett was Racer basketball and football," Bradley said from his studio at WNBS. "While growing up, like most fans, Chuck was my main 35813

connection to Murray State athletics. He knew how to paint the perfect picture of a game. Chuck was part of the first golden era of Racer basketball, and I still get chills remembering his descriptions of Cal Luther tossing his coat, followed by a roaring Racer crowd and a burst of energy from his team. Chuck was a terrific play-by-play announcer but also excelled in radio management. He was a wonderful writer and story teller, but more importantly, he was a true professional and a first-class gentleman."

Shuffett was inducted into the Murray State Athletics Hall of Fame to the Hall of Distinction category in 2016.

"I got the chance to know Chuck when he gave me a part-time job at WAAW when I was a senior at MSU in 1987," said Dave Winder, associate AD for media relations. "I'll never forget that opportunity, because it advanced my love of radio. I'm very happy that I got to reconnect with Chuck in 2016 when he was part of our hall of fame class. He appreciated it and really enjoyed seeing many of the people he knew from his time on Racer Radio. Chuck will be missed."

Murray State University

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