By Gregg Simmel, former Spectrio Creative Consultant
Helloooo, Molly!
Radio news anchor and reporter, singer, television host, documentarian, voice talent, true-blue Philadelphian, animal lover, birder obsessed to the point of “benign mental illness:” these embody just a few of the traits possessed by our Voice of Choice, Molly Daly. A News Anchor and Reporter at KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia and popular long-time voice for Spectrio, Molly’s rich vocal tone continues to guide listeners near and far. One might even say she was destined to the microphone.
Molly’s Philadelphia roots include relations of undeniable repute. Another Philly native, actress Grace Kelly, was Molly’s mother’s first cousin…making Princess Grace Molly’s first cousin once-removed. In September 1982, Molly was in England when Grace’s tragically fatal car accident occurred near the border of France and Monaco. Molly said the two had spoken just a couple of weeks prior…an event that would involve a preliminary call from the palace announcing that the Princess would soon be on the line. To Molly, she was simply Cousin Grace.
Molly also credits her grandfather for inspiring an interest in the written and spoken word. Thomas Augustine (T. A.) Daly was a “deadline poet” for the now defunct Evening Bulletin newspaper in Philadelphia in the early 20th century. Today, few are aware that this form of newspaper writing even existed. For T. A. Daly, his “Rymes and Ripples” poems (yes, that’s how Rymes was spelled) reflected the dialect of the times, encapsulating the speech of America’s growing Melting Pot and the influx of immigrants from Ireland, Italy, and elsewhere. As a child, Molly took these words to heart…always the kid wanting to read aloud in class.
Fast forward to college years: first at LaSalle, then Temple University. With an academic background in English that became a Radio/TV major at Temple, Molly ultimately left school “because I couldn’t find a parking place.” Those who know the challenges of parking in Philadelphia can relate. Naturally, Molly turned to…singing telegrams.
An avid music lover, the singing telegrams gave way to bigger and better gigs…like singing back-up with rock-n-roll legend Chuck Berry. Berry, who did not travel with a regular band, would instead hire backup musicians at each tour stop. He’d take an empty attaché case to the Club Manager, who would then fill it with the necessary funds to pay the temporary band. “Berry would get on stage, run the lead to his electric guitar from the amp through the handle of his attaché case, set the attaché next to or behind the amp and plug in… then turn around to the band as if saying ‘you’re along for the ride… follow me’.”
Molly’s varied musical interests and broadcasting skills led her to co-produce a video documentary on Sunset Park, one of the last in a dying breed of entertainment venues gone the way of drive-in movie theaters. For more than half a century, Sunset Park drew country music fans from near and far along old US 1. Over the years, their stage was graced by huge stars…Lefty Frizzell, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams. Molly interviewed a plethora of personalities, including Marty Stuart and bluegrass legend Bill Monroe. In Molly’s digging, she explained that Sunset Park was one of many in this genre…places where a Sunday variety show might even spotlight a surprise performance by the Three Stooges!
QVC in West Goshen near West Chester, Pennsylvania became home to Molly from 1986 to ’94, showcasing her energy on the popular TV shopping venue. Then, after doing voiceovers and production work at KYW radio for a couple of years, the station became a full-time home for Molly in April 1999, where she’s heard by a large audience as News Anchor and Reporter.
For even the most experienced Voice Talents, technical copy can sometimes be daunting. For Molly, it’s a favorite- especially when it comes from the medical arena. “I can’t get enough of it. I’m looking forward to the day when I get a medical script that includes the word Schistosomiasis…I love the word. I like big scary words.” So to our valued medical clients, the challenge has been issued. And to those in NON-medical industries who may not have tried Molly’s voice, give her a listen and you’ll hear why she’s one of Spectrio’s not so best kept secrets!