It was a bittersweet morning of celebration and farewell for longtime WHOP Early Bird Show host Mark Lovely, as he officially retired Friday morning.
The listeners of WHOP have known the voice of Mark Lovely in some capacity since 1977, and though he has come and gone from the air waves a few times over the years, his is a voice that will live on forever in the analogues of WHOP history. He says his history with WHOP began when he was in high school and he was happy they kept hiring him back.
Sports Director Jahmar Perkins read a poem that was penned by Peg Hayes on Lovely’s behalf, wishing him farewell and good fortune.
Hopkinsville Mayor J.R. Knight presented Lovely with a certification of appreciation from the City, thanking him for his years of dedicated service to both WHOP and the community as a whole.
Lovely thanked the many individuals he has worked with over the years, his family for their unending support in the face of very early mornings and especially the listeners, saying there would be no Early Bird Show without them.
We at WHOP hope that Mark knows he is highly valued by us and the community, and that he will be greatly missed, including his famous sayings such as “Bob’s your uncle” and “Friday isn’t my favorite day but it’s in the top three”, “Pardon our dust but dig we must” and of course, the Mark Lovely Seasonally Adjusted Calendar.