Carter Edwards, who was with Newcastle’s 2HD – formerly 2SM – for more than three decades, passed away from illness on Sunday. He was 81. He started at 2HD in 1989 with “Carter Edwards Country” which dominated the ratings for 20 years and was later inducted into the Australian Country Music Broadcasters Hall Of Fame. (Source: Newcastle News)
His former Manager Guy Ashford told The Newcastle News he was one of the nice guys in radio.
“He’s very fondly remembered here at Sandgate 2HD, no doubt about that,” he said. “He was a genuinely a lovely lovely guy, Carter was just the salt of the earth, he was one of the genuine nice guys.”
Mr Edwards’ showbiz career started as a teenager playing the drums, before singing at age 25. He won Perth’s New Faces and became a comedian before at 36 his Taubman’s Paint Commercial won a Clio Award in New York as the best TV commercial in the world.
In 1980 he was invited to perform in a Royal Command Performance at the Sydney Opera House and wrote and starred in the Stepping Out Theatre Restaurant show that was awarded best NSW theatre show for two consecutive years.
In 2020 Mr Edwards was among recipients of Australia Day Honours and received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division for service to broadcast media, and particularly radio.
Sadly in 2022, he hung up the boots to his radio career and show on Saturday and Sunday evening.
Carter Edwards was appointed presenter of 2HD’s prominent Sunday night program ‘Country Sounds’ in 1987 by then station manager David Baldwin and program director Peter Butler.
‘Country Sounds’ was anchored by Geoff Gregory from the early 1970s – he was one of the early judging panel for the Australasian Country Music Awards, ‘The Golden Guitars’ – over 20 years building the program into a six-hourly Sunday tradition for 2HD listeners featuring Country Music including requests then at 9pm ‘The Sentimental Spot.’.
Geoff decided to pursue interests outside of radio in about 1984 after which Garry Blair became the regular Country Sounds host before he briefly joined ECN-8, Taree (Prime, Taree) in August 1987 as a TV News reporter. before returning to 2HD News the following year.
So sad to hear this news. Although we lost contact over ensuring years, I always will rember Carter approaching me looking for a gig.
He had just arrived from Perth , and told the story of playing Drums on the back of a Truck heading for a new life in Sydney.
Carter had such an infectious personality, I took a chance and booked him for a weeks engagement at the Texas Tavern hotel ,Potts Point. Wow, that’s over 50 years ago. He never forgot, I gave him his first job in Sydney. What a talent, a good Drummer and great singer. I regret we never found time to catch up again, but never forgotten. R.I. P buddy.