Bill Trumbull dead at 77

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For two decades Bill Trumbull was half of the popular afternoon drive team, “Trumbull and Core,” on WMAL-AM Washington, DC. The station now reports that Trumbull, who retired in 1996, has died of respiratory failure at age 77.


Trumbull, a native of Massachusetts, came to the DC area as master of ceremonies for the US Army Band at Fort Myer and never left. He was hired by WMAL (both radio and TV at that time) as a staff announcer in 1960.

Paired with Chris Core in 1976, Trumbull helped make WMAL a ratings powerhouse. The full-service AC station had “Harden and Weaver” (Frank Harden and Jackson Weaver) in morning drive and Trumbull and Core in afternoon drive when AM was still dominating radio in the nation’s capital.

The family will receive friends 6:00-8:00 pm Friday, January 13th at Pierce Funeral Home in Manassas, VA. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30 am Saturday, January 14th at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Gainesville, VA.
 
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Holy Trinity Catholic Church Building Fund or the charity of your choice.

RBR-TVBR observation: Having been a DC beltway commuter for many years, we spent many hours stuck in traffic with Trumbull and Core making the backups more bearable. It was the chemistry on-air between the two that really made the show work – and likewise for Harden and Weaver in the morning. Such programming is increasingly rare, with stations now more often focused on either maximum music and little conversation or 100% hard-driving political talk.