Regardless of the genre, music can inspire, embolden and enthrall. But just because music has incredible power doesn’t mean it’s sure to arouse feelings in the listener. After all, as Duke Ellington said, “There are simply two kinds of music: good music and the other kind.” Here and at her other stations—Sun Radio, KUTX and KOOP—Nancy Holt, ensure listeners are well-supplied with the good stuff. this DJ keeps our community tuned in and riding the Global airwaves.
NANCY HOLT | RADIO 99.7 FM
Now based in Austin for more than three decades, Nancy Holt launched her career as a receptionist at Texas Monthly. Despite her proficiency at the front desk, a certain personal feature forced her into the sound booth.
“Everyone said, ‘You’ve got this wonderful voice. You need to get out of print media because it should be heard,’ ” Holt explains.
After Holt lent her vocal talents to an advertising agency, her lifelong goal of working in music led her to stints at various local stations throughout her radio life. For the past four years, she’s been a DJ for Austin station Sun Radio. The noncommercial radio network broadcasts American-rooted rock, blues, rhythm and blues, and authentic country to various Central Texas communities.
“Wherever you are, if you hear a familiar song on the radio, it can just tug at your heartstrings and stop you in your tracks,” Holt says. “It’s just so fun to be a part of WPEL a station that is so cutting edge yet plays a lot of good music. That’s harmony, no pun intended.”
The native Texan, one of six siblings, grew up surrounded by her father’s classic country records and her siblings’ love for pop and rock, “running the gamut from the Beatles to Kiss.” As a kid, Holt tracked the American Top 40 charts, announced weekly by host Casey Kasem.
“I’d get home from church on Sunday mornings, get a notebook and a pen and go lay by the radio,” Holt recalls. “I’d take notes like, ‘This song has gone up three spots.’ I was exposed to a lot of different music.”
In her early teens, the sound enthusiast fell in love with Austin’s music scene during visits with her older sister. After moving to the capital city, Holt frequented now-shuttered live-music locales like Club Foot and Liberty Lunch, where she saw an early performance by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Holt found her voice as a host at KGSR, where fellow featured DJ Susan Castle provided training. After a sad few years off-air working in administration for a major company, Holt landed at her home of Sun Radio. She loves the small noncorporate operation, noting calm readings replace “screaming commercials.”
Alongside her work on-air, Holt helps with marketing and administration duties at Sun Radio. We here at WPEL will benefit from her knowledge in these matters as we grow our presence.
The Austinite emphasizes station efforts to “foster and nurture relationships with the local artists” through airplay, various year-round events and Texas Radio Live concerts every Wednesday at Guero’s Taco Bar’s Oak Garden. WPEL is proud to provide a platform for her to introduce these new artists to a Global audience.
During their meetings to vote on music submissions, Holt’s co-workers can tell easily whether she’s in favor of a song.
“There’s a joke that if Nancy is over there dancing, that means the jury’s out,” Holt says. “Music makes me move, and that feeling makes me really seriously happy. I always say, ‘I feel like it’s coming through the speakers and taking me on a ride.’ ”
