BUFFALO, N.Y. — Each week on Sunday Daybreak, we like to shine a light on those Western New Yorkers who have made an impact on their families, friends and communities. This week 2 On Your Side contributor Larry Haneberg pays tribute to Paul Butler and his life well lived.
David Butler recalled one of the legion of memories he has of his father Paul Butler — a radio executive and owner of Great Renown — involving Frank Zappa and his visit to Western New York and WZIR.
"His tradition was to find a local radio station and be a DJ for the afternoon, just before the concert, so he picked my dad's station," David Butler said. "And my dad calls me up and says 'Hey you wanna meet Frank Zappa?' So we were in the studio with Frank Zappa for a couple hours and he was spinning the tunes, talking with us. It was the coolest thing."
Quite an addition to cool experiences, Paul Butler provided some important lessons about how to deal with people, and he taught by example.
"Ya know when he was talking to people, whether it was a client or anybody in the business or a family member, he would be really interested in what they were saying," David Butler said.
That interest and empathy helped make a successful radio account executive, but he wanted to put his mark on the rock radio scene by buying WHLD and WZIR.
"I feel that there was great joy in running these stations," David Butler said.
David Butler worked for his father for a time as an account executive.
"He treated me the same as everybody else," David Butler said. "He didn't play favorites. In fact, I think he bent over backwards to show the other account executives that Dave isn't something special, or whatever."
Paul Butler helped pioneer and shape Western New York's rock radio scene up through the 90s. He was a music visionary, an inventive promoter, a tireless fundraiser for charities and an endlessly proud parent, grandparent and great grandparent.
Paul Butler passed away in April, but his indelible mark on local radio will remain long after his life well lived.