Clarence Bartlett Melton
Clarence Bartlett Melton, also known by his professional radio name, Bart Taylor, died Tuesday, June 29, under Hospice care in Boerne, at the age of 70.
Bart will be interred in the Melton family plot in Houston later this year. A graveside service will be held at that time.
Bart was born Sept. 15, 1950, in Houston, to Clarence Bartlett Melton, Sr. and Mary Belle Deen Melton. He was the oldest of their two sons.
He graduated from Bellaire High School in Houston. Then he attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of the Theta Xi fraternity. He left school for a job as a mud engineer in the oil industry that sent him around the world.
Then he found his real love. Broadcast radio.
His first DJ job in Houston radio was in 1977 at the ABC-owned KXYZ-AM, which experimented with a new music formula – Disco! He went on to another DJ job in 1979 at KRLY-FM and in 1984 at KSRR-FM “97 Rock,” where he became part of the production team for the 1985 “Live Aid” concert.
From 1985 to 1995, Bart was the production director at KLOL-FM. The “Runaway Radio” rock format was consistently in the top ten of Houston’s radio stations. Among his accomplishments was his work on the annual “Rock
‘n Roll Auction,” which benefitted numerous local charities. His talents producing radio commercials earned him a firstplace AIR Award from the Houston Association of Radio Broadcasters and a first-place award from the Houston Chapter of American Women in Radio & Television.
Bart moved to New Orleans in 1996 to be the production director for WCKW-FM “Rock 92.3”. He produced radio commercials for clients throughout New Orleans and produced promotions for charity motorcycle races that raised thousands of dollars for the New Orleans Children’s Hospital.
Bart took the most significant risk of his radio career when he moved to Washington DC in 2001 to help launch XM satellite radio which later became known as SiriusXM Satellite Radio. He worked in satellite radio production for 16 years before retiring in 2017.
Notable projects included producing the XM broadcast of the “Live 8 worldwide concert” in 2005 and traveling with a team creating week-long events for the Children’s Miracle Network in 2008 and 2009. He also produced and broadcast many events from the Storyteller’s Festival in Jonesboro, Tenn.; pre-grammy events in La.; and President George W. Bush’s second inauguration.
Bart’s radio work attracted national attention. In 2003, he won the New York Festival’s World Medal for Best Music Special and in 2009 the Gold Medal for producing a live broadcast from Uganda.
In 2016, he won three national awards: a Silver Award for the New York Festivals’ Best Children’s programming, first place in the Network Radio
Documentary category from the National Associaton of Black Journalists, and a Gracie Award for the Women in Media Foundation’s Portrait-Biography category.
And that was just his day job.
Bart had a home studio and co-produced, from 2007 to 2019, the “When Radio Was” syndicated radio show, broadcast every week on 200 radio stations nationwide. Plus, beginning In 2013, Bart produced the “ Radio Spirits” programming for week-long cruises, featuring Bart’s co-producer, “When Radio Was” host, Greg Bell.
For the 4th of July, Bart produced music tracks to be played by local radio stations during fireworks shows. It began in 1986 for the Texas Sesquicentennial Fireworks show and continued every 4th at locations from Houston to the hill country until 2019.
And yet, he still had time for his other passion! Golf!
The clubs were always in the trunk, and he could not pass a driving range without hitting a bucket of balls! He played every course he could. One of his personal golfing highlights was playing the Old Course at St. Andrew’s in Scotland.
Music was a vital part of his life, even before radio. Bart sang in many church and school choirs (including the UT Longhorn Singers). He was part of a barbershop quartet. He once sang the National Anthem before a Houston Rockets basketball game!
He also played the accordion. ‘Nuff said!
Bart is survived by his soulmate and wife of 40 years, Linda Lindeman Melton of New Braunfels; His step-daughter Laura Mack of Austin; His 96-year-old Mother, Mary
Belle Melton Patterson of Plano; his brother Bob and wife Sue Melton of Gunter; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-laws Nancy and Edward Pennartz of Lake Charles, La.; Carol and Ken Simons of Plano; Joyce and Joe Capron of Wichita Falls, Texas; Loyce and George Huffman of Archer City; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials to Clarence Melton may be made to Hope Hospice of New Braunfels, 611 North Walnut, New Braunfels, Texas 78130. Or online at hopehospice.net/donate.
