The staff and friends of Yellowstone Public Radio celebrate the life of Joe Sample, who passed away on Thursday, Oct. 13, at the age of 99.
Across four decades, Joe played pivotal roles in many of YPR’s successes. He served as a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Yellowstone Public Radio, where his advice and deep understanding of the Montana media landscape helped forge the growth of the YPR network from a single station in Billings to the 12 transmitters and 26 translators we know today, bringing public radio to so many rural communities in the process.
A passionate believer in the public service mission that underpins public broadcasting, Joe’s generous contributions to YPR and Montana PBS were always designed to appeal to the best in others. As his alter-ego Fred Seeds of the Watermelon Growers of Northern New Jersey, Joe tempered his message with humor and wit, but the message was always consistent and clear: that public broadcasting’s true strength was in the number of its supporters, not the amount given.
Joe’s long-running and popular jazz program Spreadin’ Rhythm Around is an ongoing testament to his intellectual curiosity and deep knowledge of and passion for jazz music. Through his research, and, more commonly, his lived experience, Joe brought alive the trajectory of so many musicians and bands through his meticulous scripts and deeply curated playlists. This labor of love is his true gift to YPR listeners.
So many organizations and individuals have benefitted from Joe’s generosity and careful attention. All of us at YPR are grateful for the decades of his involvement and the magnitude of his influence on our work.