Chuck “Buddy Holiday” Lay (1930 – 2017)

There are many ways to measure a life well-lived. If your measure is by the number of lives touched, or the number of lives brought to Christ, the life of Chuck Lay was well-lived indeed. Known from coast-to-coast by his stage name, Buddy Holiday, he touched lives with his life’s work in radio as the driving force and co-founder of Christian radio station KSBJ-FM, in Humble, Texas; his vocals, as a founding member of the Vocal Majority men’s chorus; and through his faithful works in his church, with his music ministry. 

Chuck, who passed away on September 8th after a long illness, was a multi-talented singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, broadcaster, author, and entertainer. Born in 1930, in Center Ridge, Arkansas, he enlisted in the US Army in 1948, serving four years in the Panama Canal Zone. During that period, he was also a member of the US Army Band, playing trumpet, trombone and French horn. 

In 1953, he embarked on his new careers, as a disk jockey, musician, and a family man, marrying the former Gloria Faye Meyers. In his storied career, he served as program director for radio stations across the United States. Ultimately he located in Humble, Texas, realizing his dream to leave behind the world of rock n’ roll and focus his talents on the then-nascent field of Christian radio. He masterminded the birth of KSBJ-FM in 1982, bringing Contemporary Christian music and a message of hope to the greater Houston and South Texas regions. A Rotarian, he enjoyed fishing, and was a noted raconteur, with a rich vein of stories, from introducing a young Elvis to Houston audiences, to co-writing pop hits with noted singer-songwriter Lee Hazelwood. 

Chuck is survived by Gloria, his bride of 64 years, his children Deborah Shaw, Steve Lay, and April Kozak, nine grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. The family will hold a private memorial, followed by a public celebration of his life and work in October, in conjunction with his friends at 89.3 KSBJ-FM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that well-wishers make contributions to the KSBJ Educational Foundation.