25 years is a long time to work in any career. That's a quarter of a century, which somehow makes it sound even longer. For me, 25 years is over half my life, and it feels like the right time to step away from this career and begin a new adventure.

As much as I'd love to think you listen for four straight hours every morning and hang on to my every word, I know that's not reality. So, I understand there's a really extremely good chance you missed me announcing a few weeks ago that I have decided it's time to say goodbye after a 25-year career in Evansville radio for a job in an industry outside of this world and the media world in general. One I know very little about, but am excited to dive into because you're never too old to learn something new, right?

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If you had told me a few years ago that I would be starting a new career at the age of 47, I probably would have laughed. But, I’ve learned to never say never. I used to say I never wanted to be in management until an opportunity presented itself 15 years ago and I’ve held a management position ever since. For a long time, I said I’d never work in Country radio until my current position as the co-host of the Q Crew Morning Show opened up nearly 6 years ago. You get the idea.

I've been fortunate enough not only to spend my entire career with the same group of stations but here in Evansville, my hometown. That doesn't happen often in this industry. People come and go, often leaving to take a job in a bigger city. I'll admit, that was my plan when I first started my career, advancement opportunities continued to be offered to me here, and the next thing you know that quarter of a century had passed. Over that same time, I got married and had kids. The oldest is now a freshman in college and the youngest is just a year-and-a-half away from it.

Ryan O'Bryan
Ryan O'Bryan
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I don’t regret not looking for a job in “the big city.” Evansville is and always will be home, and has blessed me to do everything I wanted to do with my career. I've done rock radio, country radio, top 40 radio, and sports radio. I've called high school football games at Lucas Oil Stadium, stood in front of thousands of people to hype them up for their favorite artist who was getting ready to take the stage, and interviewed a variety of musicians. None of that would have happened if it wasn't for radio.

It's also given me the chance to meet and work with so many great people, many of whom I now consider friends. I won't name names, because the list is long and I will inevitably forget someone, but I hope they know who they are.

Finally, if you've read this far, thank you. I'll finish with this, the whole reason I got into radio was to entertain and make people laugh. I hope I was able to do that at least once for you. So, I want to thank you for listening and choosing me to be a small part of your life. I appreciate it more than words can say.

25 Hidden Evansville Secrets That May Blow Your Mind

An Evansville resident recently posted a question in the "I Grew Up in Evansville, Indiana" Facebook group asking other members to share any hidden or little-known facts about our city not many residents would know. The answers were wide-ranging, covering everything from our manufacturing history to our place in Civil War, to a couple of popular landmarks still standing today that were the first in the entire state of Indiana. No matter how long you've lived here, chances are there will be a few things on this list you didn't know about the city we call home.

Gallery Credit: Ryan O'Bryan

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