Katy Daley
About Katy Daley
Hosting a show on Bluegrass Country is like coming home for Katy, who started her broadcasting career on WAMU-FM. In 1972 she volunteered to do the bluegrass calendar announcements on Gary Henderson’s Saturday morning bluegrass show. When WAMU’s bluegrass programming expanded — first from 10 p.m. to Midnight and later in the afternoon drive-time slot of 3-6p.m. — the producing duties were split between Gary, Katy and Jerry Gray.
In 1979 Katy took a job with Washington’s commercial country station, WMZQ-AM/FM. In her 18 years with that station she worked several different jobs: overnight DJ, on-air program director of the AM station, member of the morning team, and public affairs director. In 1991 her documentary on Arlington National Cemetery received Honorable Mention at the International Radio Festival of New York and in 1994 she won the Achievement in Radio (AIR) award for Best Mid-Length Interview.
A native Washingtonian, Katy grew up in Tokyo, Japan and Camp Chinen, Okinawa when her parents were stationed overseas between 1958 and 1963. It was during that time a show on Armed Forces Radio called “Rice Paddy Round-up” fueled her love of bluegrass and country music.
Katy holds a BA in Communication from The American University. Katy’s an adult-learner of the clawhammer banjo. She is a member of IBMA, Friends of Old Time Banjo, and the Capitol Area Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association. She served on the DC Bluegrass Union board of directors and worked on bringing the First DC Bluegrass Festival to the Washington area. In April 2010 Katy interviewed Doyle Lawson for the International Bluegrass Music Museum’s Video Oral History Project. Katy also serves on the IBMA Leadership Bluegrass Planning Committee, the Distinguished Achievement Award Committee and is a Hall of Fame elector.
Katy is a graduate of the 2008 IBMA Leadership Bluegrass Class. Katy was named the IBMA Broadcast Personality of the Year Award in 2009 and 2011 at the World of Bluegrass in Nashville.
