While we do not yet have all the details the sense of grief we feel at WERU over the sudden and tragic death of Tom Salisbury, a.k.a. Cowboy Tommy Dean of Independent Country renown is staggering and profound. Tom died suddenly and unexpectedly Sunday afternoon in Ellsworth of an unknown cause while meeting with associates at the American Legion Hall. Community Radio will pass along whatever information we can as we receive it to volunteers and listeners, including details on paying respects and giving comfort to Tom’s loving wife and children.

Anyone in the WERU family who had even the most brief interaction with Tommy Dean, be it in person or on the radio, knows that he was a perfect gentleman, humble soul, exuberant spirit and enthusiastic proponent of Community Radio – amount many other things he loved and championed. He started out on WERU as Doc Morrill’s co-host on Downhome Country Thursday morning half-a-dozen years ago, and then developed his own hit country music show in the weekend wee sunrise hours, Independent Country, following and playing off Big Jerry’s Truckstop like perfect overnight radio bookends. His audience was devoted and fanatical and he served them with energy, enthusiasm and humility, not to mention all the independent country artists he promoted with the utmost respect and sincerity.