Remembering Mary Turner
• Details are still incomplete, but late last night we received word that legendary air personality Mary Turner, best known for her decade of service on the late, great KMET/Los Angeles has died. During her tenure at “The Mighty Met” (1972-82), Turner was affectionately known as “The Burner, Mary Turner,” and famously conducted one of the first radio interviews with a young Bruce Springsteen. She later hosted the syndicated show, Off The Record With Mary Turner.
In the early ’80s, Turner married Norm Pattiz, the Founder & Chairman of Westwood One, who sadly passed away on Dec. 4, 2022 at the age of 79. The happy couple is pictured courtside, below.
In the early ’90s, Turner came to terms with her substance abuse problem, and took steps to get clean and sober — she became a UCLA-certified drug and alcohol counselor, earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and was later named Chairwoman of the Betty Ford Center at Eisenhower Hospital in Rancho Mirage.
Turner’s former KMET colleague Ace Young posted this notice on Facebook: “The news has hit me like a ton of bricks. Word from a friend and confidant that Mary Turner has passed away. Mary & I worked together for many years at KMET. In fact, our friendship dates back to San Francisco. We both came to the Mighty Met in the Spring of 1972. Mary was the best. So much can be said of her career; her success; her life with husband, and recently passed, Norm Pattiz. I’ll, for the moment, leave that for others. I am grief stricken!”
Charlie Van Dyke said of Turner, “We met in San Francisco when I was at KFRC and she was at KSAN. Wonderful friendship and remarkable lady.”
Noted broadcast/podcast trainer Valerie Geller was one of the millions who listened to Turner on KMET, and as she relates to RAMP, “Mary was very kind to me early in my career. She took my calls when I was a green kid, dreaming of working in radio. Years later, I sent her a copy of my first book, and she was so happy. She then bought ten copies and had me sign them all.” Geller added, “Mary was kind, talented and truly the coolest chick EVER. RIP Mary.”
