--Written by Melissa Milton

After 30 years in radio, here at WWOZ since 2011 and in New York before then, show host Stuart Hall has played his last song on the airwaves. The longtime host of The 4th Dimension and The Morning Set is embarking on his next adventure, a return to his roots in the upper Hudson Valley.

"I'm sure when I play that last song, I will feel the weight of this," he says. "I'm moving out of the house that I've lived in for a very long time, I quit a job that I like at the Marigny Opera House, of 13 years, I'm leaving the city that I've fallen in love with, and I'm leaving this radio station...all of it is bittersweet."

Who is Stuart Hall? Or, as Bill Murray, the man who created the on-air personality named Stuart Hall, says, "What do we know about Stuart Hall? He doesn't talk much on the air, because music is important, and if he is talking, he's probably talking about music. His selections are unpredictable. I went a little crazy in creating him. I'm speaking through the music."

No one who's ever listened to a Stuart Hall set will be surprised by the eloquence of his painstakingly crafted shows, none more poignant than the one that aired on September 30, 2025.

Bill is quick to point out that he is but one of 75 show hosts. "It's such an incredible blessing to be one of the 75. What an opportunity to touch people around the world with this art form. Our listeners are a very educated crowd, musically. And this is important: as a volunteer at WWOZ, you're in service to your community. This is what you're here to do. You're in service to those people listening. It's not a one-way street, it's back and forth with our listeners. And that's the way New Orleans is."

About his on-air colleagues, and the art of hosting a show on WWOZ, Bill continues, "They're on a passion binge. They can't stop themselves from providing you with great music. If somebody takes the typewriter or pen away from a writer, they might go mad. We're keeping all these people sane by allowing them to share what they know about music," he smiles.

Once you've lived in the Crescent City as long as Bill's been here, New Orleans will always stay in your soul. You might leave your heart in San Francisco, but if you depart New Orleans, you leave other things behind. Like benches at Preservation Hall! Bill is also a master carpenter, someone who fixes, tinkers, and builds things, big and small. A number of years ago Ben Jaffe asked him to craft new benches for the historic venue on St. Peter Street - they remain in the listening room there. There is also a new bench in the WWOZ studio, lovingly assembled with wood salvaged from the Marigny Opera House, a sturdy placeholder of sorts for an irreplaceable person.

Goodbyes are difficult, so here at WWOZ we'll take show host Missy Bowen's advice and call this loving farewell a "so long for a period, never say never." WWOZ, its volunteers and staff and listeners worldwide say to you both, Stuart and Bill, we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but we know we'll meet again some sunny day.

And that final song from the September 30 show, Stuart's parting words to us? James Booker's rendition of the traditional gospel hymn, "Amen." What better final word.