RADIO stalwart and entertainer Carter Edwards has been remembered as a man who loved life and loved people.
Tributes have been flowing for the 81-year-old veteran Hunter presenter after he died on Sunday night.
Mr Edwards was a familiar voice on the airwaves for more than three decades, working for Super Radio Network's 2HD in Newcastle from 1986 until his retirement in 2022.
His shows on Saturday and Sunday nights were broadcast on 23 radio stations across NSW and south east Queensland, and his live performances were popular.
Super Radio Network's general manager Guy Ashford worked with Mr Edwards for 13 years and said he would be sadly missed.
"Carter was one of the genuine nice guys of the industry," Mr Ashford told the Newcastle Herald.
"He was an entertainer first and foremost, but he was one of those lovable entertainers.
"He had a genuine empathy for people and a genuine interest in people."
Mr Edwards crossed paths with thousands of people in his long and varied career.
He burst onto the scene in 1978 at 36 years old as the face of Taubman's Paint after a commercial - featuring him singing I Did It My Way - won a prestigious Clio Award for Best TV Commercial for Home Improvement in the World.
He had been in small bands in Perth before that, and by 1980 he had been invited to perform in a Royal Command Performance at the Sydney Opera House.
He joined the Super Radio Network in 1986 and became beloved by his listeners.
Mr Edwards was inducted into the Australian Country Music Broadcasters Hall Of Fame in 2005 and received the ICMA Award for Most Popular Commercial Radio Presenter in 2014.
In 2020, he received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to broadcast media, particularly radio.
"Yes, he was a talk back host, but he was an entertainer first and foremost," Mr Ashford said on Tuesday.
"It's rare that you get a genuine, loving guy that Carter was, that's what I'll miss most about him.
"That's why his audience loved him, no doubt about it."
Mr Ashford said Mr Edwards was the kind of person to take radio calls off-air, or meet up with people in person, if they needed him.
"When he asked you how you are, he actually really wanted to know," he said.
Mr Ashford said the outpouring of tributes since Mr Edwards' death had not been surprising.
Paterson MP Meryl Swanson offered her deepest condolences to his family, fans and the countless people he helped in his career.
"Carter was a terrific person who I know will be missed by so many," she wrote on social media.
His listeners paid tribute to him as a top guy and "the best" radio presenter, who brought them fun, enjoyment and friendship with his conversations.
"One of the most genuine people to sit in front of a mic. He served his audience not his ego. Go well mate," one posted.
"Thank you for the many years of enjoyment you gave me. You will certainly always be missed," another said.
