- Devon O'Day
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Devon O'Day (born January 18, 1962, Alexandria, Louisiana) is an American radio personality, former plus-sized model for the Ford Modeling Agency, songwriter, and an author.
Reared in Pineville (the home of "cheese grits"), she is a long-term Tennesseean, and was a New Yorker along the way. O'Day has traveled extensively.
A graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, then Northeast Louisiana University, she did post-graduate work in the writer's program of continuing education at New York University, and worked as a plus-sized model at the prestigious Ford Modeling Agency in New York City.
In NYC, Devon O'Day studied voice-over and commercial acting at the Weist-Barron School, although voiceover work soon became her main focus.
Her radio career began in 1977 at KRRV-FM in Alexandria, moving to KPAL-FM in Pineville, KNOE-FM in Monroe, and continued with an eighteen year stint at WSIX in Nashville as part of the #1 morning show in the U.S., Gerry House and the House Foundation.
As of 2006[update], she hosts Country Hitmakers on 100 radio stations across the country, as well as launching Country Spirit nationally (a weekly gospel/inspirational radio show), and narrating the "Impact Songs" series for the Bravo network. She also hosts weekend shows on SIRIUS Radio's Spirit Channel. Her voice is heard on campaigns, promotions, and programs for The Billy Graham Crusade, Women of Faith, United Methodist Communications, KFC, Hilton Hotels, Drexel Heritage Furniture, United Way, and many others. Her voice has been heard on CBS, PBS, NBC, TNN, CMT, Lifetime, RFD-TV, MSNBC, and Fox.
She has been the voice of choice to narrate specials at the request of such artists as Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Kenny Chesney, Trace Adkins, John Michael Montgomery, The Isaacs, Bill Gaither, and Trisha Yearwood.
Her songwriting career includes credits by George Strait, Hank Williams, Jr, Lee Ann Womack, Kim McLean, Dolly Parton, Ray Stevens, Trace Adkins, Neal McCoy and more. Though now an ASCAP songwriter, she holds a "Million-Air" award from BMI.
Her first book, My Angels Wear Fur, was published by Rutledge Hill Press in 2001. In late 2006, Goodbye My Friend: Celebrating the Memory of a Pet, a gift book/CD for pet loss with text by O'Day and music by Kim McLean was released. She continues to write books on animal subjects, magazine articles, and 'ghost' projects for recording artists in the country and pop fields upon request.
O'Day joined Kim McLean in founding Hippie Chick Twang, a record label, media company, and music publishing house in Nashville. She lives with her horses, dogs, and cats just outside Nashville. It is not clear if she has ever been married.
Her sister is the Los Angeles-based TV/film actress/cook-book author Faith Ford, and her brother-in-law is Campion Murphy.
External links
Categories:- 1962 births
- Living people
- American country songwriters
- American radio personalities
- American writers
- People from Alexandria, Louisiana
- American people of Irish descent
- People from Nashville, Tennessee
- University of Louisiana at Monroe alumni
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