Boyd was the morning host on WBT radio from 1961 to 1973, later moved to television, and still later moved to the national speaking circuit. For years, he was the kind of pro-Charlotte booster who helped attract new businesses and commercial development to this city.
Today, at age 82 (though he looks more like 62), he coaches Charlotte-area executives and church workers on their communication skills.
Here’s a glimpse of his work:
What a voice, right?
And an irresistibly optimistic outlook on life that matches the depth and resonance of the voice.
In his work with some friends at Good Shepherd, Boyd’s best insights have to do with “nonsense words”: those words or phrases that we often use while communicating yet serve no purpose other than to fill the air. And to aggravate our listeners.
Some of the most common “nonsense words”:
You know
Type thing
Know what I mean?
Like . . .
You know what I’m saying?
And the list goes on.
What nonsense word do I hear come out of my mouth just a little too often when I listen to CDs of my own sermons? In fact.
So here’s to fewer words that merely fill the air, more words that actually have meaning, and lunch with a local legend.