NORFOLK, Va. — For decades, Dick Lamb was a familiar face and voice to generations of viewers and listeners across Hampton Roads. From television to radio, he helped shape the region's broadcasting industry while leaving a lasting impression on the people who worked alongside him.
Lamb died Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the age of 88, following a lengthy illness.
According to spokesperson Chris Wilson, Lamb died peacefully at his home.
For Becky Livas, who worked with Lamb during his television days at WTAR-TV, now WTKR News 3, his legacy goes far beyond the microphone.
"I think he had a beautiful influence on broadcasting in Hampton Roads because he reached out to he hired a lot of different people, and he reached out to a lot of different people," Livas said.
Livas made history in 1972 as Hampton Roads' first Black female television news reporter. By 1973, she was delivering the news during The Dick Lamb Show, a mid-morning variety program that aired on WTAR-TV.
More than 50 years later, she still remembers Lamb's personality and the fun they had working together.
One memory, in particular, has stayed with her.
"He walked over to the podium, and he pulled me out from behind the podium, and he showed the audience that I was pregnant. And I won't forget that," Livas recalled.
She remembers being especially happy that day because she was wearing a red outfit she had made herself.
While Lamb was known for his humor and playful personality on television, Livas said there was another side to him that audiences may not have always seen.
"He was serious. He was not foolish, even though he might, you know, play foolish on the air or whatever," she said.
Livas described Lamb as someone who understood the broadcasting business and was always thinking about what came next.
"He was someone who was forward-thinking. He had his eye on the prize," she said.
That mindset helped Lamb build a career spanning decades in both television and radio.
After his television career, Lamb became one of Hampton Roads' most recognizable radio personalities, spending more than 25 years as a host of the Breakfast Bunch on 101.3 2WD, WWDE-FM.
In 2005, he began hosting Dick Lamb and the Morning Wave on 92.9 WVBW-FM, continuing his connection with listeners across the region.
Lamb retired from on-air broadcasting on Jan. 11, 2019, but remained involved in the industry through his management role with Max Media.
Beyond his own time in front of cameras and behind microphones, Lamb was also a station owner and broadcasting executive who helped develop the careers of other radio personalities.
For Livas, that willingness to give others opportunities is one of the most important parts of his legacy.
She said Lamb's influence could be seen in the many broadcasters who passed through his stations over the years.
"A lot of people went through his station, and I think I never heard anybody complain about ever working for him," Livas said.
Looking back on their time together, Livas remembers a man who could make people laugh on television while remaining focused on the business of broadcasting behind the scenes.
It's a combination she believes helped make him successful and left a lasting mark on Hampton Roads.
Lamb's voice may no longer fill the airwaves, but his influence continues through the broadcasters he worked with, the careers he helped shape and the generations of Hampton Roads residents who grew up watching and listening to him.
Memorial arrangements have not yet been announced.
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