On Air Staff
Fred Grandy
During his five decades of service to America, Fred Grandy has been an actor, a writer, an international TV celebrity, a United States Congressman, a national non-profit executive, a college professor, a management consultant, a sought after public speaker, and, most recently, a Marconi nominated radio broadcaster. This means he is either a man of multiple talents or he can’t hold a job.
Born into a family of practicing Caucasians, Grandy survived a turbulent childhood in the tough Sioux City ghetto to graduate magna cum laude from Harvard University. Originally accepted into Salmon P. Chase Law School (still on the third floor of the YMCA in Cincinnati), Grandy early on decided against a career as a high paid attorney in order to pursue the bright lights of Broadway. Sadly, he could never find work as an electrician and had to settle for starring roles on stage and television. He is still known to millions around the world for his role as The Love Boat’s affable yeoman purser Gopher Smith and for myriad unpaid hotel bills left over from his days on location.
At the height of his show business success Grandy abandoned the high life of Hollywood in 1986 to return to his ancestral homeland in Iowa to seek a seat in Congress. No one including members of his immediate family gave him much of a chance. Yet he prevailed in a closely contested election and went on to serve four terms in the U. S. House of Representatives where he earned a reputation as a thoughtful legislator and chick magnet.
In 1992 he challenged his state’s incumbent governor and narrowly lost a Republican primary the outcome of which was later discovered to be influenced by a little known group known as Al Qaeda of Iowa.
Denied public office but still committed to public service, Grandy was recruited to become the CEO and President of Goodwill Industries International, the billion dollar work and training organization for persons with physical disabilities and economic disadvantages. During his five and a half year tenure at the helm, Grandy achieved his dual mission goals of expanding the number of people served by Goodwill while securing some sweet deals on used clothing for himself.
In 2003, seeking a new career challenge he joined the on air staff of WMAL radio in Washington. Almost immediately, WMAL’s fortunes turned around and today, The Grandy and Morning Show, which Grandy hosts with three assistants, is the most popular news and talk program in the nation’s capitol. Nominated for a Marconi award in both 2007 and 2008, Grandy and his board operator, Andy Parks, provide timely reporting and insightful commentary on the news of the day. 
Happily married for 21 years to former Entertainment Tonight reporter and novelist Catherine Mann (known to DC audiences as Mrs. Fred) Grandy has three children and two grandchildren.
He is a devout vegan who hates penguins.
The Grandy & Andy Morning Show can be heard from 5-9am weekdays on 630 WMAL. For information, podcasts, blogs, videos and more, just click HERE.
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