Background
Durham grew up in Albemarle, North Carolina, and was close with Bob Harris, longtime announcer for the University of North Carolina rival Duke Blue Devils.
Durham grew up in Albemarle, North Carolina, and was close with Bob Harris, longtime announcer for the University of North Carolina rival Duke Blue Devils.
Durham graduated from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 1963 with a Bachelor"s degree in Radio, Television and Motion Pictures.
The two played on the same little league baseball team, were on the same 1957 high school football team, and sang together in the school chorus and a double quartet. Durham began his career at WZKY, a small Department of Administration and Management radio station in his hometown of Albemarle, at age 16. Many Tar Heel fans brought their radios to Kenan Stadium and the Dean Smith Center, and fans watching on television often turned down the sound so they could hear Durham"s radio call.
Durham was behind the microphone for thirteen Final Fours, as well as four national championships (1982, 1993, 2005 and 2009).
He also called 23 bowl games. In 1981, Durham was named vice president and executive sports director at Tar Heel Sports Marketing.
Durham was named North Carolina Sportscaster of the Year twelve times. After 40 years as the voice of the Tar Heels, Durham announced his retirement on April 20, 2011.
Jones Angell, his color analyst for six years, was named his successor.
He is a member of the Alpha Rho chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national fraternity for men in music