Tammie Holland, a proud St. Louis native and beloved media veteran, died July 20, three years after receiving a cancer diagnosis. She was 53 years old.
As friends, family and fans reflect on Holland’s impact on the region, the word “light” is written in various posts mourning her death. Holland is remembered for her warm demeanor and ability to make everyone feel seen and welcomed.
Arika Parr was one of the first producers Holland worked with in her three decades in radio and television. Parr told St. Louis on the Air that Holland’s energy was always authentic.
“[Tammie] was always fully herself and I don't necessarily know if everybody can say that. She was always just living in the actual very moment to moment. Second to second, she was there and she was fully herself.”
Parr said that one of the qualities she admired about Holland was her ability to simply be in community with fans during their time together at Magic 108 on “The Tony Scott Show with Tammie Holland.”
“It took me a while to feel comfortable embracing people or letting my guard down because I'm thinking, ‘You're a stranger!’ But Tammie, she had been doing it for such a long time. And I think it's also just a part of her personality,” Parr said. “I remember her hugging and holding hands with strangers that she didn't know. [She would] take pictures with them cheek to cheek, and I just thought that was beautiful.”
Holland’s longtime co-host Tony Scott said it’s hard for him to believe that his friend is gone. “I just can't imagine Tammie not being around. It never occurred to me. When she announced that she had cancer three years ago, it never crossed my mind that she would not beat it, because that's how strong she seemed to me.”
Scott remembers how much he learned from their time working together and their friendship despite being nearly 10 years her senior. “Tammie and I were completely, totally different people and that's probably why it worked. Where she was outgoing, I'm very shy,” he said. “I tend to stay to myself and I'm perfectly happy doing nothing, where she had to do everything which worked for us because she could share her experiences [on air].”
For more on the career and legacy of Tammie Holland, including reflections from St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and how Holland took her audience along during her major life events, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
Related Event
What: Public viewing of Tammie Holland
When: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 29
Where: St. Louis City Hall (1200 Market St., St. Louis, MO 63103)
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Ulaa Kuziez, Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Roshae Hemmings is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
