MINNEAPOLIS— After more than 40 years of service, one of our favorite WCCO photographers is preparing to retire.
Brad Earley has done it all during his time at the channel, covering sports, news and pretty much anything that was asked of him.
John Lauritsen shows us what makes Earley such a good worker and good friend.
December 28, 1981 was the day Earley walked into WCCO. And it also happened to be his birthday.
“I’ve been rolling down and pushing for 43 years, but I still remember my first hour like it was yesterday,” Earley said.
It was the start of a career that at times felt surreal for a kid from northeast Minneapolis. If the station needed anything, Earley was there.
From reporting on bombings in Tel Aviv, Israel during the Gulf War, to reporting on the collapse of the 35W bridge in his own backyard. Earley was one of the first photographers on the scene.
“The devastation was unbelievable, but it was dead quiet. Not even a siren had gone off,” Earley said.
The job took him in all directions: here, there, up and down. In 1990, he volunteered to bungee jump for a story.
“I thought he was really handsome,” Esme Murphy said, laughing.
Murphy knows Earley as the man who could put people at ease during a job interview. But he also doesn’t shy away from a media bash.
“He was the person you wanted when you were dealing with a lot of photographers and you wanted your photo to be the best and our photo was always the best with Brad,” Earley said. “He’s a bear, but he’s a sweetheart. He really is.”
As talented as Earley is, he’s also a bit of a class clown, with his trademark thumbs-up photos and his knack for keeping things loose when the news gets tough.
“What I remember about Brad is that he has always been a champion of the underdog and the young reporter,” said Mike Max.
Earley has shot sports stories with Max since the 1980s, including two Twins World Series wins and numerous Super Bowls. But just like news and sports, life can get you confused. That happened to Earley in 2019 when his wife and high school sweetheart Cheryl died after a short illness.
“He leaned on WCCO and WCCO took care of him because of everything he had done,” Max said. “They really cared about him and to see how much that meant to him, it meant a lot to all of us, I think.”
“Oh yeah, I’ll take care of you. And that’s what he always said, ‘I’ll take care of Maxie. I’ll take care of Esme.’ He takes care of people,” said Guy Still, WCCO news assignment manager.
Therefore, kudos to an incredible career.
“It’s still just as great now as it was 43 years ago. And don’t let any of these old-timers tell you it’s not,” Earley said at his retirement party.
And as the old saying goes, we hope this isn’t goodbye, but see you later, Earley.
“I’ve had someone come up to me since then and say I came to CCO because of the family atmosphere and I’m sure Brad embodies that. We’re going to miss that,” Still said.
Earley is actually the third WCCO photographer to retire this year who has approximately 40 or more years of experience.
Just as he started his WCCO career on his birthday, Earley will also retire on his birthday, Saturday.
