ICON LEAVES BEHIND A LEGACY OF JOY
By Barrett Baker
MIKE ARLO, 1948-2026
If you ever had the privilege of meeting Mike Arlo, consider yourself fortunate. You probably walked away from the encounter feeling positive and probably a little in awe of how much knowledge the man had stored in his brain.
Arlo, a Coastal Virginia rock ‘n’ roll disc jockey for more than 50 years, might have talked about meeting with Van Halen, and how David Lee Roth played up to reporters, while Eddie Van Halen preferred to keep to himself. He might have casually mentioned Pat Benatar’s maiden name was Andrzejewski but that she kept the surname her first husband provided to help further her professional music career. Or he might have regaled you with a tale about how Jimmy Page once called him while he was on the air, and he had to put him on hold to do a stop set so the station’s advertisers didn’t get angry at them.
Arlo, who was 77 when he passed away peacefully at home June 2 after a brief illness, was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge—and not just about music. You could ask him a question about a song from the 1960s, and he would not only be able to tell you what album it was on, he could tell you the names of every musician that played on the track—and probably throw in an amusing anecdote about how the band got its name. He also was very knowledgeable about Coastal Virginia.
Carol Commander, general manager of Hampton Roads Media Group—which includes Arlo’s radio homes, FM99 WNOR and Classic Rock 106.9 The Fox (WAFX)—recalled a time when they aired a segment called “What Was There Before That,” where listeners could call in and ask Arlo questions about the area’s history.
“It just got to the point around the station where we would ask Mike anything,” Commander said. “For example, you could ask him about Greenbrier Mall, and he could tell you what was there before it was built. Greenbrier Mall has been there for decades, but he would know the answer.”
What was even more engaging about Arlo was he always had a positive attitude, always tried to find the good in whatever he was doing, and was very committed to giving back to the community. That included participating in such events as the annual FM99 Rock and Roll up Your Sleeve Blood Drive and Arlo’s favorite, the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics, among so many other charitable causes.
Even when he knew the time he had left was limited, he regretted that he would not be able to be a part of the Mayflower Marathon Food Drive’s 30th anniversary event this November.
“You hear about people who say they never worked a day in their life because they love their job so much,” Commander said. “Well, Mike Arlo was the president of that club. I really don’t think he thought he worked a day in his life because he loved what he did so much.”
Arlo’s affirmative spirit will continue to linger on for those whose lives he touched and the many who benefited from his kindness and generosity.
For more details about Arlo’s career, go to 1069thefox.com/remembering-mike-arlo.
Barrett Baker
