By Devin Corbitt

Journal Reporter

James Harrison was not born in Belton, but since moving here in 1971, it has certainly become his home.

James was raised in Hampton, Virginia. He joined the Army when he was 18 years old and served for three years, including a tour in Vietnam, before he was stationed in Fort Hood.

After getting his degree in English from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, he decided to settle down in Belton with his wife, Susan, because, well, he just couldn’t leave.

“I love the town,” he said. “I love the people. It’s like a small town in a big place.”

If James’ name sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard him on K101.7, a local radio station broadcasting from Killeen, or formerly on KTEM 1400 AM radio station. Listeners can tune in at 6 every weekday morning and enjoy his show, creatively titled ‘The James Harrison Morning Show.’

“My favorite part [about being a radio host] is certainly not getting up at 4:30 in the morning to go to a 6 show,” he said. “My favorite part is the interaction with the audience. The listeners follow you from one station to the other; it’s amazing. Even when you’re playing a totally different kind of music, they’ll listen to your show anyway.”

Though James is barely old enough to be considered a senior citizen and he is far from retirement, he has already begun working on his bucket list. First up: watching a game in the new UMHB Crusader’s Stadium.

“They’ve got all the seats in now, and I can see exactly where my seats are going to be.”

James plans to stay in Belton for a long while yet, so don’t miss out on tuning into his morning show and getting to know this very special honorary Beltonian.