MARY TURNER

Mary Turner was a trailblazer in rock radio, often hailed as the “First Lady of Rock Radio” in Los Angeles. A graduate of Indiana University in the late 1960s, Turner moved to San Francisco and worked at KSAN‑FM—initially as an engineer and fill‑in host on the progressive rock station.  She relocated to Los Angeles in 1972 to join KMET-FM, also a progressive rock music radio station.   There, she became a signature voice during KMET-FM’s evolution into the influential album‑oriented rock powerhouse, “The Mighty Met”. 

Known on air as “The Burner, Mary Turner”, a nickname bestowed by Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band, she was beloved for her smooth delivery, deep musical knowledge, and authentic connection with listeners.   Turner later hosted “Off the Record,” a nationally syndicated interview series syndicated by Westwood One, that capitalized on her first-person relationships with music artists.   The program was heard on hundreds of stations in the U.S., as well as widely heard throughout Europe and on the Armed Forces Radio Network. 

She retired from on‑air broadcasting in the early 1990s, and earned a doctorate in clinical psychology, became a certified substance abuse counselor, and chaired the Betty Ford Center’s board in Rancho Mirage, CA. 

Mary Turner was married to fellow Radio Hall of Fame inductee,  Norm Pattiz, Westwood One’s founder.   She brought integrity and passion to both her career and later philanthropic efforts, leaving a lasting legacy in radio and beyond.  She passed away in 2023.

In 2023, Mary Turner received a Legends Induction into the Radio Hall of Fame.