Candy O'Terry

Candy O'Terry

Candy O'Terry as featured in Wellesley Weston Magazine, November 2009
Born Candace Ann Low
New York City
Occupation President & Co-Founder, Boston Women in Media & Entertainment

Candy O'Terry, also known as Candy O, is the president and co-founder of Boston Women in Media & Entertainment, an award-winning interviewer, singer/songwriter, spokesperson, television and film actress. A broadcaster in Boston for 25 years, she is the recipient of 43 local and national awards for excellence in women's programming. O'Terry is the founder and former co-host of WMJX, Magic 106.7/Boston's Exceptional Women[1] radio show, and has been profiled in the book: Boston Inspirational Women by Bill and Kerry Brett.

O'Terry has recorded 11 songs throughout her career and has received national and Canadian airplay for "The Gift" with Jim Brickman and David Corey, "You Are The Only One", with Charlie Farren and "Silent Night" with Grace Kelly. She is a member of the cast of the Emmy Award-winning talent show, Community Auditions: Star Of The Day[2] and made her film debut as reporter Candace Malone in the full-length feature film CO2 in 2010. In 2011 she was cast in the independent Christian film Luke Eleven and in 2014 played the role of newscaster Pamela Fontaine in the independent film Lazarus Rising, starring Eric Roberts and Lenny Clarke.

O'Terry served as the spokesperson for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk for eleven years[3] and the PinkRose Foundation.[4] She is an ambassador for Music Drives Us[5] and also serves on the boards of the Council for Women of Boston College.,[6] Dream BIG! and Strong Women, Strong Girls.

Personal life and education

Born Candace Ann Low in Manhattan, New York, O'Terry was adopted when she was 5 months old. The family lived in Syosset, New York, and then relocated to Norwalk, Connecticut, where she lived until she was 10 years old. Her parents were divorced when she was very young, and O'Terry moved with her mother to Newington, Connecticut, where she attended St. Mary's School and Newington High School. She was a champion diver and was recruited by Boston College, where she won the silver medal in the 1976 Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Championships. O'Terry's mother Marjorie died of breast cancer in May 1976 at the age of 52. This personal tragedy would shape her lifelong commitment to the fight against breast cancer. O'Terry graduated from Boston College with a degree cum laude in English. She was married at age 21 and has two children: Christopher, and Colleen. O'Terry was divorced in 1991 and spent 15 years as a single mother until marrying Tom Gaffny in August 2006. She discovered her birth parents and four half-brothers and half-sisters in May 2007.

Career in radio

O'Terry graduated from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts, in October 1990 and secured an interview on November 2, 1990, at Magic 106.7/Boston for a temporary position as the secretary to a program director, Don Kelley. After serving in that position for 8 weeks, she was officially hired as programming assistant and public service director on January 23, 1991. O'Terry landed on the air on July 20, 1991, purely by accident when a part-time disc jockey fell asleep for the third time and was fired. With no one available to work that night, O'Terry did her first overnight shift with coaching from Magic 106.7's Moneen Daley. She worked the overnight shift every weekend for another year, while her children slept in the newsroom. On December 28, 1992 she sent a memo to News Director Gay Vernon[7] about an idea she had for a public affairs program to be called Exceptional Women. The two began a collaboration that lasted until Vernon's resignation from the station in February 2012. The Sunday morning show and O'Terry have received 43 awards, including a record breaking 23 Gracie Allen Awards from the Alliance for Women in Media. In 1993, O'Terry began filling in for volumptuous midday personality Nancy Quill and also became the afternoon drive traffic anchor for both WMJX Magic 106.7 and sister station, WBCS, Country 96.9 where she took on the alias: Christy Grace. In 1997, she added traffic duties for 105.7, WROR-FM and began a 3-year period working 7-day weeks on multiple stations. The success of the Exceptional Women[8] radio show inspired a yearly celebration called the Exceptional Women Awards in 1998 with a portion of proceeds to benefit the fight against breast cancer. In 1999, O'Terry was promoted to program administrator of the Greater Boston Radio Group[9] and served temporarily as Music Director for WROR-FM. In 2001, she was promoted to assistant program director for WMJX Magic 106.7 and was invited to become the radio spokesperson for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in 2003, a position she held until 2015. The year 2004 found O'Terry with a Billboard nomination for APD of the Year and a Gracie Allen Award for Individual Achievement as a program host. She would realize the lifelong dream of hearing and playing her own songs on the radio between 2005 and 2012 with the recording and release of Jim Brickman's "The Gift and Valentine", a duet with Charlie Farren called "You Are The Only One" and a collaboration with jazz prodigy Grace Kelly on the Christmas classic, "Silent Night". In March 2013 she traded her responsibilities as assistant program director for the chance to be on the air full-time and became the co-host of Morning Magic with The Exciting Mike Addams. In June 2013, Addams announced his retirement, and O'Terry was teamed with a handful of people throughout the summer including David O'Leary, Sue Tabb, Ed McMann, Jaybeau Jones and Chris Shine. In late August 2013, she was permanently teamed with David O'Leary. On March 27, 2015, she left, declining a two-year contract renewal with WMJX to focus on other projects, including her first full-length CD called Dream Come True and a children's book series she is co-authoring with her daughter Colleen.[10]

Endorsements

Host of American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Boston,[11] BMW, Canyon Ranch, Century Bank, CertaPro Painters, Connecticut School of Broadcasting, Dentyne Ice, Dunkin' Donuts, Edible Arrangements, HomeGoods, JetBlue, Landmark College, Lifetime Television, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Massachusetts Lottery, Medifast, Nabisco Premium Saltine Crackers, Proven Winners, Sandals Resort, Sleep Number, Shake 'n Bake, Verizon Wireless, and YP.com.

Talk show host and moderator

Host

O'Terry is the founder of WMJX Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women[12] radio program. Originally co-hosted by Gay Vernon, the show is now co-hosted by former "Matty in the Morning" Kiss 108 personality Sue Tabb and Tina Gao . The 30 minute show airs on Sunday mornings at 7:30. The theme is: "radio portraits of women who will inspire you". About 600 women have been featured on the show since Exceptional Women debuted on WMJX Magic 106.7 in January 1993 including: Patti Austin, Brittany Bergquist, Magi Bish, Wendy Booker, Mariah Carey, Attorney General Martha Coakley, Nany Quil, Lynne Cox, Jackie DeShannon, Linda Eder, Gloria Estefan, Gina Gallo, Gloria Gaynor, Valerie Harper, Dr. Carolyn Kaelin, Gladys Knight, Joyce Kulhawik, Patti LaBelle, Dr. Kathy Magliato,[13] Dr. Roseanna Means,[14] Bette Midler, Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Olivia Newton-John, Stevie Nicks, Mary Pope Osborne, Michelle Phillips, Anna Quindlen, Dr. Julie Silver, Carole Simpson, Liz Walker,[15] Mary Wilson, and Kate White. Exceptional Women is the most successful public affairs program produced by and for women in the United States.

Moderator/emcee

Career on television

Scholarships

The PinkRose Foundation's "Candy O'Terry Scholarship" in honor of her mother, Marjorie V. Low is a $1000.00 scholarship awarded to graduating high school students in the Boston area who have lost their mother to breast cancer.[17]

Career as a singer

Performance Date
Lead Singer: Stage Unlimited 1984–1990
Star Search 1984, 1987
Jingle Singer

Highlights: Columbo Slim Yogurt, Great Bear Spring Water, Successful Singles

1987–present
National Anthem for the Boston Celtics

Fleet Center
Two part harmony with Nancy Quill
Boston Bruins


2000
2001 - 2004
2007

Recorded Jim Brickman's "The Gift with David Corey of Kiss108

Airplay on WMJX, WXKS, WPLM, LiteFavorites.com

December 12, 2004
Recorded Jim Brickman's "Valentine"

Airplay on WMJX, LiteFavorites.com

January 2005
Performed "The Gift" live with Jim Brickman and David Corey at the Shubert Theatre

Track included in "The Magic of Christmas" to benefit The Home for Little Wanderers

December 17, 2005
Performed "The Gift" with Gary Cherone of Extreme December 2005
Performed "Over the Rainbow" with Keith Lockhart & the Boston Pops Orchestra at Symphony Hall January 26, 2006
Interview with Lionel Richie before a live studio audience at Magic 106.7 and is invited

to join him on the duet Endless Love

June 13, 2006
Performed "The Gift" with Charlie Farren at the Boston Tree Lighting

Live TV coverage on Chronicle, WCVB, Channel 5

December 2007
Featured in "Stars Over Boston" at Scullers Jazz Club

Performed "Valentine", "Over the Rainbow", and "The Look of Love"
with Brad Hatfield of the Boston Pops on Piano, Grace Kelly and
Tommy Antunes on saxophone

April 2008
Recorded "You Are The Only One" with Charlie Farren

at Bopnique Studios, North Chelmsford

July 26, 2008
"You Are The Only One" makes its debut on David Allan Boucher's Bedtime Magic, Magic 106.7, Boston November 1, 2008
"You Are The Only One" is included in The Magic of Christmas CD

to benefit The Home for Little Wanderers

November 26, 2008
Performed "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "You Are The Only One" with

Charlie Farren at City of Boston Tree Lighting

December 2008
"You Are The Only One" becomes available on iTunes December 2008
Opened for Jim Brickman and performed "You Are The Only One" with Charlie Farren

at the Cutler Majestic Theatre

December 27, 2008
"You Are The Only One" is released to radio nationwide and debuts at #34 Mediabase

on January 12. The track is supported by the syndicated show Weekends with Jim Brickman

January 2009
Featured as the only independent, unsigned artists on the AC track with Charlie Farren

in Billboard Magazine for "You Are The Only One"

March 2009
Performed "You Are The Only One" with Charlie Farren at the Regent Theatre, Arlington

Performance is videotaped for use as a music video to be released in 2010

May 29, 2009
Performed "You Are The Only One" with Charlie Farren at WSRS, Worcester listener party September 10, 2009
Performed "You Are The Only One" with Charlie Farren at the famous Boston Hatchshell

before a crowd of 30,000 to benefit Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

October 4, 2009
Taped performance of "You Are The Only One" with Charlie Farren for Community Auditions

charity broadcast

October 11, 2009
Scheduled with Charlie Farren to open for Jim Brickman at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium

and are prevented by technical difficulties on stage

November 14, 2009
Performed "Valentine" and "Silent Night" at Wishes & Miracles for Miss Massachusetts

in Milton, MA

December 12, 2009
Music video for "You Are The Only One" is launched on YouTube February 2010
Performance of the National Anthem with singer & reserve police officer Shanna Jean at

the Agganis Arena for the Special Olympics Gala.

May 2010
Hosts Nantucket Music Festival July 2010
Candy performs with Grammy nominee John Ford Coley, singing "Sometimes When We Touch"

and "The Search Is Over" with Jimi Jamison, former lead singer of Survivor at Kowloon Restaurant in Saugus, MA

July 29, 2010
Candy performs the National Anthem with Reserve Police Officer Shanna Jackman at the Boston Breakers (WPS)

game at Harvard Stadium.

July 31, 2010
Candy performs the Jim Brickman song, Valentine, at the Power of One Concert in Wellesley, MA November 3, 2010
Performance of the National Anthem at the Tsongas Arena for the Boston College Men's
Hockey championship game against UMass Lowell
January 29, 2011
Performance of the National Anthem and God Bless America, Hatchshell, NSTAR's Walk for Boston Children's Hospital June 12, 2011

May 30, 2015 Candy releases the CD Dream Come True at a release party held at RLR Studio in Framingham, MA. to benefit Lucy's Love Bus.

Career in film

O'Terry plays the role of newscaster Candace Malone in the full-length independent feature film, CO2, which premiered October 23, 2010 and was produced by Wild Beagle Productions. She wrapped filming her first major role as Nina Wallace in May 2010 for the feature film Luke Eleven, produced by On Cue Productions and scheduled for release in 2011.[18] In 2014 she played the role of Pamela Fontaine, a newscaster in the film Lazarus Rising, starring Eric Roberts and Lenny Clarke.[19]

Awards

Year Award
2012 Chosen to represent Massachusetts as one of 100 Girl Scout Greats by the Girl Scouts of the USA on the 100th Anniversary.

Alliance of Women in Media's "Gracie Allen Award" Exceptional Women, Magic 106.7 Public Affairs Program:

  • Communicator Award of Excellence, Major Market On-Air Talent Radio Personality
  • Communicator Award of Distinction, On-Air Talent/Talk Show Host
  • Communicator Award of Distinction, Writing & Scripting
2011 Alliance of Women in Media's "Gracie Allen Award"

Best Interview Show, Major Market Radio: Exceptional Women: "Hearts & Hands"

2010 The Activating Confidence Award from the Women's Sports Foundation

American Women in Radio & Television's "Gracie Allen Award"
Best Portrait Biography Series/ Major Market Radio: Exceptional Women: "Voices Carry"
Outstanding Interview Program or Feature/Major Market Radio: Exceptional Women: "Voices Carry"

2009 American Women in Radio & Television’s "Gracie Allen Award"

Outstanding Public Affairs Program/Major Market Radio Series: Exceptional Women: "Think Pink" Outstanding Interview Program/Major Market Radio Series: Exceptional Women: "Think Pink" Communicator Award Best On-Air Talent/Talk Show Host/Candy O’Terry Best Public Affairs Program/Award of Excellence/Exceptional Women

2008 American Women in Radio & Television’s "Gracie Allen Award"

Best Public Affairs Program/ Major Market Radio Series: Exceptional Women: "Higher & Higher" Outstanding Interview Program: Exceptional Women: "Higher & Higher"

2007 American Women in Radio & Television’s "Gracie Allen Award"

Best Public Affairs Program/Major Market Radio Series: Exceptional Women: "Right On!" Best Portrait/Biography/Major Market Radio Series: Exceptional Women: "Right On!"

Boston Women Communicators
Legacy Award: to Candy O'Terry

2006 American Women in Radio & Television’s "Gracie Allen Award"

Best Portrait/Biography/Major Market Radio Series: Exceptional Women: "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough"

American Red Cross Media Hero Award:
to Candy O'Terry Ordinary people doing extraordinary things

2005 American Women in Radio & Television’s "Gracie Allen Award"

Best Public Affairs Program/Major Market Radio Series: Exceptional Women: "Lost & Found" Communicator Award Best Writing & Creative Concept: Exceptional Women: "Lost & Found" Best Public Affairs Program: Exceptional Women: "Lost & Found"

American Red Cross Media Hero Award:
to Candy O'Terry Ordinary people doing extraordinary things

2004 American Women in Radio & Television’s "Gracie Allen Award"

Outstanding Individual Achievement Award/Major Market to Candy O’Terry Best Portrait/Biography/Major Market Radio Series: Exceptional Women: "No Guts, No Glory" Communicator Award Best Public Affairs Program: Exceptional Women: "No Guts, No Glory"

2003 American Women in Radio & Television’s "Gracie Allen Award"

Best Portrait/Biography/Major Market Radio Series: Exceptional Women: "Flying Without Wings" Best Public Affairs Major Market Radio Program: Exceptional Women: "Flying Without Wings" Communicator Award "Crystal Award of Excellence" Best Public Affairs Program Exceptional Women: "Flying Without Wings"

2002 American Women in Radio & Television’s "Gracie Allen Award"

Best Portrait/Biography/Major Market Radio Series: Exceptional Women: "Three Voices, Three Stories" Town of Wellesley Special Recognition Awarded to Candy O’Terry Communicator Award Best Writing & Creative Concept: "Exceptional Women: The Backyard Hero & The Superstar" Best Public Affairs Program Exceptional Women Achievement Award for Excellence in Communications - Massachusetts March of Dimes: awarded to Candy O’Terry

2001 American Women in Radio & Television’s "Gracie Allen Award"

Best Public Affairs Program Major Market: Exceptional Women Boston Achievement in Radio Award Best Public Affairs Program: Exceptional Women The Gilda Radner Foundation "Communicator Award" to Candy O’Terry

2000 American Women in Radio & Television’s "Gracie Allen Award"

Best Public Affairs Program Major Market Radio: Exceptional Women Massachusetts Broadcasters Association "Star Award" for excellence in public affairs programming: Exceptional Women Boston Achievement in Radio Award Best Public Affairs Program: Exceptional Women Best Station Sponsored Event: Exceptional Women’s Awards

1999 American Women in Radio & Television’s "Gracie Allen Award"

Grand Award/ Best Major Market Public Affairs Program: Exceptional Women Boston Achievement in Radio Award Best Specialty Show: Exceptional Women Best Public Affairs Program: Exceptional Women

1998 Boston Achievement in Radio Award

Best Public Affairs Program: Exceptional Women American Cancer Society "Special Recognition Award" to Candy O’Terry

References

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