Tom Wilhelm

Phone: 307-766-4255
Email: omwilhelm49@gmail.com

Tom Wilhelm is the Host of the Ranch Breakfast Show on Wyoming Public Radio. Tom is celebrating 30 years as the Saturday bluegrass guru at the station. He took over the Pickin’ and Singin’ AM program in January of 1981.  As a station volunteer Tom came in at 5:30 in the morning every Saturday to anchor the morning bluegrass program that went from 6:00 to 10:30. In October of 1983, Tom started a new venture--a live radio half-hour program called The Ranch Breakfast Show with a house band, Flint Hill Special, and made up sponsors like Bosler Rosin,”It’s medicine for your bow,” and Sure Thing Strings, and, of course, Ranch Breakfast, “Fills you up without filling you out.”

When the live show ended, Tom decided to keep the name, The Ranch Breakfast Show which ran from 8:00 till 11:00. The next year it became one of the most popular shows at the station ahead of Morning Edition and All Things Considered. He became a paid employee at the station that year as well. In the 31 years as the morning host, Tom has never missed a show due to illness and he has never been late despite having to arrive at 5:00 am for over 20 years till the show was moved to a later time.

Tom is originally from Knox, Indiana where he heard WMFT’s Saturday night program “The Midnight Special” out of Chicago where the hosts explored a different musical theme each week. Wilhelm borrowed that idea when he became host of Pickin’ and Singin’. The rest, as they say, is history. Tom’s other job is school principal at St. Laurence School in Laramie. Tom is married to a very patient and understanding wife, Alice, and they have two daughters, Kali and Kathi.