Dave Gallaher was a Beloved Music Education Advocate and Longtime Host of WJAB’s ‘Talkin’ the Blues’

Alabama A&M University is mourning the loss of longtime WJAB 90.9 FM host and Huntsville blues icon Dave Gallaher, known to generations of fans as Microwave Dave. He was 80.

The Microwave Dave Music Education Foundation announced that Gallaher died Friday, Feb. 6. His funeral is scheduled for Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. at the Church of the Nativity in Huntsville. The church has announced that all are welcome to attend.

For decades, Gallaher’s unmistakable voice and deep knowledge of blues music resonated across the airwaves as host of “Talkin’ the Blues,” which aired on WJAB 90.9 FM and WLRH 89.3 FM. Through the program, he introduced listeners to traditional blues greats such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Candy Kane and Howlin’ Wolf, while celebrating contemporary artists and preserving the genre’s rich history.

Born in Chicago, Gallaher grew up immersed in music, singing in children’s choirs and learning to play trumpet, French horn, ukulele, guitar and accordion. After serving during the Vietnam War, he pursued music professionally at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He later joined Cameron and Company, a band that recorded three albums and performed more than 300 dates a year alongside major acts of the era.

Following several years of touring, including time based in Nashville, Gallaher moved to Huntsville in the mid-1980s, returning to his blues and R&B roots. In 1989, he formed Microwave Dave & the Nukes, a band that built an international following over more than three decades. The group performed in venues ranging from local clubs to international festivals and stadiums, backed blues legends Jerry “Boogie” McCain and Bo Diddley, and became a fixture at events such as Daytona’s Bike Week.

In 2003, Gallaher was named Southern Blues Guitarist of the Year/Modern. 

Beyond the stage and studio, Gallaher was a passionate advocate for music education. A transformative elementary school assembly in 1955 sparked his lifelong devotion to live performance — an experience he often credited with shaping his calling. Determined to pass that inspiration to future generations, he founded the Microwave Dave Music Education Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to integrating music with academic learning.

As arts programs faced reductions in the early 2000s, the foundation partnered with educators and professional musicians to create lesson plans aligned with academic standards, pairing live music presentations with classroom instruction. Through school visits, on-campus concerts and special events, Gallaher and the foundation reached students across Alabama, emphasizing the role of music in personal growth and academic success.

In 2015, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle declared Microwave Dave Day and presented Gallaher with a key to the city in recognition of his community and charitable contributions, a rare honor for a local entertainer.

Whether on stage, in the classroom or behind the microphone, Gallaher remained guided by a simple philosophy: “Blues is America’s first and still best self-help program.” His legacy endures in the music he shared, the students he inspired and the community he helped shape.

(Photo courtesy Matt Wake and al.com)