PIKEVILLE, Ky, — One of the most distinctive voices in broadcasting in the Big Sandy area was silenced Sunday. An iconic figure from Pike County, Dr. Don Bevins, 61, succumbed to a heart attack while preparing to leave on a trip to Florida, officials said.

Donald “Dr. Don” Bevins’ career, broadcasting on radio and television, spanned 21 years. Not only a widely popular D.J., Dr. Don covered public meetings throughout the Big Sandy area for Gearheart Communications’ WPRG Channel 5, based at Harold, Ky., in Floyd County. Some of those meetings he covered regularly were the board of education meetings in Pike and Floyd counties, as well as fiscal court in both counties. He filmed other local government and community events in all five Big Sandy Area counties — Martin, Lawrence and Magoffin are the other three — and one would see him at nearly every festival, rally, or other important community event in the area.

Bevins’ career began at Pikeville country music station WLSI. In 1975, he joined fledgling station WELC in Elkhorn City, Ky., and adopted the moniker Dr. Don. There he began playing rock-n-roll, and never stopped.

He joined Gearheart Communications and helped start WXLR and the cable access television station WPRG. The television station broadcasts local meetings and community events such as high school graduations and parades.

He was recognized in September 2008 for his long broadcasting career in Pike County by the Pike County Fiscal Court. Judge-Executive Wayne T. Rutherford said before Bevins began broadcasting fiscal court meeting, most of the citizens of the county were unaware of the inner workings of the court.

“How county government operates, how decisions are made, were unknown before that, Rutherford said. “Leaders are held more accountable for their actions, what they stand for, thanks to your work.” he said.

His first inspiration, Bevins said previously, was his mother, Ruby Bevins.

“She never, not one time, told me to get a hair cut and get a real job,” he said.

However, when he was attending Pikeville College in the 1960s, he said that although he was on the Dean’s List, the dean spoke to him about his long hair. Bevins simply referred the dean to biblical figures such as Samson and the nations founding fathers, who wore long powdered wigs.

He refused to cut his hair, and wore it long all his life.

Bevins recalled starting his career in the aftermath of the devastating flood, helping to coordinate flood relief using a network of ham radio operators.

Then in 1987, Bevins said, “Paul Gearheart gave me a camera, a job and a purpose, and that’s what I’ ve done for 21 years; chronicled the lives and events of us, Pike Countians.

Gearheart Communications, Bevins said, decided to tell the stories the networks couldn’t: the story of Pike County.

“The other stations weren’t going to show your high school graduations or ball games or Pike County school board meetings,” he said. “And everyone responded because it was our television station, our sons and daughters, our lives.”

But the Doctor was not limited to local news. Among those he has interviewed are congressmen, governors, Willie Nelson, radio legend Wolfman Jack, Hillary Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter and many other notables. He also covered the inauguration of President Bill Clinton.

“I want to thank everyone in Eastern Kentucky for letting me bring my camera and be a part of your lives,” he once said.

On the occasion of his retirement, Dr. Don said he was going to “keep on rockin, cause there aint no stoppin.”

In addition to his wife Lehai, Dr. Don leaves behind his mother, Ruby, a daughter, Cynthia Ray, three grandchildren, Hope, Lindsey and Gypsy and a great-grandson, Halen James.

Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m., Thursday at the Lucas and Son Funeral Home with visitation Tuesday and Wednesday.