Voice Of Copperas Cove, Texas And Local Legend Joe Lombardi Passes

(Copperas Cove, Texas) - "Big Joe" has been the voice for the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs for 45 years. In many ways, Joe Lombardi has been the face of many of the residents of the Killeen-Temple area for even longer. A certified lifer, generations of Bell County and Central Texas residents grew up friends with Big Joe due to his morning radio show and calling sports.

Who Was Joe Lombardi?

Joe Francisco Lombardi Jr. was born October 28, 1947 to Joe Sr. and Annie Vick in Galveston. He was a career radio man who worked in Sonora, plus stations in Temple, Killeen, Lampasas in addition to Cove. When he moved to Cove in 1978, he became the voice of the Bulldawgs until he passed on March 9, 2023.

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What Was Joe Lombardi?

A Giant. You would expect nothing less from someone called Big Joe. He was simply one of those people we should all want to be like. His career led to being recognized as the best of the best. Did you know his morning radio show was awarded by the Country Music Association as “Small Market Radio Personality of the Year?” Earning a CMA is no small feat. People go their entire career and never get nominated.

Why Was He Big Joe?

Big Joe was ride or die, and lived life the right way. When he was entering his 30th year of calling Bulldawg football games, he recalled how the team didn't have a winning season his first 16 seasons on the job, and he bled blue and gold every single one of them. 30 years is a full career for most people, and since 2007 until he passed last week, Big Joe added another 50% of a career on top.

When will his remembrance be?

There will be a public celebration of life at 7pm on Monday, March 20th at the Copperas Cove High School Gym. All are encouraged to wear blue and gold. You can donate to a GoFundMe to assist with burial costs.

Big Joe passed the evening of March 9, 2023, and the very next day Tim McGraw released his new single Standing Room Only. The lyrics are quite fitting for Big Joe:

"Be somebody that's worth rememberin'.
Live a life so when I die,
There's standing room only, standing room only."