It is with a heavy heart that we, the KALX Radio community, must announce that our friend, our colleague and veteran DJ, Michelle Castro, known on air as Transister Sistor, has passed away. We who have had the privilege of knowing and working with her here at the radio station are shocked and deeply saddened by this loss to our KALX family and we know her many devoted listeners will be similarly affected.
Several current DJs are programming tributes on their shows in the coming weeks. KALX will also air a special replay of one of Transister Sistor’s shows that will include testimonials from various KALX DJs expressing their feelings and recounting fond memories of working alongside Michelle.
Michelle originally began volunteering at KALX in 2008. Her delightfully brash, idiosyncratic style quickly distinguished her among our stable of fine programmers. Listeners were instantly drawn to her show where they knew she would bring her distinctive sensibility to bear — always with a wry sense of humor and tremendous panache. She had an unerring ear for finding music that “rocked” — whether it was soul, punk, funk, country or rock. Those who knew her show could rely on her to find performances with irresistible energy. Looking at her final playlist, we can see her tastes perfectly represented by David Bowie, X, Desmond Dekker, Siouxsie, Bootsy Collins and many, many more.
Those of us who worked with her at KALX and those of us who were fans of her radio show have been dealt a huge loss and we know there is now a big void in the vibe and sound of KALX. Michelle was very well known in the local music scene and spent two decades working for the Warfield Theater in San Francisco. Everyone who knew her describes her as warm, friendly and fun loving; a genuinely kind person as both friend and coworker. We know those closest to her are experiencing an inconsolable grief right now. We can only hope that time will replace the agony of this loss with the consolation of the love she generated and the fond memories we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.
Please stay tuned for more details on her official tribute show. We will announce the date and time soon. In the meantime, you can tune in to hear our DJs play their own personal tributes to our beloved Transister Sistor.
