ST. LOUIS — If you've been to a St. Louis Blues game in the past 35 years, you know his voice. It's a voice that has accompanied some of the greatest moments in franchise history, and has always been there, without fail.
For 1,573 games in a row, Tom Calhoun has guided the crowd as the Blues' public address announcer.
When he started on Jan. 3, 1987, he was making $25 a game. Since then, he's seen his place of business go through more than a few name changes, and the team he announces for go through more than a few ups and downs.
But he's been a constant.
"It just satisfies my itch I guess to get in front of a microphone and be around sports," Calhoun said.
Calhoun, 71, is up top at Enterprise Center nowadays because of COVID-19 rules, but for most of his time on the microphone, he was right in the middle of the action, between the two penalty boxes.
That location once led to a memorable moment with notorious tough guy Bob Probert.
"Some guys behind the glass were yelling at him (Probert) and he decided to go up over the glass after these guys. And there was nobody else in the penalty box to stop him from doing it," Calhoun said. "And I reached up and grabbed him by the trunks. And he looked at me and said, 'You don't want to do that.' And I said, 'You're right. I don't know what I was thinking.'"
By day, Calhoun teaches mass communications at Southwestern Illinois College. But thanks to that iconic voice he uses at night, he's a celebrity among Blues fans near and far.
"Jon Hamm came up and got a photo with me (At the Stanley Cup parade). And he said, 'Hey, I've been listening to you for a long time.' He's a little more famous than I am," Calhoun said.
35 years after he first sat down behind the microphone, Calhoun is still going strong. And he knows exactly what he's trying to give to the crowd.
"A professional presentation, a reliable person, someone they can count on in big and small moments and someone that they can be proud of, Calhoun said.