One of Us: Kathy O’Connell

Kathy O’Connell. Illustration by Andy Friedman

My name is … Kathleen Anne Clare O’Connell. I include my confirmation name in everything.

I grew up in … Long Island.

I came to Philly … in 1988. I got laid off at WNYC, and because I had my grandma’s fear of unemployment, I took the first offer: WXPN.

These days, I live in … my very gentrified neighborhood, in University City. I used to live in Cedar Park, which I just saw on a list of the next hippest neighborhoods. When I lived there, you couldn’t even get Papa John’s to deliver.

The best thing about my job is … I get paid to be me. I get to wear crazy Christmas sweaters and I’m not a sad old lady — I’m a kids’ entertainer.

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be … Carol Burnett.

The biggest difference with kids today is … the information they have at their fingertips and can Google in a second. I can’t do spelling bees on the air anymore.

The most famous person I’ve ever met was … John Glenn. And Soupy Sales. And Groucho Marx. JFK once waved to me from his open limo, which seems like not such a great idea in retrospect.

One book every kid should read is … Suzuki Beane, a story of a little beatnik girl in New York City. My father got it for me when I was eight.

One book every grown-up should read is … A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

The most beautiful spot in Philly is … my deck in summer. Or Penn’s Landing. I love just looking at the water.

Being a woman today is … really in-ter-es-ting. A change is gonna come.

My parents taught me … several ways to get out of paying bills and to have fun. They were lovely people who had no business having children.

I met my husband … when we were both working in New York, in 1983. He still lives there but comes to Philly regularly. It’s an ideal situation.

One song I always turn up is … “Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop.

If I were mayor, I would … change the Parking Authority to make it less of whatever it is that makes it so bad.

If you’re taking me out to dinner, let’s go to … Iron Hill or Standard Tap. Anyplace with very hoppy craft beer, the kind where somebody will ask for a sip of my beer and never will again.

I still subscribe to … cable. I watch anything that’s not going to be sad or challenging. Project Runway, yes. This Is Us, no.

People will be surprised to know that I … am the greatest lip-sync artist on the face of the Earth.

The best advice I can give to a young girl today is … Learn to drive, and make sure that you have your own credit card.

One person I’d like to see run for president in 2020 is … Matt Dillon, the marshal in Gunsmoke. Back in 2016, I used to say that one TV star I’d vote for was Oprah, but now that everybody is on that train, I got off. That old thing they say about not belonging to a club that would have you as a member …

I’ll do this job until … they take me out of here in a body bag. And then I’ll just haunt them.

Published as “One of Us: Kathy O’Connell” in the April 2018 issue of Philadelphia magazine.