Karen West

Monday – Friday 10am-3pm


With almost 40 years in radio, Karen West lives and breathes the Country Radio lifestyle! As 97.3 The Eagle’s Assistant Brand Manager, Music Director and on-air midday personality, Karen’s love and passion for the format is unparalleled.

Obsessed with the new country artists Jackson Dean, Nate Smith, Bailey Zimmerman, Lainey Wilson, Chapel Hart, Priscilla Block, Jelly Roll…as well as those artists that blew the doors open for them…Waylon, Loretta, Garth, Strait.

Outside of radio Karen’s is extremely passionate about the many charitable causes that she gives her time to. The American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” campaign in memory of her sister Ginni, who passed away peacefully of breast cancer in 2005, and St. Jude Children’s Hospital’s endeavors to end childhood cancer are two charities that hold a very special place in her heart.

Karen is an author who has written two books to benefit various charities. Amazing Trace, A Sister’s Journal follows the story of her sister’s battle with breast cancer. Karen’s works are available at most online book retailers.

Her favorite quote of all time is from Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said; people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Karen is a Hampton Roads native, born and raised in Newport News and now lives in Norfolk. She has four daughters who are her best friends.

Sam Hunt Announces New EP, “Locked Up”

Sam Hunt Announces New EP, “Locked Up”

Sam Hunt announces his Locked Up EP coming out April 5th. My new EP, Locked Up, is out April 5th. Listen to the title track, watch the video, and pre-order now.https://t.co/INFwRUWNAx pic.twitter.com/cQHvKHRF6l — Sam Hunt (@SamHuntMusic) March 25, 2024 The four-song project includes Hunt’s latest, the “Locked Up” title track released on Friday, his current Top 10 hit…

Keith Urban Joins NBC’s The Voice as Mega Mentor This Season

Keith Urban Joins NBC’s The Voice as Mega Mentor This Season

Keith Urban is joining NBC’s The Voice as this season’s Mega Mentor. Beginning with next Monday’s (April 8th) episode, Keith will mentor the remaining artists who have made it through the battle rounds and get ready for the knockout rounds. Coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend, Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay will choose the inner from their team to advance to…

Kane Brown Shares Rehearsal Stage With 2-Year-Old Daughter

Kane Brown Shares Rehearsal Stage With 2-Year-Old Daughter

Kane Brown posted a heartwarming video on Instagram showing his 2-year-old daughter, Kodi Jane walking on stage while he’s singing.  It happened during rehearsals for his upcoming tour. In the video, you see the two walking hand in hand as the music plays and Kane sings along. Kane’s tour kicks off in Charlottesville, Virginia this Thursday, March 28.

Norfolk Animal Care Center at Critical Capacity, Seeks Foster Homes for Dogs

Norfolk Animal Care Center at Critical Capacity, Seeks Foster Homes for Dogs

Norfolk Animal Care Center (NACC) is facing a critical situation: all dog kennels are full, and the shelter shared a plea on social media for the community’s support. Among the dogs in need is Mira, a recent owner surrender who deserves a second chance at a loving home. Despite being deeply loved by her parent,…

New Music Monday: Listen to New Music from Sam Hunt, Megan Moroney, and More

New Music Monday: Listen to New Music from Sam Hunt, Megan Moroney, and More

Happy Monday! As we dive into a new week, let’s kickstart it with some fresh music from Brothers Osborne, Zac Brown Band, Sam Hunt and more! Listen and let us know what you want to hear on 97.3 The Eagle! 1.  “Break Mine“ by Brothers Osborne. 2.  “Tie Up“ by Zac Brown Band. 3.  “Country Gold“ by Anne Wilson and Jordan Davis. 4.  “Locked Up“ by Sam Hunt. 5.  “If…

Va Beach Cherry Blossom Festival Events Rescheduled Due to Weather Forecast

Va Beach Cherry Blossom Festival Events Rescheduled Due to Weather Forecast

The Cherry Blossom Festival events scheduled for Saturday and Sunday have been canceled due to the forecast. The festival will continue as planned from March 25-30 at Red Wing Park. Last week, Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation announced that they anticipated a full peak bloom for the festival this weekend. Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation,…

Americans Believe They Can Take These Animals In A Fight! {Watch}

Americans Believe They Can Take These Animals In A Fight! {Watch}

Heads up!!!! The video has some language in it. You’ve been warned! More reasons to think that we’re living in some kind of matrix. You mean to tell me there are men out there who believe they can take a grizzly bear in a fight? I mean, we’ve gotta get outdoors more, folks. This is…

Sword Fighting Dog Is Taking Over The Internet! {Watch}

Sword Fighting Dog Is Taking Over The Internet! {Watch}

I’m calling a fake on this one. There’s no way a dog can swordfight, right? I mean, I’ve seen some dogs do some pretty incredible things, but swordfight? This is on another level. This makes my granddad’s old dog, Duke fetching the newspaper in the afternoons look like bush league. Then, we’ve all seen the…

Dog Goes Fishing, Tries To Catch a Dolphin! {Watch}

Dog Goes Fishing, Tries To Catch a Dolphin! {Watch}

Somewhere in the Bahamas dogs and dolphins live and work together helping each other out. I’m not sure about that, but occasionally, you can catch a land dog fishing for a sea dog. This isn’t the first time the golden retriever has played with dolphins. The owners say that this is the first time their…

South Carolina Turkey Fights An SUV and Wins! {Watch}

South Carolina Turkey Fights An SUV and Wins! {Watch}

It looks like a turkey in South Carolina and an SUV had an old-fashioned stand-off and you’ll be surprised to see who backed down first. Listen, I grew up at the Sacramento Mountains base and remember stories about Turkeys being so mean they would chase Bears away! These things mean business. I wasn’t surprised to…

Meet Cannon and Lil Miss: Two Playful Puppies in Need of a Loving Home

Meet Cannon and Lil Miss: Two Playful Puppies in Need of a Loving Home

Furry Friday from Pitbull Tobacco & More Meet our Pet of the Week, Cannon! I met Cannon and his sister Lil Miss at Suffolk Humane Society this week. They are black and white American bulldog mixes bursting with puppy energy at just 5 months old. Cannon and Lil Miss are the last of their litter…

Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Will Be Home To The Voice For Three Days

Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Will Be Home To The Voice For Three Days

NBC’s The Voice is taking over Blake Shelton‘s Ole Red in Nashville on March 20-22. The show will include performances from prior contestants including Morgan Myles, Alexandra Kay, Huntley, Jake Hoot, and Lana Scott.  The Dan + Shay Double Chair Takeover is celebrating the show’s 25th season. CHECK IT OUT

Angry Gorilla at Texas Zoo Reminds Zookeepers Who’s In Charge! {Watch}

Angry Gorilla at Texas Zoo Reminds Zookeepers Who’s In Charge! {Watch}

You would think that zoos in America would have a system created that prevents staff from entering enclosures and cages of wild animals. Well, they don’t. Some might, but this zoo in Ft. Worth, Texas did not. The incident took place back in October and everyone made it out safely. It looks like some zookeepers…

Shania Twain Gets Her Own Barbie Ahead of International Women’s Day

Shania Twain Gets Her Own Barbie Ahead of International Women’s Day

You know you’ve made it when you have a Barbie made after you! Mattel created a Shania Twain Barbie doll and presented it to Shania herself recently. Shania is one of several women getting Barbies made of themself this month. Others include Viola Davis, Helen Mirren, and Kylie Minogue. Mattel is launching all of these new Barbies in honor of…

Sharks Mistake Fishing Boat For An All-You-Can-Eat Buffet! {Watch}

Sharks Mistake Fishing Boat For An All-You-Can-Eat Buffet! {Watch}

What’s going on here? These sharks think they own the place. Well, actually…they do. There’s a fishing charter company in, where else, Florida, called “Fin and Fly” that juiced us up with some incredible video of sharks stealing their catch. Check it out! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fin & Fly…

Keith Urban Surprises Travelers at Nashville Airport with Live Performance

Keith Urban Surprises Travelers at Nashville Airport with Live Performance

Keith Urban surprised travelers over the weekend at the Nashville airport with a live performance. The country superstar stepped onto the BNA Live stage to play a few songs for the crowd on Saturday, March 2, 2024. (Yes, there is a stage at the airport; it is Nashville, after all). During the 30-minute appearance, Keith…

Meet Jack Mercer: Our Furry Friday Pet of the Week at Portsmouth Humane Society!

Meet Jack Mercer: Our Furry Friday Pet of the Week at Portsmouth Humane Society!

Meet Jack Mercer, Furry Friday Pet of the Week from Pitbull Tobacco & More, at Portsmouth Humane Society. He is a delightful puppy, and though we can’t pinpoint his exact breed, we can guarantee he’s a perfect blend of cuteness and boundless energy. He’s the last of his litter, patiently waiting for that special someone…

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood Star in New Docuseries Chronicling the Creation of ‘Friends in Low Places’ Nashville Bar

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood Star in New Docuseries Chronicling the Creation of ‘Friends in Low Places’ Nashville Bar

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood‘s new docuseries, Friends In Low Places, will follow their journey of opening a honky tonk of the same name on Amazon Prime Video beginning March 7. According to a press release, the docuseries “follows the married couple as they “set out to build the ultimate oasis, a honky-tonk in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee.” “Paying tribute to…

Move Over Paddleball, “Ice Football” Is The Next Best Thing in America. {Watch}

Move Over Paddleball, “Ice Football” Is The Next Best Thing in America. {Watch}

We’re football-crazed lunatics in America! We can’t get enough. It’s so bad they’ve decided to launch a spring football league. They keep saying that this year will be better with the two spring football organizations joining to offer us all a better product. We’ll see about that. Hold the phone…What’s this??? Ice football? Yeah, it’s…

Donate Formal Dresses to Local Foster Youth Attending Prom!

Donate Formal Dresses to Local Foster Youth Attending Prom!

Local non-profit Connect With a Wish is currently collecting formal dresses, accessories, and gift cards ahead of prom season. Every high school student deserves to have a great prom experience, and Connect With a Wish wants to make that possible for local foster teens. They’re currently accepting donations for: *New or gently used prom dresses…

Adopt Hot Coco: Albino Bunny with a $1 Adoption Fee and Supplies Included!

Adopt Hot Coco: Albino Bunny with a $1 Adoption Fee and Supplies Included!

February is Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month. Our Furry Friday Pet of the Week is Hot Coco, an albino bunny at the Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center. Hot Coco’s adoption fee is only $1, and he comes with supplies, including a crate, exercise pen, and hay! Rabbits are social creatures and need exercise…

The Reason Why Kane Brown Skipped Attending Friend Lauren Alaina’s Wedding

The Reason Why Kane Brown Skipped Attending Friend Lauren Alaina’s Wedding

Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina have been friends long before they each had careers in the country music industry. They met in middle school choir and remained friends into adulthood. They even collaborated on the 2017 hit “What Ifs” on Kane’s debut album. It makes sense that fans have been wondering why Kane was noticeably…

Norfolk Animal Care Center Seeks Foster Heroes for Homeless Dogs

Norfolk Animal Care Center Seeks Foster Heroes for Homeless Dogs

Norfolk Animal Care Center is in search of compassionate foster heroes! 🌟 Some fur babies need a break from the shelter life – too young, injured, or just yearning for a different environment. Foster families play a crucial role in providing these animals with extra attention and a nurturing home environment, ultimately enhancing their readiness…

Post Malone Teases Collaboration with Luke Combs [LISTEN]

Post Malone Teases Collaboration with Luke Combs [LISTEN]

If you loved the Luke Combs/Tracy Chapman duet, hold onto your boots because Luke is teaming up next with Post Malone! Posty recently shared a brief clip of himself jamming out to a track featuring Luke. There aren’t many details. Post just captioned it with a beer emoji, tagged Luke, and Luke responded with a…

Virginia Peninsula Food Bank’s Shelves Are Low- Donate These 8 Most-Needed Items

Virginia Peninsula Food Bank’s Shelves Are Low- Donate These 8 Most-Needed Items

In a region where 1 in 10 Virginians grapples with the harsh realities of hunger, the Virginia Peninsula Food Bank extends a helping hand to families navigating the challenges of food and nutrition insecurity. Here are the top 8 items currently on their most-needed list: Canned protein Canned veggies Canned Fruits Pop-top soups Sauce Pasta/Rice…

Morgan Wallen Takes Nashville Nightlife to New Heights with a Six-Story Bar

Morgan Wallen Takes Nashville Nightlife to New Heights with a Six-Story Bar

Morgan Wallen is the latest country artist set to open his own bar in Nashville but he is taking his project to new heights—literally!  Wallen’s bar will be a towering SIX-story marvel spanning an impressive 30,000 square feet. Named “This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen” after his hit song “This Bar” from a few years ago,…

Parker McCollum and Wife Hallie Ray Reveal Baby’s Gender

Parker McCollum and Wife Hallie Ray Reveal Baby’s Gender

Parker McCollum and his wife Hallie Ray Light revealed the gender of their first child on socials this week. The slow-mo video shows the couple walking and holding a baby pair of cowboy boots between them. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hallie Ray Light McCollum (@hallieraylight) Hallie Ray wrote in the…

Miranda Lambert Highlights Adoptable Pets at The Puppy Bowl

Miranda Lambert Highlights Adoptable Pets at The Puppy Bowl

The big game took place on Sunday, February 11th…the Puppy Bowl! While the other big game had Reba McEntire in attendance, Miranda Lambert participated in the 20th annual Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet yesterday. The annual game serves as an adoption drive for pets around the country and Miranda appeared on behalf of her organization,…

Norfolk Animal Care Center’s Mobile Pet Pantry Delivers Support to Local Residents

Norfolk Animal Care Center’s Mobile Pet Pantry Delivers Support to Local Residents

Norfolk Animal Care Center’s (NACC) Waggin’ Wheels Mobile Pet Pantry program brings pet food and supplies to families in need. The Friends of the Norfolk Animal Care Center (aka ‘FNACC’) initiated the Pet Pantry in July 2011, which is physically located at the Norfolk Animal Care Center shelter and available to community members seven days…

Country Music’s Best Super Bowl Performances [WATCH]

Country Music’s Best Super Bowl Performances [WATCH]

Super Bowl LVII is this Sunday and Reba is set to sing the National Anthem in a ‘full-circle moment.’ Do you remember some of the biggest country stars in the Super Bowl over the years? As we look forward to this upcoming performance, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and recall some of the…

Jon Bon Jovi To Open A Honky-Tonk in Nashville This Year

Jon Bon Jovi To Open A Honky-Tonk in Nashville This Year

Jon Bon Jovi is gearing up to open his own Nashville Honky-Tonk. Rolling Stone reports that JBJ’s Nashville is scheduled to open up this spring in the city’s Lower Broadway entertainment district. He said in a statement, “We’re looking forward to having a place in Nashville that we call home. We have had wonderful times in Nashville…

Country Singer Toby Keith Dead at 62

Country Singer Toby Keith Dead at 62

Country music star Toby Keith has died at 62. His official website and social media accounts shared the news early this morning (2/6), just 18 months after the news broke that he was battling stomach cancer. According to a brief statement, he passed away on Monday night surrounded by his family. Keith had his first…

Zach Bryan Releases “Nine Ball” Music Video Starring Matthew McConaughey [WATCH]

Zach Bryan Releases “Nine Ball” Music Video Starring Matthew McConaughey [WATCH]

What a week for Zach Bryan! First, he snags a Grammy, and now, his latest music video features none other than Matthew McConaughey! The video accompanies his song “Nine Ball” from last year’s “Boys of Faith” E.P. In this cinematic masterpiece, the Oscar-winner takes on the role of a dad struggling with a gambling problem,…

Luke Bryan Announces “Mind of  Country Boy” Tour

Luke Bryan Announces “Mind of Country Boy” Tour

Five-time Entertainer of the Year and American Idol celebrity judge Luke Bryan will kick off his 2024 “Mind Of A Country Boy Tour” in Canada in Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome on April 17th with Chayce Beckham and Tenille Arts joining. The tour will run through mid-September. Tickets are on sale February 9th at www.LukeBryan.com. Luke will also feature multiple…

Lainey Wilson and Chris Stapleton Win Big at 2024 Grammy Awards

Lainey Wilson and Chris Stapleton Win Big at 2024 Grammy Awards

It was a big night Sunday for Lainey Wilson, who not only attended her first Grammy Awards but also took home her first trophy for Best Country Album (Bell Bottom Country). Chris Stapleton took home two of the golden gramophones — one for Best Country Song with co-writer Dan Wilson and the other for Best Country Solo Performance, both for “White Horse.” Chris’ co-writer, Dan Wilson, accepted…

See Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman Duet at the 2024 GRAMMYs {Watch}

See Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman Duet at the 2024 GRAMMYs {Watch}

Luke Combs hit new career highs in 2023 with the success of his cover of Tracy Chapman’s acclaimed song ‘Fast Car.’ The song won Single of the Year at the 2023 CMA Awards, over 30 years after Tracy Chapman first wrote and recorded it! Despite it winning big, Tracy Chapman didn’t attend the 2023 CMAs.…

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