Ronnie Virgets: New Orleans writer, journalist and commentator

Career and outlets

Virgets wrote columns and essays for several local publications and contributed to broader journalistic outlets. He is remembered for pieces in The Times-Picayune, Gambit and New Orleans Magazine, and he authored multiple books collecting his essays and reflections. On television he worked as a feature reporter for stations including WDSU and WWL-TV, where he produced human-interest stories and city profiles.

• Writer and columnist
• Television feature reporter (WDSU, WWL-TV)
• Radio host and commentator

Radio, style and themes

Virgets hosted Crescent City, a radio program that aired on New Orleans public radio station WWNO. His broadcasts and essays were marked by an intimate, anecdotal tone — blending local history, food, music, and personal memory. Rather than formal analysis, his pieces often relied on vivid scenes and the quirks of daily life to portray the city he loved.

Awards, recognition and legacy

Over his career Virgets received recognition for his journalism, including a regional Emmy Award for a 1992 television story about New Orleans. Colleagues and readers have noted his role in preserving and popularizing the city's vernacular culture through accessible storytelling. His contributions helped shape how many outsiders and residents alike understood New Orleans' social fabric.

Later life and passing

Virgets remained associated with the New Orleans area throughout his life. He died on May 20, 2019, in Destrehan, Louisiana, at the age of 77. Remembrances emphasized his humor, warmth and deep familiarity with the places and people he wrote about.

For further background and selections of his work, see local archives and journalism collections that preserve essays, recorded broadcasts and television features about New Orleans and Louisiana culture. Biographical summaries and retrospectives are available through regional media resources and public-radio listings (New Orleans, Louisiana).