Texas DJ's 71-year radio career earns Guinness World Record

March 14 (UPI) -- A Texas woman whose career in radio spans more than 71 years was awarded a Guinness World Record for her tenure in broadcasting.

Guinness World Records said Mary McCoy was awarded the record for the longest career as a radio presenter/DJ when her time in the industry was verified at 71 years, 357 days on Feb. 15.

McCoy, who got her start working five days a week as a radio host at the age of 12, beat the previous record by more than three years, Guinness said.

"Growing up my dream was to get into the entertainment business. I started out singing at talent shows and I was asked to audition for a radio show," she told Guinness. "They liked what they heard and I started working at KMCO Radio on April 20, 1951, doing a 15-minute singing program."

The now-85-year-old still hosts the two-hour Country Classics show six days a week on KVST K-Star Country in Huntsville.

McCoy also had a music career in addition to her DJ duties, and once shared the stage with Elvis Presley when the singer and his band joined her for a few songs in 1955.

This article originally appeared on UPI.com