VCA spotlight: Former anchor Bill Leslie finds mountain inspiration

"I didn't like it at all at first. I remember I kind of went into it kicking and screaming, but the station said it was important for me to do it. And then once I got into it and kind of got used to it, I just kinda fell in love with it," Leslie said.

Now, Leslie is a regular on social media, posting photos of his dog, Rufus, and his granddaughters.

"I love the brevity and the requirement to, you know, be kind of pithy in your answers and thoughts," Leslie said of Twitter. "I try a have something that'll get people thinking when they first get up in the morning, maybe not too heavy, but you know, a little, maybe a little brain starter and maybe a picture that corresponds with the thought."

In addition to posting on social media, Leslie said he has been getting through the coronavirus pandemic by writing new music.

"I would go upstairs feeling anxious about the world and I could get in the studio and write some pretty music and all of that anxiety would melt away," Leslie said.

He says the upcoming album will be almost "cinematic" featuring lots of different instruments.

And when he needs a change of scenery, Leslie and his wife head to their cabin in the North Carolina mountains.

"I love getting up for the sunrise because it is usually spectacular," he said.

WRAL Voters' Choice Awards return in September