Don Imus

JOHN DONALD “DON” IMUS, a radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer, and a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS BROADCASTING HALL OF FAME, passed away after complications from prostate cancer at the age of 79. He died FRIDAY morning at BAYLOR SCOTT and WHITE MEDICAL CENTER in COLLEGE STATION, TX after being hospitalized on CHRISTMAS EVE.

IMUS, who famously feuded with his former WNBC colleague HOWARD STERN for years, made his name as one of the first of the personality radio hosts first in CLEVELAND and then, in NEW YORK at WNBC and then, after the station was sold to EMMIS COMMUNICATIONS and changed its calls to WFAN.

Born JULY 23rd, 1940, in RIVERSIDE, CA, to a ranching family, raised on a sprawling piece of land dubbed THE WILLOWS near KINGMAN, AZ. IMUS served as a bugler in the MARINE CORPS, then served as a brakeman on the SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD. Upon winning a talent contest at JOHNNY OTIS’ nightclub, he began working as a singer/songwriter, managed by OTIS. Listening to a local DJ one morning, he went to the nearby station and persuaded the owner to hire him, beginning his radio career on JUNE 28th, 1968, at KUTY in PALMDALE, CA. The following year, he left for a job at KJOY, a small station in STOCKTON, CA, where he was fired for saying “hell” on the air. From there, he developed his playful persona at KXOA in SACRAMENTO, CA, where he would prank call a restaurant and order 1,200 burgers to go. One of his major influences was CALIFORNIA radio personality DON MacKINNON.

Following a stint at WGAR in CLEVELAND, IMUS moved to NEW YORK’s WNBC radio in DECEMBER, 1971, recording three record albums, two for RCA (“1200 Hamburgers To Go,” which included some of his more popular stunts at KXOA, WGAR and WNBC, and “One Sacred Chicken To Go With Anthrax,” a studio-created effort centering on his satirical character, The Right Reverend Dr. Billy Sol Hargis) and one for BANG (“This Honky’s Nuts,” his stand-up routine recorded live at the MANHATTAN night club JIMMY’S, and an answer record to RICHARD PRYOR’s “That Nigger’s Crazy”). There was also a 1973 single, “Son Of Checkers,” which went to #123 in RECORD WORLD.

“IMUS In The Morning” became part of a national broadcast in the fall of 1973, with a SATURDAY night segment rotating between WOLFMAN JACK, ROBERT W. MORGAN and IMUS.

IMUS was first fired by WNBC in AUGUST, 1977, as part of an attempt to revamp the station’s sound and boost ratings, so he returned to CLEVELAND, doing afternoon drive on WHK, which merited a front-page story in the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER. During this time, he commuted between CLEVELAND and NEW YORK, where he was taping a TV talk show, “IMUS Plus,” for WNEW-TV, nationally syndicated by METROMEDIA.

By SEPTEMBER 1979, IMUS was hired back by WNBC, which revived his morning drive show, and where he formed an uneasy partnership with HOWARD STERN as fellow bad boys of radio under the slogan, “If We Weren’t So Bad (We Wouldn’t Be So Good)".

IMUS’ best-known character was Billy Sol Hargis, a radio evangelist who headed the “First Church Of The Gooey Death And Discount House Of Worship.” In 1981, IMUS published the best-selling novel, “God’s Other Son,” whose subject was Hargis. The novel was reprinted in 1994, spending seven weeks on the NEW YORK TIMES bestseller list. Other IMUS characters included the GM Geraldo Santana Banana (played by doo-wop singer LARRY CHANCE) and Moby Worm, a monster who devoured local schools.

IMUS also served as the announcer for GERALDO RIVERA’s monthly TV series, “Good Night, AMERICA,” and was one of the first VJs on the new VH1 cable network in 1985.

When WNBC was sold to EMMIS BROADCASTING on OCTOBER 7th, 1988, the station signed off the air and was replaced at 660 AM by Sports station WFAN, which moved from 1050 AM. “IMUS In The Morning” remained, becoming nationally syndicated in 1993 and simulcasting on MSNBC in 1996, where the radio personality’s signature cowboy hat became a frequent sight. At that time, after overcoming cocaine and alcohol addictions, IMUS reshaped his show from strictly comedy into a forum for politics, charitable causes and news-based parodies, taking much of his inspiration from his rival, HOWARD STERN.

IMUS’ outspokenness landed him in the press, whether it was calling RUSH LIMBAUGH “a fat, pill-popping loser,” LESLEY STAHL “a gutless, lying weasel” or TUCKER CARLSON “a bow-tie-wearing little pussy.” In 2007, IMUS came under heat when he described members of the RUTGERS UNIVERSITY women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos,” forced to defend himself against charges of racism. The outcry led MSNBC to announce they would no longer simulcast “IMUS In The Morning” and CBS RADIO to cancel the show immediately after several sponsors pulled their advertising.

CBS later settled with IMUS on his reported $40 million contract, while KIA VAUGHN, one of the women involved, filed suit against IMUS, NBC UNIVERSAL, CBS CORPORATION, MSNBC, CBS RADIO, VIACOM, WESTWOOD ONE and IMUS sidekick BERNARD McGUIRK, citing slander, libel and defamation of character, though she later dropped the action.

IMUS signed a deal with CITADEL in NOVEMBER, 2007, for a multi-year syndication contract where the show would be based at WABC in NEW YORK, with another agreement signed with RFD-TV to simulcast the show on cable. In 2008, he signed an agreement with FOX BUSINESS NETWORK to simulcast his morning show, which lasted until MAY, 2015. In MARCH, 2009, IMUS was diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer. His show continued to be syndicated nationally by CUMULUS MEDIA.

IMUS won four MARCONI AWARDS, three for Major Market Personality Of The Year in 1990, 1992 and 1997 and one for Network Syndicated Personality. He was inducted into the NATIONAL RADIO HALL OF FAME in 1989, while TALKERS MAGAZINE ranked him one of the 25 greatest radio talk show hosts of all time.

IMUS officially announced on JANUARY 22nd, 2018 he was retiring from radio. "Turn out the lights, the party's over," he said at the time of his last radio broadcast on MARCH 29th, 2018..

IMUS’ philanthropic activities included running the IMUS RANCH for kids with cancer near RIBERA, NM, until selling it, raising money for the TOMORROWS CHILDREN FUND, the CJ FOUNDATION FOR SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), AMERICA’s veterans and their care, autism studies and environmental concerns.

IMUS is survived by his wife DEIRDRE, their sons FREDERICK WYATT and LT. ZACHARY DON CATES, two daughters, ASHLEY and ELIZABETH, and two adopted stepdaughters, NADINE and TONY, from his first marriage, and three grandchildren.

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