Don Imus, New York radio legend, dies at age 79

Show Caption Hide Caption Radio personality Don Imus has died at the age of 79 Don Imus hosted his radio show for almost 50 years and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1989.

New York legendary radio personality Don Imus died Friday at the age of 79.

The often controversial Imus hosted "Imus in the Morning" in New York for nearly 50 years. Imus, born in Riverside, Calif. in 1940, was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1989.

He died at Baylor Scott and White Medical Center in College Station, Texas, after being hospitalized since Christmas Eve, according to a statement issued by his family. Deirdre, his wife of 25 years, and his son Wyatt, 21, were at his side, and his son Lt. Zachary Don Cates was returning from military service overseas. Imus is also survived by his four daughters Nadine, Ashley, Elizabeth and Toni.

"Don loved and adored Deirdre, who unconditionally loved him back, loved spending his time watching Wyatt become a highly skilled, champion rodeo rider and calf roper, and loved and supported Zachary, who first met the Imus family at age 10 when he participated in the Imus Ranch program for kids with cancer, having battled and overcome leukemia, eventually becoming a member of the Imus family and Don and Deirdre’s second son," Imus' family said in a statement.

"Shocking news on the passing of my friend, Don Imus. He will long be remembered as one of the true giants in the history of radio. My thoughts and prayers to Deirdre and Wyatt. God speed," tweeted Mike Franceca, who worked for many years with Imus at WFAN.

WABC radio, posted on Twitter: “We are deeply saddened to hear that legendary radio host Don Imus has passed away. Imus was on 77 WABC from 2007-2018 and spent over 40 years on the air in NYC. Our thoughts are with Deirdre, Wyatt and his family."

Imus survived drug and alcohol addiction, a raunchy appearance before President Bill Clinton and several firings during his long career. But he was vilified and eventually fired in 2007 after describing the Rutgers women's college basketball team as "nappy-headed hos."

While Imus gained headlines for controversies, he was also known for his charitable work.

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In 1994, the Don Imus-WFAN Pediatric Center for Tomorrows Children opened its facility on Prospect Avenue in Hackensack. The seven-story building is home to the Institute for Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Reuten Clinic, a treatment of pediatric cancer and blood disorders.

Imus did many radiothons for the Tomorrows Children's Fund, netting it millions of dollars.

"His profound generosity not only benefited patients – it inspired so many others to contribute. His legacy lives on at Hackensack Meridian Health through the Don Imus-WFAN Pediatric Center, the Tomorrows Children's Fund, and Tackle Kids Cancer," said Robert Garrett, the Chief Executive Officer of Hackensack Meridian Health. "The Imus Ranch Don and Deirdre operated in New Mexico helped many seriously ill children escape the demands of treatment and learn not to be defined by their illness. The Imus legacy lives on in the Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, which promotes community wellness, sustainability and environmental health. We were so fortunate to have Don in our Hackensack community; our thoughts and prayers go out to Deirdre and their entire family at this difficult time."

In 1999, Imus and his wife, Deirdre, founded the Imus Ranch, a cattle ranch in New Mexico. It's a charitable organization that helps children affected by cancer and blood diseases (it was investigated for financial irregularities by the state of New York in 2005, but the investigation was closed with no charges filed). The ranch closed in 2014.

Imus' biggest controversy came in 2007 when he and his executive producer, Bernard McGuirk, broadcasting from a Secaucus studio, had a bantering on-air conversation about whether the players on the Rutgers University women's basketball team were best described as "rough girls," "hard-core hoes" or "nappy-headed hos."

In the ensuing furor, CBS canceled the "Imus in the Morning" show. Imus then sued CBS for wrongful termination and won a $40 million settlement. Meanwhile, a Rutgers basketball player, Kia Vaughn, brought a defamation suit against Imus, which was later dropped.

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Imus, born on a California cattle ranch, was the oldest of two boys — his brother Fred later became an "Imus In the Morning" show regular. The family moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, where Imus joined the Marines before taking jobs as a freight train brakeman and uranium miner.

Only at age 28 did he appear on the airwaves. His caustic persona, though it would later serve him well, was initially a problem: Imus was canned by a small station in Stockton, California, uttering the word "hell."

The controversy only enhanced his career, a pattern that continued throughout the decades.

Imus, moving to larger California stations, earned Billboard's "Disc Jockey of the Year" award for medium-sized markets after a stunt where he ordered 1,200 hamburgers to go from a local McDonald's.

His next stop was Cleveland, where he won DJ of the year for large markets. By 1971, he was doing the morning drive-time show on WNBC-AM in New York, the nation's largest and most competitive radio market.

Imus struggled with addiction until a 1987 stint at a Florida alcohol rehabilitation center, coming out just as WNBC became the fledgling all-sports station WFAN — which retained Imus' non-sports show as its morning anchor.

Imus' career again soared. Time Magazine named Imus one of the 25 Most Influential People in America, and he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. His show began simulcasting on cable's MSNBC in September 1996.

In the decade before his Rutgers basketball debacle, Imus redefined his show by mixing his comedy segments with A-list guests: politicians (Sen. John Kerry and Sen. John McCain), journalists (NBC-TV's Tim Russert and The New York Times' Frank Rich, musicians (Harry Connick Jr. and John Mellencamp).

A book plug on Imus' show guaranteed sales, and authors were soon queuing up for a slot on the show.

But he rarely missed a chance to get in trouble, even in the good times. He engaged in a long-running feud with shock jock Howard Stern, who usurped Imus' position as the No. 1 morning host in New York City.

And he outraged guests at the annual Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner in 1996, cracking wise about President Clinton's extramarital activities as the first lady sat stone-faced nearby. "We all know you're a pot-smoking weasel," Imus said at another point about Clinton. A White House spokesman called Imus' bit "fairly tasteless."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.