Hoodoo
2005-02-12 20:59:50 UTC
Radio DJ Deaths: The "Crash Curse" And Other Awful Ends
http://radio.about.com/
Being on the Radio may be more dangerous than it seems.
According to a section of the Rock Radio Scrapbook website called
Rock Radio Heaven, DJs and Radio personalities have had their
share of untimely deaths.
DJ Crash Curse
One has to wonder if there is some sort of "DJ Crash Curse". For
instance:
Irv Smith, morning man at WINS, New York, died in a car crash on
January 31, 1959.
J.P. Richardson, a DJ from KTRM, Beaumont, Texas, also known as
"The Big Bopper", died intheplane crash that also killed Buddy
Holly and Ritchie Valens, February 3, 1959.
Don Owens, aka "Big Daddy", from WLCY, Tampa, died in a
motorcycle crash in 1964.
Dick Norman, from WFLA, Tampa, died in an auto accident on
January 26, 1989.
Barney Pip, who worked at many stations including WCFL, Chicago
and WOKY, Milwaukee, died in a car crash in 1994.
Bobby Simon, who worked at stations including KZOK, Seattle and
WIFE, Indianapolis, died in a car crash November, 2002.
More Unfortunate Exits
Car and plane crashes aside, DJs have also had their share of
unsavory endings:
On January 22, 1965, the man who coined the phrase, "Rock 'n'
Roll", Alan Freed, drank himself to death at age 43.
Terry Steele, known as "The Bear", who worked at several Toronto
Radio stations including CHUM, died after a freak fall in his
bathtub.
Roger Christian, who spent most of his Radio career at Los
Angeles Radio stations including KHJ and KRTH, committed suicide
July 11, 1991 at age 56.
Steve Feinstein worked at KLOS, Los Angeles, WYSP, Philadelphia
and others. He killed himself at age 40 by jumping off the 30th
floor of a hotel building.
In South Africa on February 9, 2005, Popular DJ Benny Kamati from
Radio Energy, better known as BK to his listeners, committed
suicide.
The Pefect DJ Farewell
Maybe the one DJ who exited the best was Jack Spector. Spector
worked at many New York City Radio stations during his career and
when it was time, he died on-the-air during his show at
WHLI,Garden City, New York.
http://radio.about.com/
Being on the Radio may be more dangerous than it seems.
According to a section of the Rock Radio Scrapbook website called
Rock Radio Heaven, DJs and Radio personalities have had their
share of untimely deaths.
DJ Crash Curse
One has to wonder if there is some sort of "DJ Crash Curse". For
instance:
Irv Smith, morning man at WINS, New York, died in a car crash on
January 31, 1959.
J.P. Richardson, a DJ from KTRM, Beaumont, Texas, also known as
"The Big Bopper", died intheplane crash that also killed Buddy
Holly and Ritchie Valens, February 3, 1959.
Don Owens, aka "Big Daddy", from WLCY, Tampa, died in a
motorcycle crash in 1964.
Dick Norman, from WFLA, Tampa, died in an auto accident on
January 26, 1989.
Barney Pip, who worked at many stations including WCFL, Chicago
and WOKY, Milwaukee, died in a car crash in 1994.
Bobby Simon, who worked at stations including KZOK, Seattle and
WIFE, Indianapolis, died in a car crash November, 2002.
More Unfortunate Exits
Car and plane crashes aside, DJs have also had their share of
unsavory endings:
On January 22, 1965, the man who coined the phrase, "Rock 'n'
Roll", Alan Freed, drank himself to death at age 43.
Terry Steele, known as "The Bear", who worked at several Toronto
Radio stations including CHUM, died after a freak fall in his
bathtub.
Roger Christian, who spent most of his Radio career at Los
Angeles Radio stations including KHJ and KRTH, committed suicide
July 11, 1991 at age 56.
Steve Feinstein worked at KLOS, Los Angeles, WYSP, Philadelphia
and others. He killed himself at age 40 by jumping off the 30th
floor of a hotel building.
In South Africa on February 9, 2005, Popular DJ Benny Kamati from
Radio Energy, better known as BK to his listeners, committed
suicide.
The Pefect DJ Farewell
Maybe the one DJ who exited the best was Jack Spector. Spector
worked at many New York City Radio stations during his career and
when it was time, he died on-the-air during his show at
WHLI,Garden City, New York.