Don Imus Signs-Off

By hikrcn @ Shutterstock.com

Thank you Don Imus for 50-years of entertainment and enlightenment. At age 77, Mr. Imus signed off at 7:20 this morning for the last time from his flagship WABC (770 AM) in New York in an emotional thanks to, “You,” the listener, and a heartfelt, “I’m going to miss you.”

“Much more than a ‘shock jock,’ he and his team at their best blended sharp-edged satiric humor into intelligent radio for grownups,” writes David Hinckley. His long-time producer Bernard McGuirk and “crazy” Sid Rosenberg will take over the reins with the Bernie & Sid Show.

What I liked most about the “I-Man” was his honesty and the connection he made with the listener. In an interview with Anthony Mason on CBS Sunday Morning, Imus explains that it was all about the listener. He would approach each show as if he were speaking with one person—just having a conversation. And his brutal honesty created a bond of trust with the listener—holding that relationship together for decades.

Imus had a way of picking at his guests’ scabs, if you will, to lighten up the mood. In return he had some of the best interviews with people we knew about, but thanks to the “I-Man,” we felt we knew much better afterwards, thanks to his interviews. Beginning with their five favorite songs, he’d give them the floor and he’d chime in when he felt they weren’t being straight with him, an instinct that served him well over a 50-year career.

“Ladies and Gentlemen…Imus…in the morning” is off the air.

Originally posted on Yoursurvivalguy.com.

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E.J. Smith is the Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH, where he completed course-work in Practical and Defensive Handgun, Conceal Carry Pistol, Shotguns, Precision Scope Rifle and Kidnapping Prevention. E.J. plays a Yamaha Recording Custom drum set with Zilldjian cymbals. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zilldjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@youngresearch.com. Sign up here to receive all the best content from Richardcyoung.com each week.