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.
